DETECTION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING

• US 20110105915A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inovise Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Inovise Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Arand, Patricia A., Wheeler, Timothy K., Bauer, Peter T., Gasperina, Marco Dalla
• Granted Patent: US 9,675,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1135 by monitoring thoracic expansion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise

Abstract

A vector method for monitoring a subject'"'"'s sleep-disordered breathing utilizing a single, anatomy-attached (anatomically outside or implanted inside), three-orthogonal-axis accelerometer(s), including the steps of (1) collecting from a sleeping subject three-orthogonal-axis data relating to at least one of sound data, subject posture, subject activity, snoring, and respiration, and (2) following such collecting, processing and analyzing collected data to detect associated, disordered breathing including assessing the presence of at least one of (a) sleep-disordered breathing generally, (b) sleep apnea specifically, and (c) differentiation between central and obstructive sleep apnea. Further involved is the acquiring of ECG data, and that the mentioned processing and analyzing include recognition of such acquired ECG data.

Claims

1. A vector method for monitoring sleep-disordered breathing comprising

utilizing an anatomy-attached, three-orthogonal-axis accelerometer, collecting, simultaneously, multi-facet, three-axis data from a sleeping subject, and

following said collecting, processing and analyzing such collected data to detect associated, disordered breathing including assessing the presence of at least one of (a) sleep-disordered breathing generally, (b) sleep apnea specifically, (c) differentiation between central and obstructive sleep apnea, and (d) hypopnea.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said utilizing is preceded by attaching the accelerometer to a location which is one of (a) outside the anatomy, and (b) implanted inside the anatomy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said multi-facet collecting involves simultaneously collecting plural ones of sound data, subject posture, subject activity, snoring, and respiration, and which further comprises, in addition to said collecting, acquiring ECG data, and said processing and analyzing further involve processing and analyzing all such collected and additionally acquired data.

4. The method of claim 1 which further comprises, based upon said analyzing, producing at least presentable graphic information relating to at least one of (a) sleep-disordered breathing generally, (b) sleep apnea specifically, (c) differentiation between central and obstructive sleep apnea, and (d) hypopnea.

5. A vector method for detecting sleep disordered breathing comprising

using a three-orthogonal-axis accelerometer attached to a selected site on a subject'"'"'s anatomy, collecting simultaneously from that site, over a chosen time interval, multi-facet, three-axis accelerometer signal data which may include, as collected components, two or more of activity, posture, heart sound, snoring, and respiration,

independently filtering such collected data through one or more independent filtering agencies which produce, respectively, filtered data reflecting one or more of the mentioned components,

selectively and combinationally processing and analyzing such filtered data, and

from said processing and analyzing, producing output information associated with the selected anatomical site describing any detected sleep disordered breathing.

6. The method of claim 5 which further comprises simultaneously acquiring, during the same, chosen time interval, ECG electrical data, and including information contained in such acquired electrical data in said processing and analyzing.

7. The method of claim 5 which further comprises, based upon said processing and analyzing, producing at least presentable graphic information relating to at least one of (a) sleep-disordered breathing generally, (b) sleep apnea specifically, (c) differentiation between central and obstructive sleep apnea, and (d) hypopnea.