DEVICE FOR MONITORING AND MODIFYING EATING BEHAVIOR

• US 20110276312A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iWhisper Company
• Original Assignee: iWhisper Company
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Leonardo Gabriel, Shalon, Tadmor
• Application Number:
  US12/601,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276312A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/006 Detecting skeletal, cartilage or muscle noise A61B7/003 and A61B7/008 take precedence

Abstract

A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user is provided. The device includes at least one sensor mounted on a head of the user, the sensor being capable of detecting jaw muscle movement and sound while not occluding an ear canal of the user.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user comprising at least one sensor mounted on a head of the user, said at least one sensor being capable of detecting jaw muscle movement and sound while not occluding an ear canal of the user.

4. The device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said at least one sensor includes a microphone and a tissue deformation sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said at least one sensor is mountable behind an ear of the user.

6. The device of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said at least one sensor is a bubble microphone.

7. The device of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising an accelerometer for sensing body movement of the user.

8. The device of claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising a processing unit being designed for processing input from said at least one sensor and extracting data related to an eating activity of the user.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said processing unit is further designed for comparing said data related to an eating activity of the user to baseline data of the user as stored by said processing unit.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is designed such that said baseline data of the user can be dynamically altered according to input from said processing unit or from an external source.

2. A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user comprising a sensor for detecting sounds generated by the user and an algorithm for applying formant analysis to sounds detected by said sensor to thereby identify sounds related to eating activity.

3. A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user comprising a sensor for detecting sounds generated by the user and an algorithm for collecting chewing sounds and categorizing said chewing sounds to thereby generate a log comprising data related to when, how long and how hard the user chews.

11. A device for monitoring eating behavior of a user comprising at least one sensor for monitoring sound and/or jaw movement of the user and a processing unit being designed for processing input from said at least one sensor and extracting data related to an eating activity of the user.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said processing unit is further designed for comparing said data related to an eating activity of the user to baseline data of the user as stored by said processing unit.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is designed such that said baseline data of the user can be dynamically altered according to input from said processing unit or from an external source.

14. A method of generating an eating log for a user comprising:

(a) monitoring eating behavior of a user over a time period and detecting eating activity;

(b) classifying said eating activity of the user over said time period;

(c) generating a log of said eating activity.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said log includes data related to a duration of eating, rate of eating, food mass consumed, volume consumed and number of bites, chews and/or swallows over said time period.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said log includes data related to a sequence of bites, chews and/or swallows over said time period.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said log includes data related to when, how long and how hard the user chews.