SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING SLEEP DISORDERS

• US 20140225736A1
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Original Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Inventors: Lyons, Christopher Thomas, Lyons, Ellen M., Lyons, Stephen Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,368,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, includes a housing insertable into an ear canal of a subject. A sensor disposed within the housing measures a position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity. A transducer is responsive to the sensor and is capable of creating a stimulus detectable by the subject under certain conditions. In various embodiments, a controller receives signals corresponding to a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head measured by the sensor, determines if the pitch and roll angles correspond to a sleep apnea inducing position, and causes the transducer to generate a stimulus upon determining that the subjects head is in the sleep apnea inducing position more than a predetermined threshold number of times. Various parameters of the stimulus may be modified with successive stimulus generation until a non-sleep apnea inducing position is detected.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. A device for detecting sleep disorders comprising:

a housing;

a gravitational sensor disposed within the housing and configured to generate signals corresponding to a measurement of a position of a subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity; and

a transducer responsive to the signals generated by the gravitational sensor and configured to create stimulus detectable by the subject.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the gravitational sensor comprises a dual-axis inclinometer.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in combination with a controller disposed within the housing responsive to the signals generated by the gravitational sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the transducer generates at east one of haptic stimulus and audible stimulus.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a controller, the controller further comprising:

program logic to receive signals from the gravitational sensor corresponding to the position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

program logic to determine a pitch angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity and to determine a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity,

program logic to compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles, and

program logic to cause the transducer to generate the stimulus if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. A system for detecting and treating sleep disorders comprising:

A) a housing;

B) a dual-axis inclinometer disposed within the housing capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity;

C) circuitry configured to;

receive signals from the gravitational sensor corresponding to the position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

determine a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subjects head relative to the axis of gravity,

compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles, and

cause the transducer to generate the stimulus if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subjects head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles; and

D) a transducer responsive to the sensor for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the predefined range of threshold roll angles extend between approximately 25°

and 155°

relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity and the predefined range of threshold pitch angles extend between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to the axis of gravity.

21. A method for detecting sleep disorders comprising:

A) providing a system comprising;

i) a housing insertable into the ear canal of a subject,

ii) a sensor disposed within the housing and capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subjects head relative to an axis of gravity,

iii) a controller responsive to signals from the sensor, and

iv) a transducer responsive to the sensor for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject;

B) receiving signals from the sensor corresponding to the position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

C) determining a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

D) comparing the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles,

E) modifying a flag count if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles,

F) determining if the flag count at least equals a predefined threshold,

G) upon determining that the flag count at least equals the predefined threshold flag count, causing the transducer to generate stimulus, and

H) repeat B)-G) after a predefined time interval.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

I) resetting the flag count if the determined pitch angle or roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head do not lie within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles,

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the sensor and the transducer are located in the housing.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the controller is located remotely from the housing.

25. (canceled)

26. A method for detecting sleep disorders comprising;

a) estimating the percentage of closure of a subject'"'"'s airway from the angular position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity; and

b) causing a transducer to generate stimulus if the position of the subject'"'"'s head lies within the predefined range of positions determined to cause a sleep disorder.