MOTION MONITOR

• US 20150305653A1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snuza Trust
• Original Assignee: Snuza Trust
• Inventors: Gallagher, Gregory John
• Granted Patent: US 9,877,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0257 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6808 Diapers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6844 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• 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

Abstract

A method and device (10) are provided for monitoring regular movement of the body (20) of a human subject, such as an infant. The device (10) includes electronic circuitry, an alarm and attachment means (14) for attaching to the subject'"'"'s body (18), a first non-contact proximity sensor (22), and a second proximity sensor. When the device (10) is attached to the subject'"'"'s body, the two proximity sensors (22,24) monitor movement of the subject'"'"'s body in two sensor zones a first sensor zone (23) and a second sensor zone (25) that is father from the device than the first sensor zone(23). If a pattern in the distances monitored in either sensor (22,24) changes by a predetermined extent, that alarm is activated.

Claims

1. A device for monitoring regular movement of the body of a human subject, said device comprising:

electronic circuitry including at least one alarm;

attachment means for releasably attaching the device to the subject'"'"'s body in the groin area; and

at least one first proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor,

wherein said first proximity sensor is configured and directed to monitor a distance between the device and the stomach of the subject in the first sensor zones, when the device is attached to the subject'"'"'s body in the groin area;

and wherein said device includes at least one second proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor and that is configured and directed to monitor a distance between the device and the stomach of the subject in a second sensor zone, when the device is attached to the subject'"'"'s body in the groin area;

said attachment means and said first and second proximity sensors being configured such that the second sensor zone is disposed farther from the attachment means than the first sensor zone; and

said circuitry being configured to activate the alarm in the event that a pattern by which the distance measured by at least one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor varies, changes to a predetermined extent.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment means is configured to attach the device an article of clothing of the subject.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the attachment means includes a clip that is attachable to the article of clothing.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the first sensor zone and the second sensor zone extend on a side of the device, to which the clip protrudes.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes a third proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor and that is configured to monitor the distance between the device and a near object in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending in a direction from the device, generally opposite from the direction in which at least one of the first and second sensor zones extend.

13. A device according to claim 3, wherein said device includes a third proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor and that is configured to monitor the distance between the device and a near object in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending in a direction from the device, generally opposite from the direction in which at least one of the first and second sensor zones extend.

18. A device according to claim 2, wherein said device includes a third proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor and that is configured to monitor the distance between the device and a near object in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending in a direction from the device, generally opposite from the direction in which at least one of the first and second sensor zones extend.

19. A device according to claim 4, wherein said device includes a third proximity sensor that is a non-contact proximity sensor and that is configured to monitor the distance between the device and a near object in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending in a direction from the device, generally opposite from the direction in which at least one of the first and second sensor zones extend.

6. A method of monitoring regular movement of the body of a human subject said method comprising:

releasably attaching a monitoring device to the subject'"'"'s body in the groin area;

directing at least one first proximity sensor from the device to the stomach of the subject, to monitor movement of the subjects stomach in a first sensor zone;

directing at least one second proximity sensor from the monitoring device to the subject'"'"'s stomach to monitor movement of the subject'"'"'s stomach in a second sensor zone, said second sensor zone being disposed farther from the attachment of the monitoring device to the subject'"'"'s body in the groin area, than the first sensor zone;

detecting regular movement of the subject'"'"'s stomach relative to the monitoring device by monitoring the distance between said stomach and the first and second proximity sensors in the first and second sensor zones respectively; and

activating an alarm if a pattern of said monitored distance changes to a predetermined extent in at least one of the first and second sensing zones.

7. A method according to claim 6, which includes attaching the device to an article of clothing worn by the subject.

8. A method according to claim 6, which comprises selecting one of the distance between the subject'"'"'s stomach and the first proximity sensor or the distance between the subject'"'"'s stomach and the second proximity sensor, whichever of said distances varies with the greatest amplitude, and activating the alarm if the pattern of said selected distance changes to a predetermined extent.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, exceeds a predetermined maximum period.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, is shorter than a predetermined minimum period.

11. A method according to claim 6, which includes detecting the presence of objects in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending away from said subject'"'"'s body, and activating the alarm if an object is detected in the third sensor zone.

12. A method according to claim 11, which comprises monitoring the distance between the device and said object in the third sensor zone and activating the alarm only if said distance deviates to a predetermined extent from the pattern of the distance measured by at least one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, exceeds a predetermined maximum period.

15. A method according to claim 8, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, is shorter than a predetermined minimum period.

16. A method according to claim 8, which includes detecting the presence of objects in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending away from said subject'"'"'s body, and activating the alarm if an object is detected in the third sensor zone.

17. A method according to claim 16, which includes monitoring the distance between the device and said object in the third sensor zone and activating the alarm only if said distance deviates to a predetermined extent from the pattern of the distance measured by at least one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor.

20. A method according to claim 7, which comprises selecting one of the distance between the subject'"'"'s stomach and the first proximity sensor or the distance between the subject'"'"'s stomach and the second proximity sensor, whichever of said distances varies with the greatest amplitude, and activating the alarm if the pattern of said selected distance changes to a predetermined extent.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, exceeds a predetermined maximum period.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, is shorter than a predetermined minimum period.

23. A method according to claim 20, which includes detecting the presence of objects in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending away from said subject'"'"'s body, and activating the alarm if an object is detected in the third sensor zone.

24. A method according to claim 23, which includes monitoring the distance between the device and said object in the third sensor zone and activating the alarm only if said distance deviates to a predetermined extent from the pattern of the distance measured by at least one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor.

25. A method according to claim 7, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, exceeds a predetermined maximum period.

26. A method according to claim 7, wherein said change in the pattern of the monitored distance, is that the period between successive increases or decreases in the distance, is shorter than a predetermined minimum period.

27. A method according to claim 7, which comprises detecting the presence of objects in a third sensor zone, said third sensor zone extending away from said subject'"'"'s body, and activating the alarm if an object is detected in the third sensor zone.

28. A method according to claim 27, which comprises monitoring the distance between the device and said object in the third sensor zone and activating the alarm only if said distance deviates to a predetermined extent from the pattern of the distance measured by at least one of the first proximity sensor and the second proximity sensor