AUTOMATED, SNORE ACTIVATED ELECTRO-MECHANICAL MANDIBULAR ADVANCEMENT DEVICE

• US 20190328574A1
• Filed: 05/11/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Craig Flanagan
• Original Assignee: Craig Flanagan
• Inventors: Flanagan, Craig
• Application Number:
  US16/409,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20190328574A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices

Abstract

An automated mandibular advancement device (MAD) is described for the treatment of sleep disorders involving the occlusion of upper airway gas flow during sleep; one example being obstructive sleep apnea. In embodiments, a MAD projects the lower jaw forward only after the patient has fallen asleep. Embodiments of the may track patient sleep parameters for later review by the patient and/or the treating physician to assess the quality of sleep and efficacy of the treatment regime. An actuator placed laterally within a band allows the integral microprocessor to actuate the lower jaw tray forward upon sensing of snoring activity (or upon exceeding a pre-set timer threshold).

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An intra-oral system, wearable by the patient, for monitoring sleep disorders, the system comprising:

an accelerometer;

a real-time clock; and

one or more processors and memory comprising executable instructions to cause the processor to;

(i) monitor respiratory measures of patient status;

(ii) track initiation, duration and cessation times of system usage by the patient; and

(iii) transmit by bi-directional means, said system usage and said patient status to a physician'"'"'s computer through an intermediate smart phone.

16. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system tracks initiation, duration and cessation times of patient use by means of an integral microphone which is configured to monitor breathing noise and snoring sounds.

17. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system further comprises a means of tracking and quantifying snoring activity,

18. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means.

19. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means.

20. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system provides logged data to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping.

21. The intra-oral system of claim 15 wherein the system provides a remote means for a physician to set therapeutic delivery limits.

22. A method for monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

receiving intra-oral sensor data from one or more sensors configured to track, using a data logging and time-stamping means, at least one of;

(i) patient'"'"'s sleep performance including the frequency, severity, and timing of occlusive breathing events and (ii) initiation, duration and cessation times of patient'"'"'s device usage;

relaying logged sensor data to a physician'"'"'s computer through an intermediate smartphone; and

receiving configuration commands from a physician'"'"'s computer through an intermediate smart phone.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising a means of tracking and quantifying snoring activity.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising a wireless charging means.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising a real-time clock means for timestamping data.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein logged data is provided, by bi-directional means, to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising a remote means for physician to set therapeutic delivery limits.

28. An intra-oral system, wearable by a patient, for monitoring sleep disorders, the system comprising:

a first sensor configured to implement at least one of;

(i) an accelerometric sensing of device movement wherein the initiation, duration and cessation times of accelerometric data is time-stamped and (ii) sonic sensing of patient breathing wherein the initiation, duration and cessation times sonic-based breathing data is time-stamped;

a second sensor for sensing and tracking patient therapeutic status including at least one of;

(i) sensing snoring activity as measured using accelerometric or sonic means and (ii) sensing breathing activity as measured using accelerometric or sonic means;

a communications link configured to implement at least one of;

(i) smartphone-mediated communications between an intra-oral system and the physician'"'"'s computer and (ii) a means of accepting remote physician settings on the intra-oral system

29. The intra-oral system of claim 28 wherein the system further comprises a wireless charging means.

30. The intra-oral system of claim 28 wherein the system further comprises a real-time clock for timestamping data.

31. The intra-oral system of claim 28 wherein the system provides logged data to a remote physician through the cloud or internet for the purpose of evaluation, assessment and records keeping.

32. The intra-oral system of claim 28 wherein the system provides a remote means for a physician to set therapeutic delivery limits.