APNEA DETECTION DEVICE

• US 3,727,606 A
• Filed: 06/12/1970
• Issued: 04/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ulrich Sielaff
• Original Assignee: Ulrich Sielaff
• Inventors: Sielaff, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Application Number:
  US05/045,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2R,2S,2.5R,2.5T,2.5P,2.5B,2.6R,2.6F,2.08,DIG.17 340/279,240
• US Class Current: 600/535
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing

Abstract

A device for providing continuous monitoring of a human breathing and heart rate wherein a fluid-tight mattress is located in contact with the human and produces pressure signals in response to the breathing and heart rate. A pressure transducer is provided for interpreting the pressure signals for application to an electronic circuit for visual or audible recognition of the signals.

Claims

1. A breathing monitor for continuously detecting movement of a living infant, comprising a flexible air-tight resilient mattress, adapted to underlie and support said infant, the interior of said mattress containing air volumes which in response to bodily movement of the infant on said mattress are compressed and exhibit relative pressure fluctuations with respect to the ambient atmosphere;

means communicating with said mattress interior for receiving said pressure fluctuations and converting said pressure fluctuations into a recognizable signal; and

non-closeable bleed means connected continuously between said mattress interior and ambient atmosphere to enable bleeding of relatively slow pressure fluctuations from said interior.

2. A breathing monitor for continuously detecting movement of a living infant, comprising a flexible air-tight resilient mattress adaPted to underlie and support said infant, the interior of said mattress containing air volumes which in response to bodily movements of the infant on said mattress are compressed and exhibit pressure fluctuations;

valve means communicating with said mattress interior for receiving said pressure fluctuations, said valve means being adapted to filter out pressure fluctuations above and below a predetermined pressure range; and

means connected for receiving the remaining filtered pressure fluctuations from said valve means and converting said filtered pressure fluctuations into a recognizable signal.

3. A breathing monitor as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve means comprises a chamber, said chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a first check valve means in said chamber adapted to open said chamber to ambient atmosphere at a predetermined positive pressure within said chamber, a second check valve means in said chamber adapted to open said chamber to ambient atmosphere at a predetermined negative pressure within said chamber.

4. A breathing monitor as defined in claim 3 wherein said predetermined positive pressure within said chamber is about 0.50 cm water and said predetermined negative pressure within said chamber is about 0.50 cm water.

5. A breathing monitor as defined in claim 3 wherein said chamber has an orifice adapted to bleed slow changes in pressure within said chamber to the ambient atmosphere.

6. A method of monitoring the breathing and heart rate related movements of an infant, comprising the steps of:

positioning an air-tight pad underlying and supporting the infant to be monitored, maintaining the interior of said pad at about ambient atmospheric pressure, sensing pressure variations in the pad resulting from movements of the infant, receiving the sensed variations and filtering out gross pressure variations above and below a predetermined pressure range, monitoring the filtered pressure variations and converting the filtered variations to a recognizable signal.