Snoring deconditioning system and method

• US 3,998,209 A
• Filed: 12/16/1975
• Issued: 12/21/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gilbert S. Macvaugh
• Original Assignee: Gilbert S. Macvaugh
• Inventors: Macvaugh, Gilbert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/641,226
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 128/1 R, 128/136, 128/419 R, 128/422 S, 128/423 S, 131/170 A, 272/27 N, 272/27 R, 273/84, 273/279, 340/407, 317/262 S
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/02 Training or exercising equipment, e.g. mazes or labyrinths for animals A01K15/04 takes precedence; Electric shock devices circuits therefor H03K3/537; Toys specially adapted for animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00

Abstract

Principle: Two long-standing, professionally accepted, experimental psychological teaching-learning procedures are applied in this invention, wherein Pavlovian (respondent) conditioning overlaps with Skinnerian (operant) conditioning. The snore deconditioning system described herein provides for the following phases: (1) there are applied to a snoring sleeper four mild and harmless negative reinforcers (visual, auditory, tactile, pain), each selectively, which are incompatible with the socially annoying snore behavior, in order to elicit the awakening response; (2) the person is required, after awakening, to change his head, arm and hand position and (3) the person is required to depress and to hold depressed for 15 seconds a switch in order to terminate the four negative reinforcers and which switch also simultaneously applies two positive reinforcers (gustatory and auditory) as rewards for exhibiting the behaviors (1), (2) and (3) above. Thereafter, the set is deactivated automatically until the next snore response is emitted during a subsequent sleep. The snore deconditioning system comprises means automatically responsive to a significant level of snoring by a sleeper to initiate the first phase. The step of consciously and deliberately deactivating the aversive reinforcement and activating the positive reinforcement automatically is critical to success in the procedure for conditioning the subject to sleep without snoring. There is a choice of the type of aversive stimulation, so that it can be changed if the snorer becomes habituated to one kind of aversive stimulation.

Claims

1. In combination:

means responsive to audible snoring coming from a sleeper, said means producing an output signal when said snoring has exceeded a predetermined level of loudness for a predetermined time;

means responsive to said output signal for producing aversive stimuli and applying said aversive stimuli to said sleeper, whereby said snoring sleeper is punitively roused in order to awaken to make him change position and require him to perform specific tasks as part of the deconditioning process;

manually actuatable means for terminating said aversive stimuli, for an initial period of time, only while the manually actuatable means is actuated, and for terminating said aversive stimuli during a following period of time, without regard to the actuation or non-actuation of said manually actuatable means, as soon as the manually actuatable means has been continuously actuated for a period of time equal to said initial period of time;

whereby, in order to terminate said aversive stimuli, said sleeper must continuously actuate said manually actuatable means for said initial period of time, whereby said sleeper awakens fully while actuating said manually actuatable means.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which the initial period of time is from 5 to 30 seconds.

3. The invention of claim 1 in which

the aversive stimuli means comprises plural sources of stimuli of different types, stimulating different senses of the sleeper.

4. The invention of claim 3, in combination with manually controllable means for selecting particularly ones of said aversive stimuli means for actuation and non-actuation.

5. The invention of claim 3, in combination with manually controllable means for selecting an automatic sequence of progressively more unpleasant aversive stimuli means for actuation.

6. The invention of claim 3, in which one of the aversive stimuli means is a strong light;

and manually selectable means for causing said strong light, when actuated, to either burn steadily or to flicker.

7. The invention of claim 3, in combination with

means for providing pleasant stimuli;

means responsive to the actuation of said manually actuatable means to activate said means for providing pleasant stimuli as a reward for awakening, changing his position in bed and performing specific tasks as part of the snore deconditioning process.

8. The method of fully awakening a snorer which consists of the steps of:

detecting any snoring from said snorer which exceeds a predetermined level of intensity for a predetermined periof of time;

applying aversive stimuli to said snorer in response to said detection, said stimuli being sufficiently noticeable and unpleasant to fully arouse said snorer;

permitting said subject to initially terminate said unpleasant stimuli only while performing an assigned task requiring action in the fully awake state;

and finally terminating said unpleasant stimuli after the snorer has performed said task for a period long enough to ensure full wakefulness.

9. In combination, in a behavior modification device for training a snorer to cease snoring:

means for applying a selected one or more of plural aversive stimuli to the snorer to awaken him;

manually actuable means, accessible to the snorer when he awakens, for promptly deactivating the said means for applying a selected one or more of plural aversive stimuli;

time delay means, responsive to continued manual actuation of said manually actuatable means for a preselected period of time for initiating a controlled means at the end of said period of time;

said controlled means including means for providing pleasant positive reinforcement stimuli for said snorer.

10. The invention of claim 9 in which the means for applying a selected one or more of plural aversive stimuli to the snorer is manually controlled.

11. The invention of claim 9 in which the means for applying a selected one or more of plural aversive stimuli to the snorer is manually initiated into actuation.

12. The invention of claim 9 in which the means for applying a selected one or more of plural adversive stimuli to the snorer is automatically sequenced through a predetermined cycle.