Multifunctional behavioral modification device for snoring, bruxism, and apnea

• US 4,715,367 A
• Filed: 09/15/1986
• Issued: 12/29/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert B. Crossley
• Original Assignee: Robert B. Crossley
• Inventors: Crossley, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/907,462
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 128/132 R, 128/136, 128/137, 128/733 R, 128/774, 128/777, 128/782, 128/724, 128/419 R, 340/573, 340/575, 340/626, 340/665, 340/668
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2005/563 Anti-bruxisme
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00

Abstract

A multifunctional behavioral modification device to diagnose, treat and monitor treatment for snoring, bruxism, or sleep apnea. Treatment consists of regulatable aversive shock, automatically occurring with each audible sound from snoring until snoring ceases or continuously but pulsatingly administered from clenching or grinding of teeth until the action ceases or continuously but pulsatingly administered from sleep apnea until breathing restarts. The placement of electrodes for administering the regulatable aversive shock is such so as to actuate a motor nerve thereby allowing use of a shock so mild as not to awaken a sleeper but sufficient to condition against the adverse behavior being sensed.

Claims

1. A multifunctional behavioral modification device comprising:

A. a means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth

B. a means for detecting snoring

C. a means for detecting breathing

D. a pair of electrodes suitable for skin contact for administering an adjustable electric shock

E. battery power means

F. battery powered circuitry suitable for impressing an adjustable electric shock across said electrodes when activated by one of the following;

1. said means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth

2. said means for detecting snoring

3. said means for detecting breathing indicating that breathing has stopped

G. an electronic counter means for counting the number of times in a given period a current is impressed across said pair of electrodes

H. an enclosure means for said battery powered circuitry.

2. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 1 where said enclosure means comprises:

A. a flexible electrically insulating enclosure suitable for containing said battery powered circuitry, said battery power means, said electronic counter, said pair of electrodes, a first plug-in port for said means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth and for said means for detecting a snore sound, a second plug-in port for said means for detecting breathing, a switch to activate said battery powered circuitry, a bypass switch to bypass said means for detecting snoring, and means to externally adjust the severity of said adjustable shock

B. means for removeably fastening said flexible electrically insulating enclosure around the next of a person

C. a means for resetting sid electronic counter.

3. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 2 where said means to adjust said adjustable electric shock across said electrodes is a first externally adjustable resistor.

4. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 3 where each of said pair of electrodes comprise metal covered with a soft electrically conductive material placed in either end of said flexible insulating enclosure so that said pair of electrodes make skin contact when said flexible insulating enclosure is fastened snugly around the user'"'"'s neck.

5. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 4, where said pair of electrodes are so placed as to activate a motor nerve in the neck.

6. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 5 where said battery powered circuitry comprises:

A. saidmeans for detecting snoring

B. said bypass switch from said means for detecting snoring to a first segment of said circuitry

C. said first segment further comprising said battery power means, a second externally adjustable resistor to adjust the sensitivity of said means for detecting snoring, a first amplifier circuit leading to a step-up transformer with output leading through said first externally adjustable resistor to said pair of electrodes for administering said adjustable electric shock, and said electronic counter taking off from said amplifier circuit to count the number of times in a given period said adjustable electric shock is administered

D. a second segment connected to said first segment powered by said battery power means and comprising said first plug in port for connecting said means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth to a pulse generator circuit to generate a pulsating current and send said pulsating current to said amplifier circuit in said first segment to administer a pulsating electric shock through said pair of electrodes as long as said means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth is activated

E. a third segment of said circuitry, comprising;

said battery power means, electronic circuitry to detect interruption of a signal from said means for detecting breathing, said second plug in ports for said means for detecting breathing connected to a second amplifier circuit to amplify a signal picked up from said means for detecting breathing to operate a relay, said relay operating to reset a time delay circuit, said time delay circuit if not reset operating to feed a signal to said pulse generator circuit of said second segment, in turn said pulse generator circuit operating to feed a pulsating signal to said first segment to administer a continuous pulsating shock through said pair of electrodes until said timer circuit is reset by said means for detecting breathing indicating that breathing has re-started.

7. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 6 where said electronic counter is a resettable Liquid Crystal Display Electronic Counter.

8. A multi functional behavioral modification device as in claim 6 where said means for detecting clenching and grinding of teeth comprises:

A. a pair of normally open pressure switches wired in series, having adjustable sensitivities and mounted on a removeable adjustable headband designed to have said switches moveably mounted so as to have one switch contact each temple of the wearer'"'"'s head with said switches being activated by flexing of the temporal muscles that occurs with clenching and grinding of teeth

B. a flexible electrically conductive line leading from said pair of switches to removeably plug-in to said first plug in port of said flexible electrically insulating enclosure.

9. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 8 where said means for detecting snoring comprises:

a microphone built into said battery powered circuitry and so positioned in said flexible electrically insulating enclosure to pick up audible sound from snoring while minimizing effect of extraneous sounds.

10. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 9 where said means for detecting breathing comprises:

A. a miniature microphone with means for holding said miniature microphone adjacent to the wearer'"'"'s mouth and nostrils

B. a flexible electrically conductive line leading from said miniature microphone to removeably plug into said second plug-in port in said flexible electrically insulating enclosure of said multifunctional behavioral modification device.

11. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 10 where said battery powered circuitry is activated only when both of said pair of pressure switches are closed and where said circuitry delivers said pulsating, regulatable shock through said electrodes until said temporal muscles relax allowing at least one of said pair of switches to open.

12. A multifunctional behavioral modification device comprising:

A. a primary circuit means suitable for receiving repetitive electronic signals from a first transducer and administering a regulatable aversive shock with each signal through a pair of electrodes

B. a secondary circuit means to generate a pulsating signal from a continuous signal from a second transducer and to put said pulsating signal into said primary circuit means to administer a pulsating regulatable aversive shock through said pair of electrodes as long as said second transducer signal is received into said secondary circuit means

C. a tertiary circuit means to generate a signal to feed into said secondary circuit means when a normally received signal from a third transducer is interrupted for a regulatable length of time

D. means to connect said first transducer into said primary circuit means

E. a first plug-in port to connect said second transducer with said secondary circuit means

F. a second plug-in port to connect said third transducer to said third circuit means

G. a primary switching means to allow use of said first transducer with said primary circuit means

H. a secondary switching means to allow use of said second transducer with said secondary circuit means feeding into said primary circuit means

I. a tertiary switching means to allow use of said third transducer with said third circuit means feeding into said secondary circuit means and then into said primary circuit means to administer a pulsating regulatable aversive shock when said normally received signal from said third transducer is interrupted for a regulatable length of time

J. battery means to power said primary circuit means, said secondary circuit means and said tertiary circuit means.

13. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 12 where said primary circuit means, said tertiary circuit means, said first transducer, said first plug-in port, said second plug-in port, said battery means, and a said pair of electrodes suitable for skin contact are contained inside a flexible strap with means for fastening said strap to wearers body to provide body contact for said electrodes.

14. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 13, where said flexible strap is suitable for fastening around the user'"'"'s neck.

15. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 14 where a resettable electronic counter means is connected with said primary circuit means to count the number of times in a given period said regulatable aversive shock is administered from said primary circuit means and to count the number of times said pulsating regulatable aversive shock is administered from said secondary circuit means feeding into said primary circuit means.

16. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 15 where the severity of said regulatable aversive shock and said pulsating regulatable aversive shock may be externally adjusted by the user.

17. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 16 where said pair of electrodes are so placed in said flexible strap so as to activate a motor nerve in the neck from said regulatable aversive shock.

18. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 17 where said first transducer is a microphone suitable for detecting a snore sound.

19. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 18 where said second transducer is a pair of pressure switches that may be operated by tensing of the temporal muscles with said pressure switches hooked in series so that current may flow only when both switches are closed.

20. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 19 where said pressure switches are of an adjustable sensitivity type.

21. A multifunctional behavioral modification device as in claim 19 where said third transducer is a microphone capable of detecting the air flow from breathing when placed adjacent to the user'"'"'s mouth and nostrils.