Abdominal respiration training system

• US 4,798,538 A
• Filed: 05/26/1987
• Issued: 01/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ELCO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ELCO Incorporated
• Inventors: Yagi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Application Number:
  US07/053,760
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 434/262, 128/716, 128/718, 128/719, 128/721
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/0244 with signalling or indicating means, e.g. of incorrect posture, for deep-breathing exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/18 for improving respiratory function

Abstract

A training instruction based on an ideal breath pattern to obtain the relaxation state in which the alpha wave mainly appears is informed by the acoustic output and/or photoelectric display in order to perform the respiration training. The state of the abdominal respiration of a person to be examined is detected by a sensor attached to the abdominal region. The detected breath pattern by the abdominal respiration is compared with the ideal breath pattern. A degree of similarity between them is informed.

Claims

1. An abdominal respiration training system comprising:

a sensor which is attached to an abdominal region of a person to be examined and detects the motion of the abdominal wall by an abdominal respiration;

a training pattern generating means for generating an ideal pattern of an inspiration time and/or an expiration time on the basis of ideal values of a respiration ratio, a respiration depth, and a number of respiration times, so as to obtain a relaxation state in which an alpha wave mainly appears;

a breath pattern calculating means for calculating an actual breath pattern of the person to be examined from a detection signal of said sensor;

a comparison deciding means for comparing the pattern calculated by said breath pattern calculating means with the ideal breath training pattern from said training pattern generating means, and for deciding a degree of similarity between said calculated pattern and said ideal breath training pattern; and

an informing means for informing said ideal breath training pattern and an output of said decision indicative of the degree of similarity to the person to be examined by an acoustic output and/or photoelectric display.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said training pattern generating means has a training step change-over means for switching a first training pattern to instruct the ideal intake time and ideal expiration time and an second training pattern to instruct only the ideal expiration time and for outputting the selected training pattern.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said training pattern generating means has a training level change-over means for generating the breath training pattern which differs in dependence on the switching of the set training level.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said training pattern setting means has a change-over means for switching and selecting either one of or both of the photoelectric display and the acoustic output of the training pattern by said informing means.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said training pattern generating means has:

a memory means for detecting the maximum value of the inflation state of the abdominal wall and the minimum value in the relaxation state of the abdominal wall by the abdominal respiration from the detection signal of said sensor which was derived prior to starting of the training and for storing said maximum and minimum values; and

a means for setting the maximum value and the minimum value of each of the acoustic output and the photoelectric display in said informing means on the basis of the maximum value and the minimum value which were stored in said memory means.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said breath pattern calculating means has means for calculating a respiration ratio, a respiration depth, and a number of respiration times from the detection signal of said sensor.