Apparatus for monitoring respiration and cardiac activity

• US 4,884,578 A
• Filed: 08/10/1988
• Issued: 12/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jurgen Morgenstern
• Original Assignee: Jurgen Morgenstern
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAY, RANDY CITRIN
• Application Number:
  US07/230,690
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 128/670, 128/671, 128/714, 128/721, 128/722, 128/774, 128/897
• US Class Current: 600/483
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/04 Babies, e.g. for SIDS detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture

Abstract

An apparatus for monitoring respiration and cardiac activity of a person lying in a bed comprises a bed mounted for polydirectional movement and subjected to a restoring force when the bed is disturbed from its normal position. Pulses originiating from the person are detected by a vertically oriented sensor and a pair of horizontally oriented sensors thereby permitting monitoring of a wide range of respiratory and cardiac activity. In one arrangement, the bed is suspended by cords or on a vertical frame from a bracket. In other arrangements, the bed is variously mounted on a gimbal mechanism, on a support column which passes through a bearing ball, by flotation, and by a universal bearing joint.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring respiration and cardiac activity of a patient, comprising:

bed means for supporting thereon a patient to be monitored, the bed means having a base and an edge;

mounting means for mounting the bed means for polydirectional movement about a initial position thereof, the mounting means comprising a curved point-contact bearing provided on the base of the bed means and directed downwardly therefrom, said curved point-contact bearing being supported at a bearing point thereof by support means;

restoring means for restoring the bed means to said initial position, the restoring means comprising a weight provided inside the curved point-contact bearing and arranged such that the position of a common center of gravity of the bed means, the curved point-contact bearing and said weight is located for biasing the bed means towards said initial position when disturbed therefrom;

first sensor means located proximate said curved point-contact bearing bearing point and oriented in a first direction for sensing movement of the bed means in said first direction caused by heartbeat and respiration pulses originating from a patient being monitored; and

at least one second sensor means provided on said bed means and oriented towards the edge of the bed means in a second direction different from said first direction for sensing movement of the bed means in said second direction caused by heartbeat and respiration pulses originating from a patient being monitored.