APNEA preventive stimulating device

• US 5,277,193 A
• Filed: 06/25/1992
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chest Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chest Corporation
• Inventors: Miki, Hiroshi, Hida, Wataru, Takishima, Tamotsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US07/903,890
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 128/716, 128/724, 128/725, 128/421, 128/848, 340/573, 340/575
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs

Abstract

The sleep-apnea syndrome is classified into a so-called central type caused by an abnormality in the respiratory center, an obstructive type by an upper airway obstruction, and a mixed type by a combination thereof. Among the rest, the obstructive type is often observed clinically and is considered to be caused by a morphological abnormality in the upper airway tract, such as tonsillar hypertrophy or micrognathia, or by a tonus of the upper airway muscle for broadening the airway. The inventors of this application have clarified by experiments that the upper airway can be recovered from obstruction which causes apnea stimulating the genioglossus, which is one of the dilator muscles of the upper airway, with pulses of a frequency of 40 to 150 Hz, a peak value of 1 to 50 volts and a rise-up time constant of 0.2 seconds or more, and that control of the start and stop of the electric stimulation with apnea detection signals would make it possible to automatically take measures to deal with apnea even at night when it is particularly difficult to find a fit of apnea.

Claims

1. An apnea preventive stimulating device comprising:

a respiration sensing circuit having sensor means for sensing the respiration of a living patient on which said sensor means is applied and developing a respiration detection signal representative of the detected respiration;

respiration detection signal generator means connected to said respiration sensing circuit for receiving said respiration detection signal for producing a respiration identification signal developed only when breathing by the living patient is detected by said sensor means;

an electric stimulating wave generating circuit connected to said respiration detection signal generator means having means for receiving said respiration identification signal including a respiration identification detector and electric stimulating wave generating means for generating electrical stimulating waves when apnea has continued an apnea time causing any trouble after detection thereof by said detection signal generator means;

a stimulating circuit connected to said electric stimulating wave generating circuit and having a genioglossus stimulator to which the electrical stimulating waves are applied for genioglossus stimulation of the living patient;

said electric stimulating wave generating circuit comprising control means including an amplifier to controlling intensity of the electric stimulating waves at a predetermined time from the living patient'"'"'s bedtime; and

said control means comprising a sensitivity adjuster coupled with said amplifier to lower and to amplify the intensity of the electric stimulating waves and a timer connected to said sensitivity adjuster so that lowering of stimulation on the living patient by the electric stimulating waves during deep sleep of the living patient is effectively compensated for to wake up the living patient.

2. An apnea preventive stimulating device according to claim 1, in which said respiration sensing circuit comprises a microphone sensor having a case positionable on the neck of the living patient to detect breath tones of the patient;

and

said stimulating circuit genioglossus stimulator being disposed on a surface of said case of said microphone sensor.