System and method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said apparatus comprising:
- at least one microphone adapted to be acoustically associated with a person, wherein said microphone detects breathing sounds within an airway of said person and generates signals representative of said breathing sounds; and
a controller coupled to said at least one microphone that receives said signals, wherein said controller identifies within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs;
wherein said controller comprises software that analyzes said signals to identify within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs wherein said software analyzes said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis.
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Abstract
There is disclosed a system and method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before the obstructive sleep apnea event fully develops and before the cessation of breathing occurs. The system comprises one or more microphones capable of detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person. The microphones generate signals representative of the breathing sounds and send the signals to a controller. The controller identifies at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of the person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event. The controller may also identify at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of the person. The controller identifies the signal patterns by using digital signal processing techniques to analyze the signals representative of breathing sounds. The method involves detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person, generating signals representative of the breathing sounds, and identifying at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of the person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event.
122 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one microphone adapted to be acoustically associated with a person, wherein said microphone detects breathing sounds within an airway of said person and generates signals representative of said breathing sounds; and
a controller coupled to said at least one microphone that receives said signals, wherein said controller identifies within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs;
wherein said controller comprises software that analyzes said signals to identify within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs wherein said software analyzes said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
wherein said controller is coupled to said airflow sensor and receives said airflow detection signal from said airflow sensor to obtain information concerning the breathing of said person.
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6. An apparatus for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one microphone adapted to be acoustically associated with a person, wherein said microphone detects breathing sounds within an airway of said person and generates signals representative of said breathing sounds; and
a controller coupled to said at least one microphone that receives said signals, wherein said controller identifies within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs;
wherein said controller only operates during one half of the respiration cycle. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An apparatus for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one microphone adapted to be acoustically associated with a person, wherein said microphone detects breathing sounds within an airway of said person and generates signals representative of said breathing sounds; and
a controller coupled to said at least one microphone that receives said signals, wherein said controller identifies within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person;
wherein said controller comprises software that analyzes said signals to identify within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person and wherein said software analyzes said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
wherein said controller is coupled to said airflow sensor and receives said airflow detection signal from said airflow sensor to obtain information concerning the breathing of said person.
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13. An apparatus for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one microphone adapted to be acoustically associated with a person, wherein said microphone detects breathing sounds within an airway of said person and generates signals representative of said breathing sounds; and
a controller coupled to said at least one microphone that receives said signals, wherein said controller identifies within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person;
wherein said controller only operates during one half of the respiration cycle. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person;
generating signals representative of said breathing sounds;
analyzing said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis; and
identifying within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
filtering said signals representative of said breathing sounds to create filtered signals representative of said breathing sounds;
analyzing said filtered signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis; and
identifying within said filtered signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs.
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18. The method as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the step of:
sending an alarm signal that indicates that at least one signal pattern has been identified that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs.
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19. The method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising the steps of:
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recording said at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs;
monitoring said signals representative of said breathing sounds as said person breathes;
comparing said signals representative of said breathing sounds with said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs; and
identifying within said signals a signal pattern that is substantially the same as said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs.
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20. The method as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the step of:
sending an alarm signal that indicates that at least one signal pattern has been identified that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs.
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21. The method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising the step of:
recording said at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs.
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22. A method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person;
generating signals representative of said breathing sounds;
identifying within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of said person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs; and
detecting breathing sounds within said airway of said person only during one half of the respiration cycle.
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23. A method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person;
generating signals representative of said breathing sounds;
analyzing said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis;
identifying within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person;
recording said at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person;
monitoring said signals representative of said breathing sounds as said person breathes;
comparing said signals representative of said breathing sounds with said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person; and
identifying within said signals a signal pattern that is substantially the same as said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person. - View Dependent Claims (24)
sending an alarm signal that indicates that at least one signal pattern has been identified that is associated with a partially occluded breathing pattern of said person.
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25. A method for detecting the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person;
generating signals representative of said breathing sounds;
analyzing said signals using Fast Fourier Transform analysis; and
identifying within said signals at least one signal pattern that is associated with a normal breathing pattern of said person;
recording said at least one signal pattern that is associated with a normal breathing pattern of said person;
monitoring said signals representative of said breathing sounds as said person breathes;
comparing said signals representative of said breathing sounds with said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a normal breathing pattern of said person; and
identifying within said signals a signal pattern that is substantially different from said recorded at least one signal pattern that is associated with a normal breathing pattern of said person.
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Specification