Systems and methods for controlling position

• US 9,198,615 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Original Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Inventors: Levendowski, Daniel J., Zavora, Timothy, Westbrook, Philip R., Mitrovic, Mirko, Veljkovic, Bratislav, Berka, Chris, Trejo, Jonny
• Primary Examiner(s): Nia, Alireza
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, KERI JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US14/313,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 128/845, 128/848, 128/871, 600/301, 600/529, 600/587
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6819 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• 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 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 : by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0083 : especially for waking up
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 : for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 : Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 : sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 : using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 : User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 : by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 : by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/088 : on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 : of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 : External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36031 : using physiological parameters for adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0653 : Organic light emitting diodes

Abstract

A wearable positional therapy device for influencing a position of a user. In an embodiment, the device comprises a position detector that generates positional data used to determine a position of a user, a feedback generator that generates feedback to the user, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to receive and analyze the positional data to determine whether the user is in a target position, while, in response to the device being turned on or a reset operation, delaying feedback for a delay period. If it is determined that the user is in the target position during the delay period, no feedback is provided. However, if it is determined that the user is in the target position following the delay period, feedback is provided to the user to induce the user to change to a different, non-target position.

Claims

1. A wearable position therapy device for influencing the position of a user, the device comprising:

a position detector configured to generate positional data that can be used to determine a position of a user;

a feedback generator configured to generate feedback to the user; and

a microcontroller in communication with the position detector and the feedback generator, wherein the microcontroller is configured to

receive and analyze the positional data from the position detector to determine whether the user is in a target position, while, in response to the device being turned on or a reset operation, delaying feedback for a delay period,

if it is determined that the user is in the target position during the delay period, not provide feedback to the user, and,

if it is determined that the user is in the target position following the delay period, generate a control signal to cause the feedback generator to provide feedback to the user to induce the user to change to a different, non-target position.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the feedback comprises audio feedback.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure that houses the position detector, the feedback generator, and the microcontroller.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising one or more straps configured to hold the enclosure against a back of the neck of the user.

5. The device of claim 3, further comprising one or more straps configured to wrap around a chest of the user and hold the enclosure against the user.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to record a measure of a duration that the device is used by the user.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory and a microphone, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to record audio data captured by the microphone in the memory.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to record the positional data in the memory, wherein the recorded positional data indicates each position of the user over a time period.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the audio data and the positional data are stored in correlation with each other.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the target position is a position that aggravates a condition of pregnancy.

11. A method for influencing the position of a user using a wearable position therapy device, the method comprising:

collecting positional data to determine a position of the user while the user is wearing the wearable position therapy device;

determining whether the user is positioned in a target position based, at least in part, on the positional data, while, in response to the device being turned on or a reset operation, delaying feedback for a delay period;

if it is determined that the user is in the target position during the delay period, not providing feedback to the user; and

,

if it is determined that the user is in the target position following the delay period, generating feedback to the user to induce the user to change to a different, non-target position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the feedback comprises audio feedback.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the positional data is collected while the wearable position therapy device is worn around a neck of the user.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the positional data is collected while the wearable position therapy device is worn around a chest of the user.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising recording a measure of a duration that the wearable position therapy device is used by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an assessment of treatment compliance based on the recorded measure of the duration that the wearable position therapy device was used by the user.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising recording audio data captured by a microphone of the wearable position therapy device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising recording the positional data, wherein the recorded positional data indicates each position of the user over a time period.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising correlating the audio data with the positional data.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the target position is a position that aggravates a condition of pregnancy.