Monitoring a condition of a subject

• US 9,681,838 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EarlySense Ltd.
• Inventors: Halperin, Avner, Pinhas, Itzhak, Gross, Yosef
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US14/994,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20160120466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 600511, 600529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02028 Determining haemodynamic parameters not otherwise provided for, e.g. cardiac contractility or left ventricular ejection fraction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0823 Detecting or evaluating cough events
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4356 Assessing uterine contractions A61B5/033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• 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 5/746 : Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 : Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 : for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus for monitoring a subject is described. A sensor monitors the subject during a sleeping session of the subject, and generates a sensor signal in response thereto. A control unit analyzes the sensor signal. In response to analyzing the sensor signal, the control unit performs an action selected from the group consisting of: identifying that the subject is currently undergoing an apnea episode, and predicting that the subject is going to undergo an apnea episode. In response thereto, the control unit changes a position of at least a portion of a body of the subject by activating a device. Other applications are also described.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to monitor a subject during a sleeping session of the subject, and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto;

a control unit configured to;

analyze the sensor signal;

in response to analyzing the sensor signal, perform an action selected from the group consisting of;

identifying that the subject is currently undergoing an apnea episode, and predicting that the subject is going to undergo an apnea episode; and

in response thereto, change a position of at least a portion of a body of the subject by activating a device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a posture of the subject by analyzing the sensor signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device includes an inflatable pillow, and wherein the control unit is configured to change the position of at least the portion of the subject'"'"'s body by changing a level of inflation of the pillow.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a bed, and wherein the control unit is configured to change the position of at least the portion of the subject'"'"'s body by changing an angle of at least a portion of the bed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device includes a mattress, and wherein the control unit is configured to change the position of at least the portion of the subject'"'"'s body by changing an angle of at least a portion of the mattress.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in response to analyzing the sensor signal, the control unit is configured to identify that the subject is currently undergoing an apnea episode, and, in response thereto, to change the position of at least the portion of the subject'"'"'s body by activating a device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in response to analyzing the sensor signal, the control unit is configured to predict that the subject is going to undergo an apnea episode, and, in response thereto, to change the position of at least the portion of the subject'"'"'s body by activating a device.