Method and device for monitoring and treating sleep disorders and sleep-related conditions

• US 9,907,929 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Rink, Richard Andrew, Boriah, Varun
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Christine H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANNU, JOSHUA DARYL DEANON
• Application Number:
  US14/494,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20150087894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• 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 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0072 with application of electrical currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0077 with application of chemical or pharmacological stimulus
• 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 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 : Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 : Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 : Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating sleep disorders such as sleep terrors are provided, which may include any number of features. One feature is an apparatus configured to partially awaken a user to treat a sleep disorder. The apparatus can include one or more sensors configured to monitor a sleep parameter of the user, one or more therapeutic devices configured to apply a therapy to the user to partially awaken the user, and an electronic controller operatively coupled to the sensors and therapeutic devices to determine when to apply the therapy, and how to apply the therapy so as to only partially awaken the user.

Claims

1. A method of treating sleep terrors in a user, comprising the steps of:

providing a sleep therapy device including a vibrating element in contact with a sleeping surface of the user;

determining, in the sleep therapy device, a target treatment time based on a time of occurrence of sleep terror episodes in the user; and

causing a nonsustained arousal from sleep in the user in which the user does not reach a fully awakened state, without operator intervention, by automatically applying vibration therapy with the vibrating element of the sleep therapy device to the sleeping surface of the user at the target treatment time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibrating element is positioned under the sleeping surface or on the sleeping surface of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying vibration therapy further comprises applying auditory stimulation to the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the determining step, sensing a sleep parameter of the user with the sleep therapy device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sleep parameter comprises a sleep stage of the user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sleep parameter comprises vital signs of the user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the sleep parameter comprises gross or micro bodily movement of the user.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the sleep parameter comprises a sleep metric of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the target treatment time is determined from an average or median time of occurrence of sleep terror episodes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the target treatment time is determined from an elapsed time from sleep onset to the occurrence of sleep terror episodes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises inputting the target treatment time into the vibrating element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises inputting the target treatment time into an input device of the sleep therapy device.

13. A method of causing a nonsustained arousal from sleep in a user to treat sleep tenors in the user, comprising the steps of:

determining a target awakening time in a therapy device;

automatically applying vibration therapy with the therapy device to the user at the target awakening time without operator intervention;

monitoring a sleep state of the user with the therapy device while applying an intervention; and

preventing the user from reaching a fully awakened state by terminating the intervention automatically when the monitoring of the sleep state indicates that the user is partially aroused from sleep.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the automatically applying step further comprises automatically applying the vibration therapy and an auditory sound with the therapy device to the user at the target awakening time without operator intervention.

15. An apparatus configured to partially arouse a user from sleep, comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a target awakening time;

at least one vibrating element configured to apply vibration therapy to a sleep surface of the user to partially awaken the user;

at least one sensor configured to monitor a sleep parameter of the user; and

a controller operatively coupled to the at least one vibrating element and the input interface, the controller configured to control the at least one vibrating element to apply the vibration therapy to the user at the target awakening time to partially arouse the user from sleep without allowing the user to reach a fully awakened state, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a sleep state of the user while the at least one vibrating element applies the vibration therapy to the user, and the controller is further configured to prevent the user from reaching the fully awakened state by terminating the vibration therapy when the user is partially aroused.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising an auditory device configured to apply an auditory sound to the user.