System and method of detecting sleep disorders

• US 10,433,794 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Original Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Inventors: Lyons, Christopher Thomas, Lyons, Ellen M., Lyons, Stephen Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Towa, Rene T
• Application Number:
  US15/180,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20160367203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• 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 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• 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: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, includes a housing insertable into an ear canal of a subject. A sensor disposed within the housing measures a position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity. A transducer is responsive to the sensor and is capable of creating a stimulus detectable by the subject under certain conditions. In various embodiments, a controller receives signals corresponding to a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head measured by the sensor, determines if the pitch and roll angles correspond to a sleep apnea inducing position, and causes the transducer to generate a stimulus upon determining that the subject'"'"'s head is in the sleep apnea inducing position more than a predetermined threshold number of times. Various parameters of the stimulus may be modified with successive stimulus generation until a non-sleep apnea inducing position is detected.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a sleep disorder comprising:

a) arranging, on a head of a subject, a system comprising;

i) a sensor capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity,

ii) a controller responsive to signals from the sensor, and

iv) a transducer responsive to the controller for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject;

b) from signals received from the sensor, estimating with the controller a percentage of closure of the subject'"'"'s airway from the angular position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity; and

c) with the controller causing the transducer to generate the stimulus when the angular position of the subject'"'"'s head lies within a predefined range of positions determined to cause a sleep disorder,

wherein the predefined range of positions comprises a predefined range of pitch angles extending between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to the axis of gravity and a predefined range of roll angles extending between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity.

2. A method for detecting sleep disorders comprising:

A) positioning, on a head of a subject, a system comprising;

i) a housing,

ii) a sensor disposed within the housing and capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity,

iii) a controller responsive to signals from the sensor, and

iv) a transducer responsive to the controller for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject;

B) receiving with the controller signals from the sensor corresponding to a position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity,

C) determining with the controller a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

D) comparing with the controller the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and a predefined range of threshold roll angles predetermined to cause sleep disorders,

E) modifying with the controller a flag count when the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles,

F) determining with the controller when the flag count at least equals a predefined threshold,

G) upon determining with the controller that the flag count at least equals the predefined threshold flag count, causing the transducer to generate the stimulus, and

H) repeating B)-G) after a predefined time interval.