Incentive spirometry devices by the employment of verbal simulated humanlike voices

• US 20050256421A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Financial Corporation
• Original Assignee: Carson Valley Research, LLC
• Inventors: Bryant, Terry Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0875 using means carried by the fluid stream, e.g. free floating balls
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/741 using synthesised speech
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0027 visually handicapped
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0602 Non-electronic means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/063 Spoken or verbal instructions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/15 with identification means that can be read by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/20 with means for remote communication, e.g. internet or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/18 for improving respiratory function
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/24 with magnetic or electric coupling to the indicating device

Abstract

An apparatus used in the medical industry, in order to increase transpulmonary pressure and respiratory volumes, to improve inspiratory muscle performance and re-establish the normal pulmonary hyperinflation, through the employment of electronic technology, providing audible, simulated, verbal, human sounding words, that assist, guide and prompt, increasing patient usage. In the past, lack of usage of this simple plastic, antiquated, disposable unit, by the patient, has contributed to severe problems, such as pneumonia. Without prompting, the patient finds it hard to inhale into a tube repetitively, to improve their lungs. Previous applications of prior equipment has been poor, thus adding intelligence in the form of electronic technology, which prompts without assistance, is a tremendous advantage in helping not only the sighted, but also the blind as well, since normally only written information accompanies the incentive spirometer, thus, changing the use of this medical device as we know it today.

Claims

1. An Incentive Spirometer assembly, comprising:

an Incentive Spirometer device, and

means for automatically prompting a user with a verbal voice message to use the Incentive Spirometer device to perform a sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure.

2. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 1 further including means for verbally indicating to the user a measurement achieved by the user from the user'"'"'s performance of the sustained maximal inspiration procedure (SMI) with the Incentive Spirometer device.

3. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 1 wherein said means for automatically prompting is an electronic assembly in communication with a speaker and means for powering said electronic assembly, said electronic assembly comprising a microcontroller unit and an audio storage unit, said audio storage unit having at least one stored verbal voice message for prompting the user to use the Incentive Spirometer device to perform the sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure;

wherein said microcontroller unit directs the audio storage unit to automatically send a first verbal voice message to the speaker in order to prompt use of the Incentive Spirometer device by the user.

4. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 3 wherein said microcontroller unit continues to automatically direct the audio storage unit to send the first verbal voice message or another verbal voice message to the speaker on a spaced apart continuous basis until said microcontroller unit determines that the user has initiated a sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure utilizing the Incentive Spirometer device.

5. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 3 wherein after the sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure has been performed by the user, said microcontroller unit is programmed to wait for a predetermined time period before automatically directing said audio storage unit to repeat a prompting procedure of the user by sending the initial verbal prompting voice message to the user for prompting the user to perform another sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure;

wherein the user is automatically encouraged to perform multiple sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedures at predetermined intervals utilizing the Incentive Spirometer device during a single day period as therapeutically required.

6. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 3 further comprising means for preventing said microcontroller unit from directing the audio storage unit to send the first verbal voice message, measurements or other verbal voice messages during certain conditions.

7. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 6 wherein the certain conditions is level of darkness or light in a room in which the Incentive Spirometer device is located to provide the user with a sleep period without disturbance from said means for automatically prompting.

8. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 6 wherein said means for preventing is a photosensor in communication with the microcontroller unit.

9. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 6 wherein said means for preventing is a deactivation key assembly in communication with the microcontroller unit which prevents the user from turning the means for automatically prompting on and off.

10. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 1 wherein the verbal voice message uses a humanlike voice.

11. An Incentive Spirometer assembly, comprising:

an Incentive Spirometer device, and

means for verbally indicating and verbally responding accordingly to a user a measurement achieved by the user from the user'"'"'s performance of a sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure with the Incentive Spirometer device.

12. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 11 wherein said means for verbally indicating comprising:

an audio response unit;

means for powering said audio response unit; and

a speaker in communication with said audio response unit;

wherein the signal is sent to the audio response unit which generates a verbal voice message which is sent to the speaker to verbally indicate to the user said volumetric or flowrate measurement readings and also sends a verbal functional voice message appropriate for the measurement reading.

13. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 12 wherein said audio response unit including an audio message storage unit which sends a verbal encouragement voice message to the speaker based on a comparison of the measurement reading to a target measurement, wherein said target measurement is a highest inhalation volumetric flowrate previously performed by the user with the Incentive Spirometer device.

14. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 13 wherein the verbal encouragement voice message sent is chosen from a plurality of verbal voice messages stored in the audio message storage unit;

wherein at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement voice messages is used where the measurement reading is lower than the target measurement and at least one of the plurality of verbal encouragement voice messages is used where the measurement reading is higher than the target measurement;

wherein the plurality of verbal voice messages allow an appropriate verbal voice message to be selected according to the user'"'"'s measurement performance of the sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) procedure.

15. The Incentive Spirometer assembly of claim 14 wherein the plurality of verbal voice messages use a humanlike voice.