Pregnancy Belt

• US 20100201526A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marjan Hafezi
• Original Assignee: Marjan Hafezi
• Inventors: Hafezi, Marjan
• Application Number:
  US12/367,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201526A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.700
• CPC Class Codes: A41C 1/10 Maternity corsets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• 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 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6831 Straps, bands or harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons

Abstract

An apparatus ensuring that an expecting mother does not lie on her back by alerting an expecting mother upon such an event. An adjustable and flexible belt is provided which includes one or more sensors positioned at or near the center of the belt to determine when an expecting woman wearing the belt is sleeping on her back and an alarm that is activated by the sensor to alert a sleeping mother when she is lying on her back.

Claims

1. An alarm belt comprising:

a belt member having an elongated axis of sufficient length and adjustable to completely encircle the girth of a pregnant woman during the entire term of her pregnancy;

an attaching means for securing the belt about said pregnant woman;

a sensor associated with the belt for sensing when the pregnant woman is lying in a particular position; and

an alarm coupled to said sensor for alerting said pregnant woman when said sensor senses that said pregnant woman is lying in a particular position.

2. The alarm belt of claim 1, said belt comprising a soft and resilient material.

3. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the attaching means is adjustable.

4. The alarm belt of claim 1, said attaching means comprising:

a first attaching means;

a second attaching means,

wherein the first attaching means is substantially disposed on a first terminal end of the belt and the second attaching means is substantially disposed on a second terminal end of the belt; and

wherein said first and second attaching means are removably joinable to the other.

5. The alarm belt of claim 4, the first attaching means comprising a portion of fabric containing hook members of a hook and loop fastener, and

the second attaching means comprising a portion of fabric containing loop members of a hook and loop fastener.

6. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is integrated within the belt.

7. The alarm belt of claim 1, further comprising a power source coupled with the sensor for providing power to the sensor.

8. The alarm belt of claim 7, further comprising a switch coupled with the power source for turning the sensor on and off.

9. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor, the alarm and the power source are integrated with a unitary module, and wherein the unitary module is removably coupled with the belt.

10. The alarm belt of claim 9, the belt further comprising a pocket for accepting the unitary module.

11. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed within the belt, and wherein the alarm is remotely located and in wireless communication with the sensor.

12. The alarm belt of claim 11, the sensor further comprising:

means for sending data wirelessly to the alarm;

the alarm further comprising means for receiving wireless data from the sensor for converting the wireless data into an alarm signal, when said pregnant woman lays upon sensor.

13. The alarm belt of claim 10, said signal comprising any of an RF signal, an IEEE 802.11 protocol signal, and a Bluetooth®

signal.

14. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed substantially in the center of the belt and positioned beneath a wearer'"'"'s back when the belt is worn;

and

wherein the sensor senses when the pregnant woman is lying on her back and actuates the alarm to alert the pregnant woman that she is lying on her back.

15. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the sensor is disposed off-center of the belt and positioned beneath a pregnant woman'"'"'s side when the belt is worn;

and

wherein the sensor senses when the pregnant woman is not lying on her side and actuates the alarm to alert the that she is not laying on her side.

16. The alarm belt of claim 1, the alarm comprising an auditory alarm.

17. The alarm belt of claim 1, the alarm comprising a vibration apparatus.

18. The alarm belt of claim 1, wherein the alarm further comprising means for adjusting a level of the alarm.

19. A pregnancy belt, comprising:

a belt member having an elongated axis having a first terminal end and second terminal end, said belt comprising a soft and resilient material;

an attaching means for securing the belt to a pregnant woman, the attaching means comprising a first attaching member associated with the first terminal end of the belt and a second attaching member associated with the second terminal end of the belt, the first attaching member and the second attaching member providing an adjustable attachment of the belt around the pregnant woman;

a sensor associated with the belt for sensing when the pregnant woman is lying on her back; and

an alarm activated by said sensor to alert the pregnant woman when she is lying on her back.

20. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, wherein the sensor is removably associated with the belt.

21. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, wherein the sensor is integrated with the belt.

22. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, wherein the sensor is associated with the belt, and wherein the alarm is remotely located from the belt and in wireless communication with the sensor.

23. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, the sensor further comprising:

a means for sending data wirelessly to the alarm;

the alarm further comprising means for receiving said wireless data from the sensor and producing an alarm signal in response thereto.

24. The pregnancy belt of claim 23, the wireless signal comprising any of an RF signal, an IEEE 802.11 protocol signal, and a Bluetooth®

signal.

25. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, the alarm comprising an auditory alarm.

26. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, the alarm comprising a vibration alarm.

27. The pregnancy belt of claim 19, further comprising:

a means for adjusting a level of the alarm.

28. An alarm belt system comprising:

an alarm belt comprising;

a belt member having an elongated axis of sufficient length and adjustable to completely encircle the girth of a pregnant woman during the entire term of her pregnancy;

an attaching means for securing the belt about said pregnant woman;

a sensor associated with the belt for sensing when the pregnant woman is lying in a particular position;

a power source coupled with said sensor; and

a transmitter for sending a signal upon actuation of the sensor; and

an alarm module with an antenna for receiving said signal, wherein the alarm module sounds an alarm upon receipt of said signal for alerting said pregnant woman that said pregnant woman is lying in said particular position.

29. The alarm belt of claim 28, said belt comprising a soft and resilient material.

30. The alarm belt of claim 28, wherein the attaching means is adjustable.

31. The alarm belt of claim 28, said attaching means comprising:

a first attaching means;

a second attaching means,

wherein the first attaching means is substantially disposed on a first terminal end of the belt and the second attaching means is substantially disposed on a second terminal end of the belt; and

wherein said first and second attaching means are removably joinable to the other.

32. The alarm belt of claim 31, the first attaching means comprising a portion of fabric containing hook members of a hook and loop fastener, and

the second attaching means comprising a portion of fabric containing loop members of a hook and loop fastener.

33. The alarm belt of claim 28, further comprising a switch coupled with the power source for turning the sensor on and off.

34. The alarm belt of claim 28, wherein the sensor, the power source, and the transmitter are integrated with a unitary module, and wherein the unitary module is removably coupled with the belt.

35. The alarm belt of claim 34, the belt further comprising a pocket for accepting the unitary module.

36. The alarm belt of claim 28, wherein said alarm comprises an auditory alarm.

37. The alarm belt of claim 28, wherein said alarm comprises a vibration apparatus.

38. The alarm belt of claim 28, wherein the alarm module further comprises a means for adjusting a level of the alarm.