EXTERNAL DEVICE THAT CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS FOR OSDB AND DELIVERS AUDIO STIMULATION THERAPY

• US 20100228315A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Nielsen, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/022 by applying pressure to close blood vessels, e.g. against the skin; Ophthalmodynamometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips

Abstract

A physiological parameter measuring device (14) is disposed within or near an ear canal of a subject (16) to non-invasively sense at least one physiological parameter of the subject which one physiological parameter is associated with at least one physiological condition of the subject. An analyzing device (48) is operatively coupled to the physiological parameter measuring device (14) to analyze the sensed physiological parameter and detect the physiological condition of the subject (16). Based on the detection and analysis of the physiological condition of the subject (16), a stimulating device (20) stimulates the subject (16) with the physiological parameter measuring device (14) within or near the ear canal of the subject (16) to mitigate the physiological condition of the subject (16).

Claims

1. A monitoring and therapy system comprising:

a physiological parameter measuring device, which is disposed within or near an ear canal of a subject, to non-invasively sense at least one physiological parameter of the subject, which one physiological parameter is associated with at least one physiological condition of the subject;

an analyzing device, which is operatively coupled to the physiological parameter measuring device, to analyze the sensed physiological parameter and detect the physiological condition of the subject; and

a stimulating device, which, based on the detection and analysis of the physiological condition of the subject, stimulates the subject with the physiological parameter measuring device within or near the ear canal of the subject to mitigate the physiological condition of the subject.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter measuring device senses a respiration rate of the subject and, when a cessation of the respiration is detected, the stimulating device stimulates the subject to resume respiration.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the analyzing device compares the sensed respiration rate with one of a default value and a predetermined parameter and determines the respiration cessation based on the comparison, and the stimulating device stimulates the subject so that the subject resumes respiration.

4. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the physiological parameter measuring device further senses at least one of a blood oxygen level (SpO₂), a pulse rate, and a blood pressure.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the analyzing device compares one or any combination of at least the sensed respiration rate, the blood oxygen level (SpO₂) and the pulse rate with one of or a combination of default values and predetermined parameters, and detects the respiration cessation based on the combined analysis and minimizing a number of erroneous detections, and the stimulating device stimulates the subject so that the subject resumes respiration.

6. The system as set forth in claim 2, further including:

a speaker, which provides an auditory, signal which, subconsciously and without waking the subject, reminds the subject to breathe, or to turn onto a side of the subject.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter measuring device includes an in-the-ear probe.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the in-the-ear probe includes:

a tube, which is inserted into the ear canal of the subject;

a first sensing device, disposed about the tube and inserted with the tube into the ear canal of the subject, which first sensing device senses at least a respiration rate of the subject; and

a second sensing device, disposed about the tube and inserted with the tube into the ear canal of the subject, which second sensing device produces an audible signal when a cessation of the respiration is detected, which audible signal stimulates the subject to resume respiration.

9. A method comprising:

non-invasively sensing at least one physiological parameter of a sleeping subject via an auditory canal of the subject, the physiological parameter being associated with at least one physiological condition of the subject;

analyzing the sensed physiological parameter to detect the physiological condition of the subject; and

in response to the detection of the physiological condition of the subject, stimulating the subject so that the physiological condition of the subject is mitigated.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including:

sensing a respiration rate of the subject;

detecting a cessation of the respiration; and

stimulating the subject so that the subject resumes respiration.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the step for detecting the respiration cessation includes:

comparing the sensed respiration rate with one of a default value and a predetermined parameter; and

based on the comparison, determining the respiration cessation.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, further including:

sensing physiological parameters including at least one of a blood oxygen level (SpO₂), a pulse rate and blood pressure;

analyzing combination of the sensed respiration rate and the sensed physiological parameters;

detecting the respiration cessation based on the combined analysis; and

minimizing a number of erroneous stimulations.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the step of detecting the respiration cessation includes:

comparing the sensed respiration rate, blood oxygen level (SpO₂) and pulse rate with one or a combination of default values and predetermined parameters; and

based on a comparison, determining the respiration cessation.

14. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein the stimulating step includes at least one of:

providing a subconscious message to the sleeping subject;

reminding the subject to breathe; and

reminding the subject to turn onto a subject side.

15. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including:

inserting a first sensing device into the auditory canal of the subject;

sensing a respiration rate of the subject with the first sensing device;

inserting a second sensing device into the auditory canal of the subject;

producing an audible signal with the second sensing device, which audible signal is audible to an associated subject; and

stimulating the associated subject with the audible signal so that the subject resumes respiration.

16. The method as set forth in claim 9, further including:

detecting obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB) events;

transmitting at least one of the sensed physiological parameter and detected OSDB events to a computerized unit; and

recording at least one of an entire sleep activity and a number and severity of the OSDB events.

17. The system as set forth in claim 16, further including one of:

performing polysomnographic diagnostic analysis of the recorded OSDB events, and

transferring at least one of the collected and the analyzed data to a Polysomnography Lab.

18. An apparatus for performing the method of claim 9.

19. A system for monitoring and treating obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB) comprising:

an in-the-ear sensing device which is disposed within an ear canal of a subject to non-invasively sense at least one physiological parameter of the subject which one physiological parameter is associated with the OSDB;

a monitoring device, which is operatively coupled to the in-the-ear sensing device to communicate with the in-the-ear sensing device;

an analyzing device which analyzes the sensed physiological parameter and detects an OSDB event; and

a device disposed in the in-the-ear sensing device, which device, based on the detected OSDB event, stimulates the subject to mitigate the OSDB event.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the in-the-ear sensing device senses at least one of a respiration rate, blood oxygen level and pulse rate of the subject.

21. The system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the analyzing device detects the OSDB event based on comparing one or any combination of the sensed respiration rate, and at least one of blood oxygen level, pulse rate, and blood pressure.

22. The system as set forth in claim 19, wherein the in-the-ear sensing device includes at least:

at least one sensing device which senses at least one of a respiration rate, a blood oxygen level and a pulse rate of the subject; and

a device which generates a subconsciously audible signal hearable by the subject which audible signal urges the subject to resume breathing or to turn onto a subject side.

23. The system as set forth in claim 19, further including:

a wireless transceiver, operationally coupled with the monitoring device, that wirelessly transmits at least one of the physiological parameter and detected OSDB event, one of continuously, periodically at a predetermined rate, on-demand, and upon detection of the OSDB event; and

a computerized unit operationally coupled to the transceiver, which records at least one of an entire sleep activity and a number and severity of the OSDB events.

24. The system as set forth in claim 23, wherein the computerized unit one of performs polysomnographic diagnostic analysis of the recorded OSDB events, and electronically transfers one of the recorded and analyzed data to a Polysomnography Lab.