Snoring treatment

• US 8,193,941 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Andrew, Conte, Thomas Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/436,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20100283618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/576, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/407.1, 381/71.11, 381/71.2, 381/71.6, 381/71.14, 600/26, 600/534, 600/544, 600/590, 128/204.18, 128/204.23
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise

Abstract

Health-sensing and health-action devices and systems are generally described. The health-sensing device may include one or more of a sensor, a filter, and a transmitter. The sensor may be configured to sense one or more factors relating to an indicator of a health related condition or occurrence such as snoring and may include one or more microphone devices, accelerometers, and/or MEMs devices. The filter may be configured to evaluate a signal from the sensor and determine if the indicator has been detected. The transmitter may be arranged for initiating a transmission based on a signal from the filter. The health-action device may be configured for responding to an indicator of a health related condition or occurrence of a user and may include one or more of a receiver, a processor, and a responder. The health-action device may stimulate the user or may cancel the snoring sound.

Claims

1. A health-sensing device for a snorer, the health sensing device comprising:

a microphone sensor configured to sense sound from the snorer and generate a sensor signal in response to the sensed sound;

a filter configured to receive the sensor signal, determine if a snoring sound has been detected, and generate a filter signal when the snoring sound is detected; and

a transmitter configured to receive the filter signal and generate a transmission responsive to the filter signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein, to determine if a snoring sound has been detected, the filter is further configured to compare the sound sensed by the microphone to a threshold level.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a stimulation device, wherein the filter is configured to initiate a signal driving the transmitter when snoring has been detected, the transmitter configured to activate the stimulation device.

4. A health-sensing system, comprising the device of claim 1 and another device in data communication with the device of claim 1, the another device comprising a receiver, a processor, and a responder, wherein the processor is configured to drive the responder.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the responder is a sound canceling device, the sound canceling device comprising:

a microphone;

a wave form generator; and

a speaker;

wherein the sound-canceling device is configured to receive the sound, model the sound, create an inversely related sound, and emit the inversely related sound.

6. A health-sensing system, comprising the device of claim 1 and another device in data communication with the device of claim 1, the another device comprising a sensor configured to sense sleep irritation of a sleep partner of the user and transmit a sensor signal to the filter.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the filter is further configured to determine if the sleep partner is irritated and also configured to include sleep partner irritation in a decision of whether to generate the filter signal.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is configured to generate the filter signal responsive to a determination that the snoring sound has been detected.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the microphone sensor, the filter, and the transmitter are configured to be worn by the snorer.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the health-sensing device comprises a patch.

11. A health-sensing device for a sleep partner of a snorer, the device comprising:

a sensor configured to monitor sleep irritation of the sleep partner and generate a sensor signal in response to the monitored sleep irritation;

a filter configured to receive the sensor signal, determine if the sleep partner is irritated, and generate a filter signal when irritation is detected; and

a transmitter configured to receive the filter signal and generate a transmission responsive to the filter signal.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a motion based sensor adapted to sense motion of the sleep partner.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the sensor is a rapid eye movement sensor adapted to sense the sleep state of the sleep partner.

14. A health-sensing system, comprising the device of claim 8 and another device in data communication with the device of claim 11, the another device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive the transmission and generate a receiver signal; and

a processor configured to receive the receiver signal and generate a processor signal to drive a responder adapted to stimulate the snorer or mitigate the snoring condition.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the responder is a sound canceling device adapted to mitigate the snoring condition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sound canceling device comprises:

a microphone adapted to receive snoring sounds;

a wave form generator adapted to receive a snoring wave form from the microphone and generate an inverse wave form; and

a speaker configured to emit the inverse wave form.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the responder is a stimulation device adapted to stimulate the snorer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the stimulation device is further adapted to arouse the snorer.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the sensor, the filter, and the transmitter are configured to be worn by the sleep partner.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the health-sensing device comprises a patch.

21. A method for a health-sensing device to monitor a snorer, the method comprising:

sensing sound associated with the snorer to generate a sensor signal;

analyzing the sensor signal to determine if the snorer is snoring; and

initiating a transmission responsive to the analysis of the sensor signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein determining if the snorer is snoring includes comparing the sound associated with the snorer to a threshold level.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising receiving the transmission and performing a process responsive to the transmission.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein performing a process includes stimulating the snorer with a stimulating device so as to arouse the snorer thereby interrupting the snoring.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein performing a process includes driving a sound canceling device.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising sensing the sleep irritation of a sleep partner and determining if the sleep partner is irritated.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the initiating a transmission responsive to the analysis of the sensor signal comprises initiating the transmission responsive to the analysis of the sensor signal indicating a presence of snoring.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the initiating a transmission responsive to the analysis of the sensor signal comprises initiating a transmission from a health-sensing device worn by a user to a health-action device, separate from the health-sensing device.