System and method for alleviating sleep apnea

• US 8,844,537 B1
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael T. Abramson
• Original Assignee: Michael T. Abramson
• Inventors: Abramson, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thanh, Loan H
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TARLA R
• Application Number:
  US12/903,669
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: 128/848, 128/850, 128/852, 128/859, 128860-863, 600/12, 600/13, 600/373, 600/380, 600/422, 600/423, 600/427, 600/534, 600/26, 607/42, 607/62, 607/65, 607/134, 607/48
• US Class Current: 128/848
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take 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 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/004 inflatable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/482 Electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/56 Devices for preventing snoring by influencing the respiratory system by gas treatment A61M16/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/004 specially adapted for a specific therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for controlling a device to alleviate sleep apnea comprises determining whether a user of the device is asleep by a microcontroller operatively connected to the device. Using a sensor operatively connected to the microcontroller, it is determined whether a breathing anomaly of the user is detected while the user is asleep. An electromagnet operatively connected to the device generates an electromagnetic field to widen an airway of the user in response to detecting the breathing anomaly while the user is asleep.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a device to alleviate sleep apnea, comprising:

determining whether a user is asleep;

determining that a breathing anomaly of the user is detected using a sensor operatively connected to the device;

if the user is not asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, precluding generation of an electromagnetic field from an electromagnet operatively connected to the device to widen an airway of the user; and

if the user is asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, generating the electromagnetic field from the electromagnet operatively connected to the device to widen the airway of the user, wherein generating the electromagnetic field comprises the electromagnet receiving a current from a source operatively connected to the device, and wherein generating the electromagnetic field further comprises,

maintaining the current to the electromagnet at a first level for a predetermined amount of time, and

in response to maintaining the current for the predetermined amount of time, decreasing the current to the electromagnet to a second level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnet receiving the current from the source comprises varying the current by a potentiometer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the electromagnetic field further comprises increasing the current until the breathing anomaly is no longer detected.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the user is asleep comprises at least one of determining the position of the device, determining a heart rate of the user by the device, and determining a breathing pattern of the user by the device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the user is awake; and

in response to determining that the user is awake, placing the device in an awake mode.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an act of swallowing; and

in response to detecting the act of swallowing, decreasing the electromagnetic field.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the breathing anomaly comprises at least one of vibrations, a lack of breathing, a degraded breathing, and an irregular blood oxygen level.

8. A system configured to alleviate sleep apnea, comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user is asleep;

a sensor operatively connected to the processor configured to enable the processor to determine that a breathing anomaly of the user is detected; and

an electromagnet operatively connected to the processor, wherein the electromagnet via the processor is configured to generate an electromagnetic field to widen an airway of the user if the user is asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected via the sensor, wherein the processor is further configured to preclude generation of the electromagnetic field by the electromagnet operatively connected to the processor if the user is not asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected via the sensor, wherein the electromagnet is further configured to receive a current from a power source operatively connected to the processor to generate the electromagnetic field, and wherein the processor is further configured to,

maintain the current to the electromagnet at a first level for a predetermined amount of time, the processor further configured to decrease the current to the electromagnet to a second level in response to maintaining the current for the predetermined amount of time.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a potentiometer configured to vary the current to the electromagnet.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to increase the current to the electromagnet until the breathing anomaly is no longer detected.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the breathing anomaly comprises at least one of vibrations, a lack of breathing, a degraded breathing, and an irregular blood oxygen level.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to place the processor in an awake mode in response to determining that the user is awake.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further configured to detect an act of swallowing, the processor further configured to decrease the electromagnetic field in response to detecting the act of swallowing.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein determining whether the user is asleep comprises at least one of determining the position of the user, determining a heart rate of the user, and determining a breathing pattern of the user.

15. A computing system including a processor and a memory having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether a user is asleep;

determining, by the processor, that an anomaly of the user is detected using a sensor operatively connected to the processor;

if the user is not asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, precluding, by the processor, widening an airway of the user from an electromagnet operatively connected to the processor; and

if the user is asleep while determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, widening, by the processor, the airway of the user, wherein widening the airway of the user comprises receiving, at the electromagnet operatively connected to the processor, a current from a source operatively connected to the processor.

16. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the electromagnet receiving the current from the source comprises varying the current by a potentiometer.

17. The computing system of claim 15 wherein widening the airway of the user further comprises increasing the current until the anomaly is no longer detected.

18. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an act of swallowing; and

in response to detecting the act of swallowing, decreasing the electromagnetic field.

19. The computing system of claim 15 wherein determining whether the user is asleep comprises at least one of determining the position of the user, determining a heart rate of the user, and determining a breathing pattern of the user.

20. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the user is awake; and

in response to determining that the user is awake, placing the processor in an awake mode.

21. The computing system of claim 15 wherein the breathing anomaly comprises at least one of vibrations, a lack of breathing, a degraded breathing, and an irregular blood oxygen level.

22. The computing system of claim 15 wherein widening the airway of the user further comprises:

maintaining the current to the electromagnet at a first level for a predetermined amount of time, and in response to maintaining the current for the predetermined amount of time, decreasing the current to the electromagnet to a second level.