System and method of detecting sleep disorders

• US 9,368,016 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Original Assignee: Christopher Thomas Lyons, Ellen M. Lyons, Stephen Thomas Lyons
• Inventors: Lyons, Christopher Thomas, Lyons, Ellen M., Lyons, Stephen Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWA, RENE T
• Application Number:
  US14/103,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20140225736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/04 Arrangements of multiple sensors of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes 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 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1121 Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/02 Transmitters

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, includes a housing insertable into an ear canal of a subject. A sensor disposed within the housing measures a position of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity. A transducer is responsive to the sensor and is capable of creating a stimulus detectable by the subject under certain conditions. In various embodiments, a controller receives signals corresponding to a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head measured by the sensor, determines if the pitch and roll angles correspond to a sleep apnea inducing position, and causes the transducer to generate a stimulus upon determining that the subject'"'"'s head is in the sleep apnea inducing position more than a predetermined threshold number of times. Various parameters of the stimulus may be modified with successive stimulus generation until a non-sleep apnea inducing position is detected.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preventing sleep disorders comprising:

a housing;

a gravitational sensor disposed within the housing and configured to generate signals corresponding to a pitch angle of a subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity;

memory storing data representing a predetermined range of pitch angles between approximately 20° and

160°

relative to the axis of gravity and data representing a predetermined range of roll angles between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to the horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity;

a transducer configured to create stimulus detectable by the subject;

a controller coupled to the memory and responsive to the signals generated by the gravitational sensor, the controller further comprises;

program logic to receive signals from the gravitational sensor,

program logic to determine a pitch angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity and to determine a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity,

program logic to compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles, respectively, and

program logic to cause the transducer to generate stimulus if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lie within the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles, respectively, a number of times at least equal to a predetermined value; and

wherein the transducer is responsive to signals generated by the controller.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gravitational sensor comprises a dual-axis inclinometer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller is disposed within the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer generates at least one of haptic stimulus and audible stimulus.

5. A system for preventing sleep disorders comprising:

A) a gravitational sensor configured for generating signals corresponding to a pitch angle and a roll angle of a subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity;

B) memory storing data representing a predefined range of pitch angles between approximately 20° and

160°

relative to the axis of gravity and data representing a predefined range of roll angles between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity;

C) circuitry configured to;

receive signals from the gravitational sensor,

determine the pitch angle and the roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to the data representing the predefined range of pitch angles and the stored predefined range of roll angles, respectively, and

cause a transducer to generate stimulus if the determined pitch angle and the determined roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lie within the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles, respectively.

6. A method for preventing sleep disorders comprising:

A) providing a system comprising;

i) a housing insertable into the ear canal of a subject,

ii) a sensor capable of generating signals corresponding to a pitch angle, and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity,

iii) a controller responsive to signals from the sensor,

iv) memory storing data representing a predefined range of pitch angles between approximately 20° and

160°

relative to the axis of gravity and data representing a predefined range of roll angles between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity, and

v) a transducer responsive to the controller for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject;

B) receiving with the controller signals from the sensor,

C) determining with the controller a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to the axis of gravity,

D) comparing with the controller the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s to the data representing the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles, respectively,

E) modifying with the controller a flag count if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head lie within the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles which collectively define a sleep apnea inducing position,

F) determining with the controller if the flag count at least equals a predefined threshold,

G) generating a stimulus with the transducer, upon determining that the flag count at least equals the predefined threshold flag count, and

H) repeating receiving step B) through step G) after a predefined time interval.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

I) resetting the flag count if the determined pitch angle or roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head do not lie within the predefined range of pitch angles and the predefined range of roll angles.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the sensor and the transducer are located in the housing.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the controller is located remotely from the housing.

10. An apparatus for preventing sleep disorders comprising:

a) a sensor for generating signals corresponding to a pitch angle of a subject'"'"'s head relative to an axis of gravity and a roll angle of the subject'"'"'s head relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity;

b) memory, coupled to the sensor, storing a flag count value and a predefined range of pitch angles and a predefined range of roll angles;

c) a transducer for generating stimulus; and

d) controller, operatively coupled to the sensor, memory and the transducer, and configured for;

i) modifying the flag count value, if the subject'"'"'s head is in a sleep apnea inducing position based on signals from the sensor and the flag count value is not equal to an alarm threshold value, else resetting the flag count value to an initial value if the subject'"'"'s head is not in a sleep apnea inducing position based on the signals from the sensor;

ii) repeating step i);

iii) alerting the subject with stimulus from the transducer when the flag count value at least equals the alarm threshold value; and

wherein a sleep apnea inducing position is defined as the subject'"'"'s head having a measured pitch angle of between approximately 20° and

160°

relative to the axis of gravity and a measured roll angle of between approximately 25° and

155°

relative to the horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity.