Systems, methods and devices for diagnosing sleep apnea

• US 9,585,601 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chunyuan Qiu
• Original Assignee: Chunyuan Qiu
• Inventors: Qiu, Chunyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nganga, Boniface N
• Application Number:
  US13/968,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/233 for the nose, i.e. nasoscopes , e.g. testing of patency of Eustachian tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/004 adapted for image acquisition of a particular organ or body part A61B5/0082 takes precedence; arrangements for optical scanning A61B5/0062
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0826 Detecting or evaluating apnoea events A61B5/4818 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/085 Measuring impedance of respiratory organs or lung elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/023 for introduction into the body, e.g. into the oesophagus oesophageal ECG probes A61B5/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 : Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for diagnosing sleep apnea are provided herein. In one example, a device for detecting airway obstructions may be provided where the device may include a wearable hollow nasal tube to be positioned in an upper airway above a constriction point and an end imaging sensor coupled to the nasal tube to collect airway image data. The device further may include a controller and communication interface to communicatively link and relay airway image data to a select remote device to determine airway obstructions. In some examples, a method may be provided including receiving airway image data from a remote end imaging sensor coupled to a nasal tube disposed within an upper airway above a constriction point, and analyzing the airway image data and displaying in a sleep study report the airway image data to identify airway closures related to obstructive sleep apnea.

Claims

1. A device for detecting airway obstructions during sleep to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), comprising:

a wearable hollow nasal tube having a first end and second end adapted to be positioned in an upper airway above a constriction point;

an end imaging sensor at the first end of the nasal tube adapted to collect airway image data;

a controller and communication interface configured to communicatively link and relay the airway image data to a select remote device to determine airway obstructions;

a nose stopper connected to the second end of the nasal tube adapted to stabilize the nasal tube in a select position and direct air through the nasal tube, and

an inflatable balloon on the nasal tube between the end imaging sensor and the nose stopper adapted to anchor the wearable nasal tube in the select position to collect the airway image data, wherein the inflatable balloon expands to a diameter greater than a diameter of the nasal tube.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the nasal tube is curved relative to a longitudinal axis.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the end imaging sensor is placed at a distal end of the nasal tube such that an image data collection position of the end imaging sensor is within a nasopharynx above the constriction point, and wherein the end imaging sensor is further angled downward relative to a nose opening to view an airway.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the end imaging sensor is one of a camera and a thermal imaging device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light source to illuminate the airway for airway image data collection.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sound-detecting sensor, wherein the sound-detecting sensor is at least one of a microphone, a stethoscope or a Doppler sound device.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising an oxygen saturation sensor to collect airway data, where the airway data is relayed to a select remote device with the airway image data.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a head position sensor for collecting head position data relative to a device orientation, where the head position data is relayed to a select remote device with the airway image data.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the head position sensor includes one of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a sensor for detecting motion.

10. The device according to claim 6, further comprising a head movement counter to collect head position data including a number and frequency of head movements during sleep.

11. The device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more biophysical sensors comprising one or more of:

an EEG sensor, an EKG sensor, and a capnography sensor capable of determining a gas level or exchange rate within an airway based on data collected.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the nose stopper comprises mesh that enables air to pass through the device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the inflatable balloon is adapted to form a seal with a nasal cavity.

14. A system for remotely diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea, comprising:

a tubular airway assessing apparatus adapted to be disposed within an upper airway, the tubular airway assessing apparatus comprising;

a wearable nasal tube having a first end and second end with an end imaging sensor at the first end for directly viewing an airway to generate airway image data;

a nose stopper at the second end adapted to stabilize the nasal tube in a select position and direct air flow through the first and second end of the nasal tube;

an inflatable balloon on the nasal tube between the end imaging sensor and the nose stopper adapted to anchor the wearable nasal tube in the select position, wherein the inflatable balloon expands to a diameter greater than a diameter of the nasal tube;

an airflow indicator configured to determine an airway airflow to generate airflow data;

a processor, a communication interface and memory to collect and relay the airway image data and the airflow data over a network;

a remote computing device configured to analyze breathing pattern data associated with obstructive sleep apnea;

a communicative link between the tubular airway assessing apparatus and remote computing device configured to relay the airway image data to the remote computing device to determine airway obstructions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the airflow indicator is a sound-detecting sensor.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising an oxygen tissue sensor.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a head position sensor and head movement counter to determine head position data during a sleep cycle.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising one or more biophysical sensors comprising:

an EEG sensor, an EKG sensor, and capnography sensor for determining a gas level or exchange rate within an airway based on data collected.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the remote computing device is programmed to automatically analyze data received from the tubular airway assessing apparatus and where the airway image data is time-stamped.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the tubular airway assessing apparatus further comprises an air sampling tube to sample air and airflow within a nasal cavity and/or an oral cavity.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the air sampling tube is coupled to the nose stopper.