System and method for alleviating sleep apnea

• US 9,763,767 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael T. Abramson
• Original Assignee: Michael T. Abramson
• Inventors: Abramson, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, TARLA R
• Application Number:
  US14/463,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20140352702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 128848, 128850, 128852, 128859, 128860-863, 600 12, 600 13, 600373, 600380, 600422, 600423, 600427, 600534, 600 26, 607 42, 607 62, 607 65, 607134, 607 48
• 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 that a breathing anomaly of the user is detected using a sensor operatively connected to the device; and

widening the airway of the user in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, wherein widening the airway of the user includes,

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

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

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising varying the current to the electromagnet by a potentiometer to adjust the current to the electromagnet.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the user is asleep; and

widening the airway of the user only in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected while the user is asleep.

4. The method of claim 3 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 increasing the current to the electromagnet to the first level until the breathing anomaly is no longer detected.

6. 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, wherein widening of the airway of the user is precluded while the device is in the awake mode.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an act of swallowing by the user; and

in response to detecting the act of swallowing by the user, decreasing the current to the electromagnet.

8. A 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, comprising:

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

widening the airway of the user in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, wherein widening the airway of the user includes,

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

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

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise varying the current to the electromagnet by a potentiometer to adjust the current to the electromagnet.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the user is asleep; and

widening the airway of the user only in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected while the user is asleep.

11. The system of claim 10 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.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise increasing the current to the electromagnet to the first level until the breathing anomaly is no longer detected.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the user is awake; and

in response to determining that the user is awake, placing the device in an awake mode, wherein widening of the airway of the user is precluded while the device is in the awake mode.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an act of swallowing by the user; and

in response to detecting the act of swallowing by the user, decreasing the current to the electromagnet.

15. A computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

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

widening the airway of the user in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected, wherein widening the airway of the user includes,

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

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

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise varying the current to the electromagnet by a potentiometer to adjust the current to the electromagnet.

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

determining that the user is asleep; and

widening the airway of the user only in response to determining that the breathing anomaly is detected while the user is asleep.

18. The system of claim 17 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.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise increasing the current to the electromagnet to the first level until the breathing anomaly is no longer detected.

20. The 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 device in an awake mode, wherein widening of the airway of the user is precluded while the device is in the awake mode.

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

detecting an act of swallowing by the user; and

in response to detecting the act of swallowing by the user, decreasing the current to the electromagnet.