Patent · US Active

System and method of detecting sleep disorders

US9092965B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by

5References

10Claims

0Family size

Inventors

Christopher Thomas Lyons · West Chester, US
Ellen M. Lyons · Tyngsborough, US
Stephen Thomas Lyons · Hudson, US

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 10, 2011
Grant date	Jul 28, 2015
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Aug 30, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH04B1/02
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.