WO1996018176A1 - Moniteur de respiration - Google Patents

Moniteur de respiration Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1996018176A1
WO1996018176A1 PCT/US1994/014269 US9414269W WO9618176A1 WO 1996018176 A1 WO1996018176 A1 WO 1996018176A1 US 9414269 W US9414269 W US 9414269W WO 9618176 A1 WO9618176 A1 WO 9618176A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
subject
enclosure
coupler
strap
detector
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1994/014269
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Daniel G. Walton
Original Assignee
Lifetek, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lifetek, Inc. filed Critical Lifetek, Inc.
Priority to PCT/US1994/014269 priority Critical patent/WO1996018176A1/fr
Priority to AU17246/95A priority patent/AU1724695A/en
Publication of WO1996018176A1 publication Critical patent/WO1996018176A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
    • A61B5/103—Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes
    • A61B5/11—Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb
    • A61B5/113—Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb occurring during breathing
    • A61B5/1135—Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb occurring during breathing by monitoring thoracic expansion
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B2503/00—Evaluating a particular growth phase or type of persons or animals
    • A61B2503/06—Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis

Definitions

  • SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • apnea a frightening specter which causes many a sleepless night.
  • SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  • the only effective preventative is a surveillance of the infant. This surveillance has been achieved by parents essentially "standing guard” over their infants through- out the night in one extreme. To a lesser extent, par ⁇ ents have relied on other devices such as walkie talkies left in an open mike condition so that the parent may be reassured by the sound of the infant breathing.
  • the device disclosed in the '307 patent is described as being a self-contained device which is strapped around the torso of a child, the device having an adhesive lin ⁇ ing area for adhering it directly to the child's skin and a mechanical displacement transducer which is centrally located within the device such that as the belly of the child deflects upon the child's breathing, the mechanical actuator is actuated.
  • An electronic circuit which moni ⁇ tors the transducer sounds an alarm if it determines that the child is not breathing.
  • the '307 patent states that the adhesive portion of the box is essential for obtain ⁇ ing a significant response by the transducer as the baby's belly moves during breathing. This adhesive at ⁇ tachment provides a reference position and pressure against which the mechanical actuator works to produce a signal indicative of the baby's breathing.
  • a breathing monitor which is self- contained, battery operated, includes an electronic cir ⁇ cuit with an LED which flashes in response to each breath, an audio alarm in the event there are no breaths detected within a given preselected time period, and a fluid filled bladder coupler which interfaces between the entirety of the device and the baby in order to provide maximum sensitivity with minimal discomfort to the baby and, most importantly, reliable operation.
  • a spring loaded tension adjuster type connector secures an end of an elastic strap to the device enclosure such that it may be snugly fastened about the baby and adjusted to within a proper operating range as indicated by a visual indica ⁇ tor to the parent, thereby affirming to the parent that it has been properly installed.
  • This connector also pro ⁇ vides for a limited amount of expansion and contraction, permitted through withdrawal and retraction of the con ⁇ nector from the device enclosure, to accommodate a baby's normal breathing. This further increases the comfort of the device as it is applied to a baby in that the '307 device does not provide for any such expansion or con ⁇ traction.
  • this connector per ⁇ mits an inexperienced parent to reliably attach the de ⁇ vice to his or her baby and be assured that the device is properly secured and will function properly. This is a major concern as parents must be assured that the device is properly installed in order that they may be relieved and not suffer the anxieties previously felt when no device was available.
  • a fluid filled bladder coupler interfaces between the device enclosure and the baby.
  • the present invention may be secured about a baby's night clothes or under garments and yet operate reliably as it responds to a change in tension in the elastic strap which secures the device enclosure to the baby.
  • the invention may be applied to either the baby's back or belly and is not strictly limited to contact with the baby's belly as in the device in the '307 patent. This particular feature can be quite important because there is presently contro ⁇ versy with regard to the proper sleep position for babies in order to minimize the onset of SIDS.
  • the inventor has also solved the problem of indi ⁇ cating that the battery is losing its charge and needs to be replaced so that a parent can be assured that battery failure will not attribute to the failure to detect a baby's cessation of breathing in the middle of the night.
  • minimal power drain is achieved such that a single nine volt battery will provide continuous operation for many months.
  • the electronic circuit is designed so that an LED flashes as the baby breathes. If the battery is charged sufficiently such that the LED flashes as the baby is placed in its crib for sleep, the battery will have sufficient charge to last at least through that sleep period. Should the LED not flash as the monitor is strapped onto the child, then a parent will know that the battery has discharged dangerously low and needs to be replaced.
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of the breathing monitor and strap of the present invention
  • Figure 2 is a front view of the device enclosure;
  • Figure 3 is a side view of the device enclosure;
  • Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane of line 4-4 in Figure 1 and detailing the interior mounting of the electronic circuit Including LED, audio alarm, and battery;
  • Figure 5 is a perspective view of the connecting rod which connects the strap end with the enclosure
  • Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the plane of line 6-6 detailing the application of the device around a baby's torso;
  • Figure 7 is a top view partially broken away to detail the piezoelectric detector mounted within the enclosure; and Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the electroni circuit enclosed within the device. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
  • the breathing monitor 20 o the present invention includes a device enclosure 22 wit a fluid filled bladder coupler 24 secured to and substan tially covering one side thereof and an elastic strap 26 which is affixed at one end of enclosure 22 with an ad ⁇ justable connector 28 at the other end thereof for ad- justably securing it to the opposite side of the enclo ⁇ sure 22.
  • the adjustable connector 28 includes the push rod 30 as best shown in Figure 5 which has a post 32 to which the buckle attachment 34 on strap 26 is secured, a shoulder 36 which compresses spring 38 (see Fig. 6) against an interior wall of enclosure 22 as the strap 26 is tightened about a baby's torso.
  • a central color code area 40 on push rod 30 is viewable through a window 42 o enclosure 22 (see Figs. 1 and 6) which indicates to a parent that the strap 26 has been correctly secured abou the baby's torso such that spring 38 is compressed to a correct operating range for proper operation of the brea thing monitor 20.
  • Color coded area 40 is surrounded by pair of secondary color coded areas 44, 46 which indi ⁇ cate, if viewable through window 42, that the strap 26 i either too loose or too tight and should be readjusted. This tension adjustment ensures proper installation and use by a parent of the breathing monitor 20. Further ⁇ more, this adjustable connector 28 provides for a specific amount of expansion and contraction of the strap 26 abou the baby's torso as the baby breathes in order to ensure the comfort of the baby.
  • the interior o enclosure 22 also provides an opening 48 through which a LED 50 is viewable to indicate, as it flashes, that the baby is breathing and that the battery is charged.
  • the electronic circuit (see Fig. 8) is mounted on a PC board 52, including LED 50, and is supported within the enclo ⁇ sure 22, as is well known in the art.
  • An audio alerter 54 is oriented adjacent still another opening 56 in en ⁇ closure 22 in order to announce an alarm in the event that the baby's breathing is not detected.
  • An on/off switch 58 is mounted on PC board 52 and extends through an opening in enclosure 22 for turning the breathing monitor 20 on or off, as desired.
  • a force concentrator 60 impinging on a piezoelectric element 61, to achieve maximum bending force on the piezoelectric element 61, comprises a detector and is mounted to the back of enclo ⁇ sure 22 and is in direct contact with the fluid filled bladder coupler 24 which rests against the baby's torso. It is noted that the fluid filled bladder coupler 24 extends along essentially the entirety of the backside of the enclosure 22 and is in direct contact not only with force concentrator 60 but also the enclosure 22 as well. Thus, fluid filled bladder coupler 24 supports or iso ⁇ lates the entirety of the enclosure 22 from the baby's torso, except for the strap 26 which surrounds the torso.
  • a nine volt battery 62 or the like is conveniently con ⁇ tained in enclosure 22 and powers the electronic circuit as shown in Figure 8.
  • a first op amp 64 has its positive input con ⁇ nected to ground and one side of piezoelectric element 61 and its negative input connected to the other side of piezoelectric element 61, with a resistor pair 66, 68 being used to set its gain.
  • op amp 64 produces a pulse which is applied through resistor 70 to transistor 72 which shunts capaci ⁇ tor 74.
  • capacitor 74 is part of an RC circuit includ ⁇ ing resistor 76 having a time constant of 35 seconds, the baby's exhaling continuously resets this time delay un ⁇ less a period of greater than 35 seconds passes without a breath being taken.
  • the piezoelectric element 61 is connected in polarity to reset the time delay as the baby exhales rather than on inhale as the inventor has found the act of exhaling to be a more abrupt movement.
  • a pulse from op amp 64 also passes through capacitor 78 to turn on transistor 80 which pulses LED 50 to provide a visual indication that the baby has exhaled.
  • a resistor bridge 79, 81 biases transistor 80 just below its turn on point to adjust the sensitivity of transistor 80 to the pulse generated by op amp 64.
  • resistor 83 limits the current through LED 50, as known in the art.
  • a second op amp 82 has its positive input biased to a set voltage by a pair of resistors 84, 86. If the voltage across capacitor 74 charges above this set volt ⁇ age, then the output of op amp 82 goes negative which is applied to the base of transistor 88 by resistor 90 to thereby turn it on and actuate audio alerter 54 to indi ⁇ cate to a parent that the baby has not taken a breath for the 35 second time constant.
  • Transistors 92, 94 act as a low battery voltage indicator circuit.
  • a pair of resistors 96, 98 bias tran ⁇ sistor 92 on until battery voltage drops below a nominal eight volts.
  • transistor 92 turns off which permits transistor 94 to turn on with base current through resistor 100.
  • base current to transistor 80 is shunted therefrom, thereby turning off transistor 80 and disabling LED 50 from being flashed.
  • the parent knows immediately that the battery needs to be replaced. Alternately, if the LED 50 is flashing, the battery is adequate and the parent may be assured that it is functioning properly.
  • the fluid filled bladder coupler 24 with force concentrator 60 and piezo ⁇ electric element 61 is incredibly sensitive.
  • the fluid filled bladder coupler 24 may be filled with any sterile fluid, the inventor having used saline in a prototype. However, it is anticipated that any fluid, gel, or the like which provides a "soft" coupling might just as well be used and perform satisfactorily.
  • fluid filled bladder coupler 24 supports the entirety of the enclosure 22 from the baby's torso, and there is no direct contact between the enclosure 22 and the baby's torso. This effectively isolates the enclosure 22 and dramatically increases the sensitivity. This provides tremendous advantages in not only sensing the breathing motion of the baby, but also in providing comfort to the baby to minimize interference with the baby's sleep. This comfort and sensitivity is enhanced by the adjust ⁇ able tension connector between the strap and enclosure which permits a limited amount of deflection of the elas- tic strap with respect to the enclosure as the baby breathes. These features enhance the operation of the present invention.
  • the inven- tion also has utility with people of any age and even an animal such as a dog.
  • Such other uses are intended to be covered by the claims appended hereto.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Medical Informatics (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Physiology (AREA)
  • Biomedical Technology (AREA)
  • Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (AREA)
  • Molecular Biology (AREA)
  • Surgery (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un moniteur de respiration (20) permettant de détecter chez un nouveau-né le syndrome de la mort subite provoquée par l'apnée ou autre, et comportant un boîtier (22) appliqué sur le torse d'un bébé à l'aide d'une sangle. Ce boîtier est supporté par le torse du bébé dont il est isolé en totalité par un dispositif d'accouplement à vessie remplie de fluide (24) supprimant ainsi tout contact direct entre le boîtier et le torse du bébé. Un détecteur renfermant un élément piézoélectrique (61) est connecté au côté opposé du dispositif d'accouplement, et un circuit électronique à piles contenu au sein du boîtier fait clignoter une LED (50) lorsque le bébé respire, et fait retentir une alarme (54) au cas où le bébé n'expire pas pendant un intervalle prédéterminé. Un élément de raccordement réglable (28) destiné à la sangle donne une indication visuelle de l'application correcte de la sangle et de l'ampleur limitée des mouvements admissibles entre la sangle et le boîtier lorsque le bébé respire.
PCT/US1994/014269 1994-12-07 1994-12-07 Moniteur de respiration WO1996018176A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1994/014269 WO1996018176A1 (fr) 1994-12-07 1994-12-07 Moniteur de respiration
AU17246/95A AU1724695A (en) 1994-12-07 1994-12-07 Breathing monitor

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1994/014269 WO1996018176A1 (fr) 1994-12-07 1994-12-07 Moniteur de respiration

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1996018176A1 true WO1996018176A1 (fr) 1996-06-13

Family

ID=22243386

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1994/014269 WO1996018176A1 (fr) 1994-12-07 1994-12-07 Moniteur de respiration

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU1724695A (fr)
WO (1) WO1996018176A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2789569A1 (fr) 1999-02-11 2000-08-18 Raoul Parienti Appareil de surveillance du souffle respiratoire durant le sommeil par capteurs passifs
WO2002011617A1 (fr) 2000-08-04 2002-02-14 Raoul Parienti Appareil de surveillance du souffle respiratoire durant le sommeil par capteurs passifs
GB2461691A (en) * 2008-07-07 2010-01-13 David Henry Fryett Sir Swimming goggles with a tension device and gauge.
EP2425771A2 (fr) 2010-09-07 2012-03-07 Alta Lab S.r.l. Procédé et dispositif pour la surveillance de risques du syndrome de mort subite du nourrisson et de la plagiocéphalie positionnelle

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3268845A (en) * 1965-09-21 1966-08-23 Henry B Whitmore Respiration and movement transducer
US4250434A (en) * 1977-05-17 1981-02-10 Jean Valansot Pressure-responsive electric switch
US4296757A (en) * 1980-04-14 1981-10-27 Thomas Taylor Respiratory monitor and excessive intrathoracic or abdominal pressure indicator
US4576179A (en) * 1983-05-06 1986-03-18 Manus Eugene A Respiration and heart rate monitoring apparatus
US4696307A (en) * 1984-09-11 1987-09-29 Montgieux Francois F Device for continuously detecting the breathing rhythm, in particular with a view to preventing the sudden death of an infant due to cessation of breathing during sleep
US4846462A (en) * 1988-04-28 1989-07-11 Regnier Bruce E Girth monitoring belt
US5400012A (en) * 1993-04-12 1995-03-21 Lifetek, Inc. Breathing monitor

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3268845A (en) * 1965-09-21 1966-08-23 Henry B Whitmore Respiration and movement transducer
US4250434A (en) * 1977-05-17 1981-02-10 Jean Valansot Pressure-responsive electric switch
US4296757A (en) * 1980-04-14 1981-10-27 Thomas Taylor Respiratory monitor and excessive intrathoracic or abdominal pressure indicator
US4576179A (en) * 1983-05-06 1986-03-18 Manus Eugene A Respiration and heart rate monitoring apparatus
US4696307A (en) * 1984-09-11 1987-09-29 Montgieux Francois F Device for continuously detecting the breathing rhythm, in particular with a view to preventing the sudden death of an infant due to cessation of breathing during sleep
US4846462A (en) * 1988-04-28 1989-07-11 Regnier Bruce E Girth monitoring belt
US5400012A (en) * 1993-04-12 1995-03-21 Lifetek, Inc. Breathing monitor

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2789569A1 (fr) 1999-02-11 2000-08-18 Raoul Parienti Appareil de surveillance du souffle respiratoire durant le sommeil par capteurs passifs
WO2002011617A1 (fr) 2000-08-04 2002-02-14 Raoul Parienti Appareil de surveillance du souffle respiratoire durant le sommeil par capteurs passifs
GB2461691A (en) * 2008-07-07 2010-01-13 David Henry Fryett Sir Swimming goggles with a tension device and gauge.
GB2461691B (en) * 2008-07-07 2011-04-20 David Henry Fryett Sir Swimming goggles with tension device gauge
EP2425771A2 (fr) 2010-09-07 2012-03-07 Alta Lab S.r.l. Procédé et dispositif pour la surveillance de risques du syndrome de mort subite du nourrisson et de la plagiocéphalie positionnelle
US8864665B2 (en) 2010-09-07 2014-10-21 Alta Lab S.R.L. Method and device for monitoring the risks for sudden infant death syndrome and for positional plagiocephaly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU1724695A (en) 1996-06-26

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