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US4630614A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apnea monitoring apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1985-03-05
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Granted: 1986-12-23
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Expires: 2005-03-05
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for monitoring a subject to detect the occurrence of apnea, wherein the respiration rate and amplitude of the subject is detected by a plurality of electrodes for a predetermined initial time interval of a plurality of breath to produce a measure of the average respiration volume of the subject, the latter measurement is stored, and is compared with the detected respiration rate and amplitude of the subject during subsequent time intervals. A signal is generated whenever a detected average volume falls below the reference average volume by a predetermined percentage.
Inventors
- 👤 Dan Atlas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/08; A61B5/0816; A61B5/085; A61B5/086
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
Apparatus for monitoring a subject to detect the occurrence of apnea, comprising: a plurality of electrodes to be applied to spaced points on the subject for detecting the respiration rate and respiration amplitude of the subject by the change in electrical impedance between said spaced points; computing means including an averaging circuit averaging the detected respiration rate and respiration amplitude over a predetermined time interval covering a plurality of breaths of the subject and computing therefrom the average respiration volume of the subject; storage means for storing, as a reference average volume, the average respiration volume of the subject during an initial time interval, and also for storing, as current average volumes, the average respiration volume of the subject during subsequent time intervals; comparing means for comparing each of said current average respiration volumes with said reference average respiration volume; and signalling means acuated to indicate the occurrence of apnea whenever a current average respiration volume falls below said reference average respiration volume by a predetermined percentage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
167 words
Apparatus for monitoring a subject to detect the occurrence of apnea, comprising: a plurality of electrodes to be applied to spaced points on the subject for detecting the respiration rate and respiration amplitude of the subject by the change in electrical impedance between said spaced points; computing means including an averaging circuit averaging the detected respiration rate and respiration amplitude over a predetermined time interval covering a plurality of breaths of the subject and computing therefrom the average respiration volume of the subject; storage means for storing, as a reference average volume, the average respiration volume of the subject during an initial time interval, and also for storing, as current average volumes, the average respiration volume of the subject during subsequent time intervals; comparing means for comparing each of said current average respiration volumes with said reference average respiration volume; and signalling means acuated to indicate the occurrence of apnea whenever a current average respiration volume falls below said reference average respiration volume by a predetermined percentage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for detecting gross body movements of the subject; means for ignoring, from the computations of said reference average respiration volume and said current average respiration volumes, the respiration rate and amplitude of the subject detected when said gross body movements exceed a predetermined magnitude; and means for indicating when said gross body movements are detected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including a manipulatable member for manually presetting said predetermined percentage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for detecting and displaying the heart rate activity of the subject.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, including a display for displaying the relationship between each of said current average respiration volumes and said reference average respiration volume.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for displaying the detected respiration rate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said electrodes produce an electrical analog signal having a waveform corresponding to the respiration rate and amplitude of the subject; and said computing means comprises a processor for processing said electrical analog signals over the respective time intervals to produce said reference average respiration volume and said current average respiration volumes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, further including slope detecting means for detecting the slope of each of said waveforms and for ignoring, from said processor producing said average reference and current respiration volumes, the waveforms wherein said slope detecting means detects slopes exceeding a predetermined magnitude indicating excessive gross body movements.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-12-22 | 1990-06-23 | 1990-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-12-22 | 1994-06-23 | 1994-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-12-22 | 1998-06-23 | 1998-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |