System and method of detecting sleep disorders

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.

1 . An apparatus for detecting sleep disorders comprising:
 a housing insertable into an ear canal of a subject;   a sensor disposed within the housing and configured to measure a position of the subject's head relative to an axis of gravity;   a transducer responsive to the sensor for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transducer is disposed within the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor comprises an inclinometer. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor measures a pitch angle of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sensor measures a roll angle of the subject's head relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  in combination with a processor located within the housing, the processor operably coupled to a transmitter and the transducer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transducer generates haptic stimulus. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the transducer generates an audible stimulus. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the sensor comprises a dual-axis inclinometer. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  in combination with a controller disposed within the housing and responsive to the signals generated by the sensor. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further comprising a controller, the controller further comprising:
 program logic to receive signals from the gravitational sensor corresponding to the position of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity. 
 
     
     
         14 . A method for detecting sleep disorders comprising:
 a) measuring with a sensor, a position of a subject's head relative to an axis of gravity;   b) modifying a flag count if the subject's head is in a sleep apnea inducing position based on a measurements from the sensor;   c) repeating a)-b); and   d) alerting the subject with stimulus when the flag count at least equals a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein d) comprises:
 d1) generating one of an audio and haptic stimulus detectable by the subject. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein a) comprises:
 a1) measuring one of a roll and pitch angle of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity. 
 
     
     
         17 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A system for detecting and treating sleep disorders comprising:
 A) a housing;   B) a dual-axis inclinometer disposed within the housing capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject's head relative to an axis of gravity;   C) circuitry configured to:
 receive signals from the gravitational sensor corresponding to the position of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity, 
 determine a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity, 
 compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles, and 
 cause the transducer to generate the stimulus if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject's head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles; and 
   D) a transducer responsive to the sensor for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject.   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19  wherein the predefined range of threshold roll angles extend between approximately 25° and 155° relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity and the predefined range of threshold pitch angles extend between approximately 25° and 155° relative to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         21 . A method for detecting sleep disorders comprising:
 A) providing a system comprising:   i) a sensor disposed within a housing and capable of measuring a pitch angle and a roll angle of a subject's head relative to an axis of gravity,   ii) a transducer responsive to the sensor for creating a stimulus detectable by the subject;   B) receiving signals from the sensor corresponding to the position of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity,   C) determining a pitch angle and a roll angle of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity,   D) comparing the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles,   E) modifying a flag count if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject's head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles, and   F) determining if the flag count at least equals a predefined threshold,   G) upon determining that the flag count at least equals the predefined threshold flag count, causing the transducer to generate stimulus.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 H) resetting the flag count if the determined pitch angle or roll angle of the subject's head do not lie within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the sensor and the transducer are located in a housing. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 H) repeating B)-G) after a predefined time interval. 
 
     
     
         25 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the controller further comprises:
 program logic to determine a pitch angle of the subject's head relative to the axis of gravity and to determine a roil angle of the subject's head relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity. 
 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the controller further comprises:
 program logic to compare the determined pitch angle and roll angle to a predefined range of threshold pitch angles and predefined range of threshold roll angles. 
 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the controller further comprises:
 program logic to cause the transducer to generate the stimulus if the determined pitch angle and roll angle of the subject's head lies within the predefined range of threshold pitch angles and the predefined range of threshold roll angles. 
 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein a sleep apnea inducing position of a subject's head is defined by a range of roll angles formed between approximately 25° and 155° relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein a sleep apnea inducing position of a subjects head is defined by a range of pitch angles formed between approximately 20° and 160° relative to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the sleep apnea inducing position of a subjects head is defined by a range of roll angles formed between approximately 25° and 155° relative to a horizontal axis orthogonal to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the sleep apnea inducing position of a subject's head is defined by a range of pitch angles formed between approximately 20° and 160° relative to the axis of gravity. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the housing is insertable into an ear canal of the subject. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21  wherein A) further comprises:
 iii) a controller responsive to signals from the sensor.