Detection appliance and method for observing sleep-related breathing disorders

Abstract

A detection appliance and a method detect and evaluate a measuring signal that is indicative of breathing of a sleeping person, in connection with the observation of sleep-related breathing disorders. Instruments also detect signals that are indicative of breathing of a patient. The aim provides solutions that enable a reliable examination in terms of occurrence of sleep-related sleeping disorders, in the usual surroundings of the person concerned. In a first form, a mobile detection appliance is provided with a sensor device for detecting a nasal flow signal indicative of a nasal respiratory gas flow, and/or a respiratory flow signal indicative of an oral respiratory gas flow, in addition to an electronic data processing unit comprising a memory device and processing the signals indicative of temporal course of the nasal and oral respiration. The data processing device is configured to store data indicative of temporal course of the respiratory flow signals.

1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a sensor device configured to acquire a respiratory flow signal indicative of a respiratory gas flow;   an electronic data processing device configured to process the respiratory flow signal, and   a memory device;   wherein the electronic data processing device is configured to initiate a process for storing of data indicative of a temporal course of the respiratory flow signal to the memory device; and   wherein the mobile device further comprises an interface device configured to transmit the stored data to an external analysis system.   
     
     
         2 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein the interface device is configured to transmit the stored data wirelessly to the external analysis system. 
     
     
         3 . A mobile device according to  claim 2  wherein the interface device is an infrared interface. 
     
     
         4 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor device configured to acquire the respiratory flow signal indicative of the respiratory gas flow is connected to a mask device. 
     
     
         5 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a power supply which is formed by a battery device. 
     
     
         6 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electronic data processing device is configured to:
 terminate the initiated process for storing of data by evaluation of a time criterion; and/or   terminate the initiated process for storing of data when the respiratory flow signal fulfils a shutdown criterion within a shutdown time window.   
     
     
         7 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein the external analysis system is configured to generate evaluation features from the respiratory flow signal indicative of the respiratory gas flow and to generate at least one evaluation result by subjecting the evaluation features to an associative analysis. 
     
     
         8 . A mobile device according to  claim 7 , wherein the evaluation features are generated based on correlation criteria. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile device according to  claim 8 , wherein the correlation criteria are applied to a first derivative and/or a second derivative of the temporal course of the respiratory flow signal. 
     
     
         10 . A mobile device according to  claim 7 , wherein flow-limited breathing is recognised based on the associative analysis of the evaluation features. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile device according to  claim 7 , wherein at least one part of the evaluation features is generated under consideration of a first derivative and/or a second derivative of the temporal course of the respiratory flow signal. 
     
     
         12 . A mobile device according to  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is configured such that the stored data is visualisable by a user terminal. 
     
     
         13 . A mobile device according to  claim 7  wherein the external analysis system comprises a computer. 
     
     
         14 . A mobile device according to  claim 1  wherein the electronic data processing device is configured with said process for storing of data by a data processing program, the data processing program being reproduced into the mobile device via the interface device. 
     
     
         15 . A method for a mobile device comprising:
 acquiring, with a sensor of a mobile device, a respiratory flow signal indicative of a respiratory gas flow;   initiating, with an electronic data processing unit of the mobile device, a process for storing of data indicative of a temporal course of the respiratory flow signal to a memory of the mobile device; and   transmitting, with an interface device of the mobile device, the stored data to an external analysis system.   
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the interface device wirelessly transmits the stored data to the external analysis system. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the interface device is an infrared interface. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein for the acquiring, the sensor is connected to a mask device. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising powering the mobile device with a battery. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising, with the electronic data processing unit:
 terminating the initiated process for storing of data by evaluation of a time criterion; and/or   terminating the initiated process for storing of data when the respiratory flow signal fulfils a shutdown criterion within a shutdown time window.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising generating, with the external analysis system, evaluation features from the respiratory flow signal indicative of the respiratory gas flow and generating at least one evaluation result by subjecting the evaluation features to an associative analysis. 
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein the evaluation features are generated based on correlation criteria. 
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein the correlation criteria are applied to a first derivative and/or a second derivative of the temporal course of the respiratory flow signal. 
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein flow-limited breathing is recognised based on the associative analysis of the evaluation features. 
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein at least one part of the evaluation features is generated under consideration of a first derivative and/or a second derivative of the temporal course of the respiratory flow signal. 
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising generating the stored data in a visualization by a user terminal. 
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein the external analysis system comprises a computer. 
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising configuring, by a data processing program, the electronic data processing unit with said process for storing of data, the data processing program being reproduced into the mobile device via the interface device.