JP2005349167A - Apnea awaking device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an awaking device for sleep apnea which requires no electrode, finger sensor, etc., and can be easily handled at a home, a trip destination, or a home for the aged. <P>SOLUTION: This apnea awaking device is equipped with a breath sensing means to be attached around the nostrils or in front of the mouth and a vibration generating means to be attached to a human body. The device includes a controller to monitor signals from the breath sensing means to turn ON the vibration generating means when breath becomes irregular or stops. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an apnea-wake device mainly for personal use, which monitors the state of breathing during sleep and notifies the user when breathing becomes irregular or stops. is there.

  In recent years, a symptom called sleep apnea has been highlighted. Sleep apnea, a type of respiratory disorder, has been pointed out as a cause of sudden death in adult males, and early detection and appropriate treatment are necessary. Therefore, first of all, the examination by hospital admission is recommended.

For this purpose, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-200031 discloses a “mobile device for detecting and storing physiological parameters of a patient for recognition and diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome”. This consists of a detection and storage unit, a transducer consisting of three EKG electrodes, a laryngeal microphone and an oximeter finger sensor, and a posture detector. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the patient is in an apnea state by measuring the number of breaths and the respiratory cycle and acquiring various data.
JP 05-200031 A

  Certainly this device is relatively small and may not require a post-hospital examination, but it requires three EKG electrodes, oximeter finger sensors, etc., so it is still too large for personal use. is there.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a sleep apnea sensing device that can be easily handled personally.

  As a result of earnest research by the inventor, people who are sleeping together at home often know the sleeping state of the other party, and the other person's breathing abnormality may wake up. Pay attention to the fact that actions such as trying to wake up by screaming or shaking the body when it is not unusual, awaken the user by automatically detecting the apnea state It was found that a sleep apnea wake-up device that operates in such a way as to be used.

  That is, the above-mentioned problem is provided with a breath sensing means attached near the nostril or in front of the mouth, and a vibration generating means attached to the body, and a signal from the breath sensing means is monitored, and breathing is irregular for a predetermined time. This is achieved by using an apnea wake-up device provided with a control device that turns on the vibration generating means in the case of becoming or stopping. It is desirable that the control device be battery-operated, and when determining whether or not the patient is in an apnea state by measuring the number of breaths and the breathing cycle, it is first determined that the signal from the breath sensing means is stable. It is desirable to do it afterwards.

  The apnea wake-up device of the present invention is entirely body-mounted, and only the sensor portion such as the EKG electrode and the finger sensor is attached to the body as in the above-described moving device of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-200031. It is different from what is installed separately.

  The breath sensing means is attached near the nostril or in front of the mouth to sense the flow of breath. Therefore, since it is not necessary to attach an EKG electrode or a finger sensor, it is easy for an amateur to handle. In addition, a hooking member for hooking on the ears is provided on both sides of a band made of silicon or the like passing under the nose, so that the breath sensing means can receive exhalation or inhalation of the nose in a portion under the nose of the band It can be provided. It is located under the nose and senses nasal breathing. In addition, there are provided hooking members on both sides of a band made of silicon or the like passing in front of the mouth so that breathing sensing means can receive breath or inhalation of the mouth under the nose of the band It can be provided. That is, it is located in front of the mouth and senses mouth breathing. Then, the control device monitors the signal from the breath sensing means described above, senses apnea, and turns on the vibration generating means.

  In addition, the breath sensing means may be provided in the air circulation portion of the mask that hangs over the mouth, and the vibration generating means may be provided in a part of the mask. That is, the breath sensing means and the vibration generating means are stored together in a single mask, and the respiration can be measured simply by putting the mask on the mouth, which is very convenient. It can sense nasal breathing as well as mouth breathing. A planar mask can sense the ventilation of the mask. Or if it is a cup-shaped mask, the ventilation | gas_flowing in a ventilation part and the airflow in a cup can be detected. Therefore, it can be reliably detected whether the patient is breathing through the nose, breathing through the mouth, or breathing in both. Oral breathing can be detected even when the nose is clogged. The control device monitors the signal from the above breath sensing means, senses apnea, and turns on the vibration generating means.

  Since sleep apnea is a problem related to the respiratory tract, it is preferable to avoid inhaling dust such as house dust or bacteria floating in the air while sleeping. In this respect, it is very advantageous to use the mask in the configuration of the present invention. In other words, this mask not only automatically senses apnea and awakens the user, but also reduces the risk of dust and bacteria entering the body through the mouth and nose during sleep. It is.

  The respiratory sensing means is provided so that an optical path is applied to the swing plate provided to be exposed to exhalation or inhalation, and the optical path is intermittently blocked by the swing of the swing plate. It can be composed of a light emitter and a light receiver. The swing plate is placed in the air circulation part and swings with ventilation. Therefore, for example, if there is a rocking plate in the optical path where light emitted from an LED (Light Emitted Diode) light emitting device or laser light emitting device enters a light receiving device such as a photodiode, the rocking plate rocks and blocks or passes light. Therefore, respiration can be measured by monitoring the output signal of the light receiver.

  Now, when the vibration generating means described above is in the ON state, vibration is generated and an alarm is generated, disturbing sleep and awakening the sleeper. This causes the abnormal breathing to return to a normal state. By awakening early in this way, the continuation and deepening of the apnea state are prevented, and a startling blood pressure change when breathing returns is prevented.

  In addition, the said vibration generation means shall be provided in the middle of the band spanned between the said latching members through the jaw. According to this, vibration is given to the mandible. Moreover, the said vibration generation means shall be provided in the said latching member. For example, the vibration generating means hits the bone behind the ear tab or the bone at the base of the chin below the ear. The alarm is applied directly to the skull by so-called bone conduction. Further, as in the mask according to claim 4, it is possible to incorporate a vibration generating means, and the vibration is directly applied to the mouth and its peripheral portion. It is preferable that the vibration generating means is provided at or near the portion that hits the jaw of the mask. Examples of such vibration generating means include a reciprocating vibration system such as a buzzer and a rotational vibration system composed of a motor and an eccentric weight attached to the rotating shaft. It can be easily configured at a relatively low cost.

  In addition, the control device controls to increase the vibration generation intensity of the vibration generating means when the vibration generating means is not turned OFF within a set time after the vibration generating means is turned ON. It may be a thing. The user who wears this apnea wake-up device turns off the vibration generating means. However, the vibration generating means can be turned off only after waking up. If there is not, the vibration generating intensity of the vibration generating means is increased so as to awaken anything. In addition to this, a sounding means is provided, and the control device turns on the sounding means when the vibration generating means is not turned off within a set time after the vibration generating means is turned on. It is good. That is, when it is difficult to wake up, it is intended to wake up by sound from the sound generation means. Also, if a family member is sleeping nearby, you can wake this family member to deal with the situation.

  In addition, the said control apparatus is good also as a thing provided with the timer setting part for enabling setting the various setting time mentioned above. For example, when the breathing is irregular or stopped for 20 seconds, the vibration generating means is turned on, and the vibration generating means is not turned off within 10 seconds after the vibration generating means is turned on. In such a case, a setting for increasing the vibration generation intensity can be made.

  The sleep apnea sensing device according to the present invention turns on the vibration generating means when the breathing is irregular or stops, so that the body is vibrated and awakened. In addition, the device can be configured compactly, and breathing sensing means can be easily installed near the nostril or in front of the mouth, and can be easily handled at home, travel destinations, nursing homes, etc. .

First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. This sleep apnea sensing device includes respiratory sensing means attached near the nostril and jaw bones under the ears. Vibration generating means to be attached. That is, ear hooks 11 that are hook members are provided on the left and right sides of the silicon nose band 1 that passes under the nose, and the ear holes 12 are opened in the ear hooks 11. Further, a mortar-shaped groove portion 10 is provided at a portion corresponding to the lower side of the nose mouth on the front side of the central portion of the nose band 1, and the humidity sensor 2 is attached to the bottom portion. Further, a through hole 13 is opened in the nose band 1, and a chin rest band 3 is passed through and fixed to the left and right through holes 13, and a vibration box 4 is provided on the right side of the band 3. (Fig. 1). Reference numeral 40 denotes a power switch of the vibration box 4.

  Regarding the groove portion 10 of the silicon nose band 1, the groove portion 10 has a bowl shape, and a humidity sensor 2 is attached to the bottom thereof (FIG. 2). The reason why this portion is shaped like a mortar is that when a breathing airflow as indicated by an arrow A is generated, a tributary is blown into the groove 10 as indicated by an arrow B due to the presence of the mortar-like groove 10. Causes moisture. Therefore, the humidity sensor 2 provided at the bottom of the groove 10 senses the humidity of this tributary.

  Next, the vibration box 4 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The humidity sensor 2 is wired to the sensor circuit 50 with a lead wire (not shown). The sensor circuit 50 is connected to the control unit 5 together with a timer 51 and a vibration generating unit 52 to be described later, and power is supplied to each of them from a power supply unit 53. Although the internal structure of the vibration generator 52 is not shown, the vibration generator 52 is composed of a motor and an eccentric weight attached to the rotating shaft, and generates vibration from the eccentric weight rotated by the rotation of the motor. It is.

  Now, the above-described silicon nose band 1 is hung on both ears at the ear holes 12 of the left and right ear hooks 11, the chin rest band 3 is passed over the chin, and the vibration box 4 is placed on the left jaw bone. Wear it as if it's hit. As a result, the groove 10 provided with the humidity sensor 2 is positioned just below the nostril. Therefore, when the power switch 40 of the vibration box 4 is turned on, the control unit 5 senses respiration by the humidity sensor 2 and measures the respiration frequency and respiration cycle, and determines that the signal from the sensor circuit 50 is stable. Then, it starts monitoring whether or not it is apnea.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 5 starts monitoring by the humidity sensor 2 (step S1), determines whether or not breathing has stopped (step S2), and determines that it has stopped here. In this case, the timer 51 is activated, and it is determined whether or not a set time of 15 seconds has elapsed (step S3). If it is determined that the period has elapsed, the vibration generator 52 is activated to activate the vibrator. It is made to vibrate (step S4). Since this vibration is directly transmitted to the jaw bone through the housing of the vibration box 4, the user who is awakened here turns off the power switch 40 once, but this series of operations continues the apnea state. And deepening is avoided. At the time of going to bed again, the power switch 40 is turned on. As a result, the control unit 5 starts monitoring by the humidity sensor 2 again.

  Note that the mounting position of the vibration box 4 can be configured to be mounted as if it was an ear-hook type hearing aid, for example, on the back side of the ear-hook portion 11. In this case, a configuration in which the chin rest band 3 is unnecessary is possible. In addition, when the control unit 5 does not turn off the power switch 40 within, for example, 15 seconds after step S4, the control unit 5 is controlled to increase the vibration generation intensity of the vibration box 4 gradually or rapidly. Is also possible.

Second Embodiment FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention. This sleep apnea sensing device comprises a breath sensing means attached in front of the mouth and a vibration generating means attached under the chin. It is to be prepared. Ear hooks 61 are provided on the left and right sides of the front mouth belt 6 made of silicon that passes in front of the mouth, and ear holes 62 are formed in the ear hooks 61. A wind pressure sensor 7 (not shown) is housed in the center of the front belt 6, and a vent hole 60 is opened in the front belt 6. Further, a through hole 63 is opened in the ear hook portion 61, and the chin rest band 30 is passed through and fixed to the left and right through holes 63, and the vibration box 8 is provided in the central portion of the chin rest band 30. Yes. Reference numeral 80 denotes a power switch of the vibration box 8, reference numeral 81 denotes a mode changeover switch described later, reference numeral 82 denotes a time setting / volume control dial, and reference numeral 83 denotes a buzzer sound hole. (Fig. 5)

  Since the vent hole 60 is opened in the front mouth belt 6 made of silicon, breathing air passes through the vent hole 60. Then, since the wind pressure sensor 7 is housed here, a change in respiration can be detected by the wind pressure.

  Next, the vibration box 8 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The sensor circuit 54 is wired with the wind pressure sensor 7 by lead wires (not shown). The sensor circuit 54 is connected to the control unit 5 together with the timer 51, the vibration generation unit 52, the storage circuit 55, and the sound generation circuit 56, and power is supplied to each of them from the power supply unit 53. Although the internal structure of the vibration generator 52 is not shown, the vibration generator 52 includes a motor and an eccentric weight attached to the rotating shaft. The sound generation circuit 56 is a buzzer here. The storage circuit 55 is a time recorder for keeping a control record of each part by the control unit 5, and is a time recorder. Data is input to the personal computer from an input / output terminal of an input / output circuit unit (not shown) later if necessary. It is possible to send it out, and it is possible to verify the time of entering apnea, duration, recovery time, etc. later.

  When the mode changeover switch 81 of the vibration box 8 is slid to the right, the time setting / volume adjustment dial 82 is used to adjust the volume of the buzzer of the sound generation circuit 56, and when it is slid to the left, It is intended to be used for time setting. That is, the control unit 5 performs monitoring by the wind pressure sensor 7 to determine whether or not the breathing has stopped, and when it is determined that the stop has occurred, the timer 51 is activated and whether the set time of 15 seconds here has elapsed. If it is determined that the time has elapsed, the vibration generator 52 is operated to vibrate the vibrator. However, the user does not wake up and the power switch 80 is turned off. If this is not the case, the time can be set by the time setting / volume adjustment dial 82 such that the sounding circuit 56 is operated after waiting for another 15 seconds. Note that the sound generation circuit 56 may be a voice of a person who is recorded as “please wake up with apnea!” Instead of a buzzer.

Third Embodiment FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention. This sleep apnea sensing device includes a respiratory sensing means and a vibration generating means incorporated in a mask attached to the mouth. Is. The dust mask 7 to be attached to the mouth has an insertion port 71 for inserting a dustproof antibacterial filter 8 to be described later formed in the head portion of a substantially dome-shaped shell portion 70 made of synthetic resin, and the shell portion. A cushion 72 is attached to the periphery of 70. In addition, rubber bands 73 are attached to the peripheral part of the shell part 70 in a ring shape at two upper and lower positions. The dustproof antibacterial filter 8 is inserted into the insertion port 71. The dustproof antibacterial filter 8 is a ventilation part, and the optical sensor 21 is provided in the ventilation part. A vibration box 46 is provided at the lowermost part of the peripheral edge of the shell 70. In the vibration box 46, as shown in the partially cutaway side view of FIG. 7, a motor 47 and an eccentric weight 48 attached to the rotating shaft are housed. Reference numeral 49 denotes a time setting dial of a time setting switch (not shown), and the time setting switch is connected to the control unit 5 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the optical sensor 21 provided in the dustproof / antibacterial filter 8 faces the ventilation part and is exposed to exhaled air or inhaled air, and is a swing plate provided so as to be swingable from the fulcrum 25. 24, and a pair of a light emitting portion 22 of a laser diode and a light receiving portion 23 of a photodiode provided so that an optical path is applied to the swing plate 24 and the light path is intermittently interrupted by the swing of the swing plate 24. It is composed of Since the dustproof antibacterial filter 8 is inserted into the insertion port 71 and serves as a ventilation portion, respiratory air always passes through the optical sensor 21. Since the oscillating plate 24 is oscillated by the flow of breathing air, this oscillating motion can be detected as the intermittent light entering the light receiving unit 23.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the above-described optical sensor 21 is wired to the sensor circuit 57 with lead wires. The sensor circuit 57 is connected to the control unit 5 together with the timer 51, the vibration generating unit 52, and the storage circuit 55, and power is supplied from the power supply unit 53 to each of them. In addition, a storage circuit 55 is provided for enabling data to be sent to a personal computer from an input / output terminal of an input / output circuit section (not shown) as needed. That is, the storage circuit 55 can keep a control record of each part by the control unit 5 and can verify the time of entering apnea, duration, recovery time, etc. later.

  The dust mask 7 is attached to the mouth so that the cushion 72 is attached to the face so as to cover the mouth and the nose, and rubber bands 73 provided at two locations on the upper and lower sides are turned around the head. Breathing is naturally performed through the ventilation part of the dustproof antibacterial filter 8. Further, since the outside air is filtered through the dustproof antibacterial filter 8, it is possible to substantially reduce the risk of dust, bacteria, etc. entering the body from the mouth or nose during sleep. The cushion 72 improves the fit of the dust mask 7 to the face. However, it is desirable that the cushion 72 is configured to vent from the cushion 72 even if the vent is blocked by a pillow or the like. . Now, the control unit 5 performs monitoring by the optical sensor 21 to determine whether or not the breathing has stopped. If it is determined that the breathing has stopped, the timer 51 is activated to set the set time of 10 seconds here (the above time setting). It is determined whether or not (by setting using a switch) has elapsed, and if it is determined that the period has elapsed, the vibration generating unit 52 is operated to vibrate the vibrator. This vibration is generated around the jaw and strongly affects the skull. However, if the user does not wake up and the power switch (not shown) is not turned off, the control unit 5 increases the power supply from the power supply unit 53 to the vibration generating unit 52 and increases the rotation speed of the motor 47. The vibration of the vibrator is made more intense. Furthermore, a sound generation circuit 56 may be provided as in the second embodiment described above. Alternatively, it is possible to combine the light emitting circuit instead of the sound generation circuit 56 and the LED light emitter of the shell 70.

  Regarding the respiration sensing means of the present invention, what kind of sensor is used is an arbitrary design matter, and a plurality of different types of sensors such as a combination of a temperature sensor and a humidity sensor can be used in combination. It is also possible to use a breath sensing means attached in the vicinity of the nostril and a breath sensing means attached in front of the mouth. In this case, it is possible to deal with nasal congestion or the like. It is also possible to use a circuit and a microphone necessary for analyzing the quality of breathing itself.

  In the present invention, it is also possible to employ awakening means other than the vibration generating means. For example, an eye mask is used in combination, and a light bulb is set in the eye mask, and in the case of apnea, the light bulb is emitted to wake up the sleeping user. Further, when it is difficult to wake up, it is preferable to enable setting such as blinking the light bulb. It should be noted that the present invention can be configured as an alarm clock if a timer is provided.

  It is a perspective view of a 1st embodiment.   It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the sensor part of the embodiment.   It is a block diagram of the embodiment.   It is an operation | movement flowchart of the same embodiment.   It is a perspective view of 2nd Embodiment.   It is a block diagram of the embodiment.   It is a partial notch side view of 3rd Embodiment.   It is a block diagram of the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nose band 10 Groove part 11 Ear hook part 12 Ear hole 13 Through hole 2 Humidity sensor 20 Wind pressure sensor 21 Optical sensor 22 Light emission part 23 Light receiving part 24 Oscillation plate 25 Support point 3 Jaw pad band 30 Jaw band 4 Vibration box 40 Power switch 41 Vibration box 42 Power switch 43 Mode changeover switch 44 Time setting / volume adjustment dial 45 Buzzer sound hole 46 Vibration box 47 Motor 48 Eccentric weight 49 Time setting dial 5 Control unit 50 Sensor circuit 51 Timer 52 Vibration generation unit 53 Power supply unit 54 Sensor circuit 55 Memory circuit 56 Sound generation circuit 57 Sensor circuit 6 Front belt 60 Vent hole 61 Ear hook part 62 Ear hole 63 Through hole 7 Dust mask 70 Shell part 71 Insertion port 72 Cushion 73 Rubber band 8 Dust proof filter

Claims (11)

  When breathing sensing means attached near the nostril or in front of the mouth and vibration generating means attached to the body are monitored, and the signal from the breathing sensing means is monitored, and breathing is irregular or stopped for a predetermined time And a control device for turning on the vibration generating means.   A hooking member is provided on both sides of a band made of silicon or the like that passes under the nose, and a breath sensing means is provided at a site under the nose of the band so as to receive exhalation or inhalation of the nose. The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1.   A hooking member that is hooked to the ear is provided on both sides of a band made of silicon or the like that passes in front of the mouth, and a breath sensing means is provided at a site in front of the mouth of the band so as to receive breath or inhalation of the mouth. The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1.   2. The apnea wake-up device according to claim 1, wherein a breath sensing means is provided in an air circulation portion of the mask to be put on the mouth, and a vibration generating means is provided in a part of the mask.   The breath sensing means is provided so that an optical path is applied to the swing plate provided to be exposed to exhaled air or inhalation, and the optical path is intermittently interrupted by the swing of the swing plate. The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1, comprising a light emitter and a light receiver.   The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating means is provided in the middle of a band extending between the hooking members through the jaw.   The apnea wake-up device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating means is provided on the hooking member.   The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating means includes a motor and an eccentric weight attached to the rotating shaft.   The control device controls to increase the vibration generation intensity of the vibration generating means when the vibration generating means does not become OFF within a set time after the vibration generating means is turned ON. The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1.   Furthermore, the sound generating means is provided, and the control device turns on the sound generating means when the vibration generating means is not turned OFF within a set time after the vibration generating means is turned ON. The apnea wakefulness device according to claim 1, wherein   The apnea wake-up device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the control device includes a timer-setting unit for enabling setting of various set times.

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