# US 11,998,313 B2 · Systems and methods for respiration-controlled virtual experiences

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,998,313 B2
- Document ID: US11998313B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/240,179
- Filed: 2019-01-04
- Published: 2019-07-11
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-05
- Assignees: Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Applicants: Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Inventors: Abby Victoria Hess; Blake Lane
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11998313B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/087: Measuring breath flow
- A61B 5/0803: {Recording apparatus specially adapted therefor}
- A61B 5/097: Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
- A61B 5/165: {Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety}
- A61B 5/4839: {combined with drug delivery}
- A61B 5/4848: {Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication}
- A61B 5/486: {Biofeedback (using electroencephalography [EEG] A61B5/375)}
- A61B 5/6898: {Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers}
- A61B 5/744: {Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character}
- A61B 5/7445: {Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units}
- A61B 5/7475: {User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick}
- A61M 16/01: specially adapted for anaesthetising {(A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence)}
- A61M 16/06: Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
- A61M 21/02: for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia (for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021)
- A63F 13/21: characterised by their sensors, purposes or types
- A63F 13/212: using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- A61B 2503/06: Children, e.g. for attention deficit diagnosis
- A61M 16/024: {including calculation means, e.g. using a processor}
- A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter}
- A61M 2016/003: {with a flowmeter}
- A61M 2016/103: {the CO2 concentration}
- A61M 2021/005: {images, e.g. video}
- A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate
- A61M 2205/3344: Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
- A61M 2205/3368: Temperature
- A61M 2205/3375: Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
- A61M 2205/3561: local, e.g. within room or hospital
- A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
- A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
- A61M 2205/581: by audible feedback
- A61M 2205/582: by tactile feedback
- A61M 2205/584: having a color code
- A61M 2205/6081: Colour codes
- A61M 2230/50: Temperature
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for respiration-controlled virtual experiences. In an embodiment, a controller presents a virtual experience via a user interface that is perceptible to a user. The controller receives a respiration-data stream from a respiration device with which the user is operably engaged. The respiration-data stream includes one or more respiration-parameter values of one or more respiration parameters associated with ongoing respiration of the user. The controller updates the virtual experience based at least in part on the one or more respiration-parameter values in the respiration-data stream. The virtual experience includes a plurality of sequential phases that have an associated phase sequence. Among the sequential phases is an active-induction phase that corresponds in time to the user receiving anesthetic induction via the respiration device, as well as one or more phases that each precede the active-induction phase.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing a controller including a processor and a memory storing machine readable instructions configured to be executed by the processor;
providing a user interface in communication with the controller, the user interface including a display configured to display graphics from the processor;
providing a respiration device in connection with the controller and operably engaged with a user, the respiration device including a sensor configured to detect one or more respiration parameters of the user, such that the respiration device provides the one or more respiration parameters to the controller via a respiration-data stream, the sensor including a pressure sensor;
the controller presenting a virtual experience via the display of the user interface, wherein the virtual experience of the user interface is perceptible to the user;
the controller receiving the respiration-data stream from the respiration device, the respiration-data stream comprising one or more respiration-parameter values of one or more respiration parameters associated with ongoing respiration of the user; and
the controller updating the virtual experience based at least in part on the one or more respiration-parameter values in the respiration-data stream, wherein:
the virtual experience includes a plurality of sequential phases that have an associated phase sequence;
the plurality of sequential phases includes an active-induction phase that corresponds in time to the user receiving anesthetic induction via the respiration device;
the plurality of sequential phases further includes a preceding-phases set of one or more phases that each precede the active-induction phase in the phase sequence; and
the preceding-phases set includes:
a breathing-pattern phase during which feedback is presented via the user interface to reflect the degree to which an actual breathing pattern detected based on the respiration-data stream corresponds to a predefined breathing pattern, wherein the feedback includes input from the pressure sensor of pressure magnitude over time;
an exhalation-validation phase during which feedback is presented via the user interface to reflect the degree to which one or more respiration parameters measured via the respiration device meet or exceed corresponding respective respiration-parameter thresholds; and
a calibration and respiration-device-acclimation phase comprising an auto-play mode and a respiration-controlled mode, wherein a respiration-parameter value is received in the respiration-data stream during the respiration-controlled mode, and the controller uses the respiration-parameter value to calibrate the virtual experience to the user's respiration-parameter value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the active-induction phase comprises presentation of feedback via the user interface to reflect the degree to which an actual breathing pattern detected based on the respiration-data stream corresponds to a predefined breathing pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising, during the active-induction phase, detecting a respiration-data spike corresponding to an introduction of a certain anesthetic gas via the respiration device, and responsively filtering that detected spike out of the presentation of the virtual experience.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the certain anesthetic gas is sevoflurane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the active-induction phase continues until the controller detects an active-induction-phase termination event.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the active-induction-phase termination event comprises receipt of a manual instruction to terminate the active-induction phase.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein continues comprises repeats.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sequential phases further includes a post-operative phase.

### Claim 9

A system for respiration-controlled virtual experiences, the system comprising:
a controller including a processor and a memory storing machine readable instructions configured to be executed by the processor;
a user interface in communication with the controller, the user interface including a display configured to display graphics from the processor;
a respiration device in communication with the controller and operably engaged with a user, the respiration device including a sensor configured to detect one or more respiration-parameters of a user, such that the respiration device provides the one or more respiration-parameters to the controller via a respiration-data stream, the sensor including a pressure sensor;
wherein the controller further includes:
a user-interface-communication module that is configured to operably communicate with the user interface that is perceptible to the user;
a respiration-parameter module that is configured to output the respiration-data stream that is reflective of one or more respiration-parameter values of the one or more respiration parameters associated with ongoing respiration of the user via the respiration device with which the user is operably engaged;
the processor is configured to operably communicate with both the user-interface-communication module and the respiration-device-sensor module and is further configured to carry out a set of functions including:
presenting a virtual experience via the user interface, wherein the display of the user interface is perceptible to the user;
receiving the respiration-data stream from the respiration device with which the user is operably engaged, the respiration-data stream comprising one or more respiration-parameter values of the one or more respiration parameters associated with ongoing respiration of the user; and
updating the virtual experience based at least in part on the one or more respiration-parameter values in the respiration-data stream, wherein:
the virtual experience includes a plurality of sequential phases that have an associated phase sequence;
the plurality of sequential phases includes an active-induction phase that corresponds in time to the user receiving anesthetic induction via the respiration device;
the plurality of sequential phases further includes a preceding-phases set of one or more phases that each precede the active-induction phase in the phase sequence; and
the preceding-phases set includes:
a breathing-pattern phase during which feedback is presented via the user interface to reflect the degree to which an actual breathing pattern detected based on the respiration-data stream corresponds to a predefined breathing pattern, wherein the feedback includes input from the pressure sensor of pressure magnitude over time;
an exhalation-validation phase during which feedback is presented via the user interface to reflect the degree to which one or more respiration parameters measured via the respiration device meet or exceed corresponding respective respiration-parameter thresholds; and
a calibration and respiration-device-acclimation phase comprising an auto-play mode and a respiration-controlled mode, wherein a respiration-parameter value is received in the respiration-data stream during the respiration-controlled mode, and the controller uses the respiration-parameter value to calibrate the virtual experience to the user's respiration-parameter value.