US 4,648,407 AGranted

Method for detecting and differentiating central and obstructive apneas in newborns

AssigneeRespitrace Corporation

InventorMarvin A. Sackner

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Abstract

The presence and origin of apnea in a newborn subject is detected by separately and concurrently monitoring relative movement of the cranial bones and nasal ventilation. The cranial bones have been found to move with respiration as a function of intrapleural pressure, and monitoring of their movement is accordingly used to generate a signal representative of intrapleural pressure. A nasal cannula, thermistor, thermocouple or CO.sub.2 sensors are employed to concurrently generate a signal representative of tidal volume. Absence of changes in both cranial bone movement and respiratory air flow at the nose is indicative of the presence of central apnea, while absence of nasal air flow accompanied by continuing cranial bone movements is indicative of obstructive apnea. The preferred device for detecting cranial bone movement is a surface inductive plethysmographic transducer, although other suitably sensitive motion detecting devices may be employed.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method of detecting and differentiating between central and obstructive apneas in a newborn subject, comprising:

mounting an external means for detecting movement across at least two adjacently-proximate cranial bones of the subject to detect relative movement between said bones;
generating a first signal indicative of changes in the relative positions of said cranial bones detected by said means, changes in said first signal being indicative of changes in intrapleural pressure of the subject;
disposing a means for non-invasively detecting variations in tidal breathing at the subject's nostrils;
generating a second signal indicative of variations in tidal breathing detected by said last mentioned means, changes in said second signal being indicative of variations in nasal tidal volume of the subject;
and
continuously monitoring said first and second signals to detect the presence of and to differentiate between central and obstructive apneas in the subject, whereby a substantial absence of changes in both said first and second signals is indicative of the presence of central apnea, and a substantial absence of changes in said second signal when accompanied by continuing changes in said first signal is indicative of the presence of obstructive apnea.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/874,808Filed 13 Jun 1986 · continuation
Priority: 18 Nov 1983
Granted: 10 Mar 1987
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A61B 5/4818
Sleep evaluation: sleep apnoea
A61B 5/11
Measuring devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes: measuring…
A61B 5/113
Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb: occurring during breathing
A61B 5/4504
For evaluating or diagnosing the musculoskeletal system or teeth: bones