Acoustic impulse respirometer and method
AssigneeNellcor Incorporated
InventorSeth D. Hollub
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for sensing respiratory motion to detect sleep apnea and the like. An acoustic pulse stimulator or generator located on one side of a body sends impulses through the body to impinge on one or more sensors on the opposite side of the body. Because time delay between transmitter and receiver is determined by distance, and because distance is directly related to breathing motions of the body, measurement of the time delay will have a direct correspondence to breathing motions.
Claims15
A detector for measuring motion of a patient's body during respiration, comprising:
- an acoustic impulse generator adapted to be disposed at a first position on the patient's body;
- an acoustic impulse receiver adapted to be disposed at a second position on the patient's body, being disposed in spaced relationship to the acoustic impulse generator to detect impulses therefrom upon passage of the impulses through the patient's body;
- and
- means for determining changes in a spaced relationship distance between the acoustic impulse generator and the acoustic impulse receiver induced by the patient's respiration.
The method of measuring motion of the body of a patient comprising the steps of:
- a. propagating acoustic impulses through at least one movable portion of the body from a first position on the body;
- b. detecting the propagated impulses at least a second position on the body substantially opposite the first position;
- and
- c. measuring motion of the body portion based on the detected impulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.