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US 6,514,218 B2Granted
Posture detecting device and breathing function measuring device
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorShinji Yamamoto
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorShinji Yamamoto
Estimating the term…
The rotational position sensor of the posture detection unit consists of a hollow housing including an insulating member and a movable body, the surface of which comprises a conductive member, such that the movable body can freely move in the housing. Contact points are located at the four corners of the side walls of the housing and essentially midway up the height of the side walls such that they protrude toward the central axis, and terminals that are individually electrically connected to these contact points are located on the surfaces of the side plates opposite from the surfaces that face each other, such that the terminals protrude outward. The distance between adjacent contact points is set to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the movable body, and the areas of the contact points that face the movable body are formed such that together they form a circle.
A posture detecting device comprising:
A breathing function measuring device comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Means for maintaining contact with the body: straps, bands or harnesses
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: measuring devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the…
Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb: determining posture transitions
Occurring during breathing: by monitoring thoracic expansion
Term ended 1 Feb 2021 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This application is based on the application No. 2000-5882 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a posture detecting device that detects the posture of the object of measurement, such as the position of the body of a test subject or the orientation of an object, as well as to a breathing function measuring device that includes this posture detecting device and that measures the breathing function of a test subject.
In the following description, like parts are designated by like reference numbers throughout the several drawings.
FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a situation in which a breathing function measuring device, one embodiment of the present invention, is fitted onto a test subject;
FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the construction of an oxygen saturation detection unit;
FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the situation in which one embodiment of the breathing function measuring device pertaining to the present invention is fitted onto a test subject.
This breathing function measuring device 1 is used to measure the breathing function of the test subject P, such as sleep apnea, and to indicate when a breathing abnormality is detected. The breathing function measuring device 1 includes an oxygen saturation detection unit 2, a sound detection unit 3, a breathing detection unit 4, a breathing effort detection unit 5, a relay unit 6, a posture detection unit 7 (FIG. 4) and a measurement processor 8.
The oxygen saturation detection unit 2 and the measurement processor 8 are connected via a connecting cable 11. The sound detection unit 3, breathing detection unit 4 and breathing effort detection unit 5 are connected to the relay unit 6 via connecting cables 12, 13 and 14, respectively. The relay unit 6 and the measurement processor 8 are connected via a relay cable 15 comprising a single cable into which the connecting cables 12, 13 and 14 are bound.