US5671733A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of analyzing sleep disorders
Assignee: SNAP DIAGNOSTICS LLC
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Filing: 1994-04-21
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Granted: 1997-09-30
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Expires: 2014-04-21
Abstract
Abstract The invention provides a method of detecting, analyzing sleep disorders. The method includes the step of monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject and continuously recording the monitored sound. The method further includes identifying snoring within the recorded sound and analyzing the identified snoring to localize upper airway structural sources of snoring.
Inventors
- 👤 Gil Raviv
- 👤 Charles Z. Weingarten
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:48
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B7/00; A61B7/003; A61B5/00; A61B5/02; A61B5/0205; A61B5/024; A61B5/103; A61B5/11; A61B5/145; A61B5/1455; A61B5/72; A61B5/7235; A61B5/7253; A61B5/7257
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and identifying a soft palate of the sleeping subject as the source of the snoring and as a velum snore when the snoring is substantially of a fundamental frequency between a lower and upper threshold and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
91 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and identifying a soft palate of the sleeping subject as the source of the snoring and as a velum snore when the snoring is substantially of a fundamental frequency between a lower and upper threshold and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method as in claim 1 wherein the step of analyzing the monitored sound for respiratory system structural sources of snoring further comprising the step of identifying a set of tonsils or other non-velum sources of the sleeping subject as the source of the snoring, and as a non-velum snore, when the snoring is substantially of a fundamental frequency greater than an upper threshold and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method as in claim 2 wherein the step of analyzing the monitored sound for respiratory system structural sources of snoring further comprises the step of identifying one of a pharyngal and nose as the source of snoring, and as a non-velum snore, when a fourier transform of the recorded sound indicates a diffused sound source, and otherwise a mixed snore when the snoring contains an indicia of multiple sources.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as in claim 2 further comprising the step of selecting intervals of data from the raw data file and displaying the selected interval under an expanded format on a computer monitor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method as in claim 2 further comprising the step of graphically outputting a distribution of snoring classifications.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 2 further comprising the step of simulating an effect of surgery by reproducing the recorded sound without fundamental frequencies and harmonics of the fundamental frequencies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a relative sound contribution of fundamental frequencies and harmonics.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; evaluating the recorded sound using frequency domain methods; and using a plurality of temporal sizes of data for frequency analyzing the snoring.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; evaluating the recorded sound using frequency domain methods; and using a plurality of temporal sizes of data for frequency analyzing the snoring.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; generating a raw data file and a reduced file; and tabulating and outputting a number indicating total velum, non-velum, and mixed snore during a time interval.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; generating a raw data file and a reduced file; and tabulating and outputting a number indicating total velum, non-velum, and mixed snore during a time interval.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as in claim 9 further including the step of calculating a velum snore index from the total velum, non-velum, and mixed snore during a time interval.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method as in claim 9 further comprising the step of projecting a likelihood of success of uvulopalatopharnygoplasty based upon at least one of the calculated total velum, non-velum, and mixed snore per time period, and/or the velum snore index.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as in claim 9 further comprising the step of displaying a raw data file or a reduced data file of the recorded sound on a computer monitor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as in claim 12 further comprising the step of marking displayed raw data and frequency domain transforming the marked raw data into a second display window.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as in claim 12 further comprising the step of marking displayed data and outputting the data to an audio speaker for verification of the event as one of breathing, apnea, hypopnea and snoring.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method as in claim 12 further comprising the step of deleting markers of selected data intervals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as in claim 12 further comprising the step of manually identifying the structural source of the snoring of the classified data intervals.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of reducing the digitized monitored sound and storing the reduced data file in conjunction with selected portions of the digitized monitored sound.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method as in claim 9 further comprising the step of manually classifying data intervals as one of breathing, apnea, hypopnea, and snoring.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method as in claim 9 further comprising the step of randomly accessing the raw data file and scrolling one of the raw data and data envelope in either a forward or backwards direction on a computer monitor.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method as in claim 9 further comprising the step of randomly accessing the reduced data file and one of expanding and scrolling and, upon occasion, reproducing a corresponding portion of the raw data file in either identical interval size or expanded interval size and scrolling in either a forward or reverse direction on a computer monitor.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and comparing the monitored sound with a first recording threshold level and deactivating the recorder when the monitored sound exceeds the first threshold levels for at least a first time period and otherwise reactivating recording when the monitored sound does not exceed the threshold for a second time period.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and comparing the monitored sound with a first recording threshold level and deactivating the recorder when the monitored sound exceeds the first threshold levels for at least a first time period and otherwise reactivating recording when the monitored sound does not exceed the threshold for a second time period.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method as in claim 21 further comprising the step of comparing the monitored sound with a second threshold and reactivating the recorder when the monitored sound exceeds the first and second thresholds for a third time period and deactivating the recorder when the monitored sound exceeds the first threshold but not the second for a fourth time period.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of detecting snoring comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; recording the monitored sound; visually observing a sound signal of the recorded sound on a display; selecting a section of the displayed recorded sound; and outputting the selected section through an audio transducer.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of detecting snoring comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; recording the monitored sound; visually observing a sound signal of the recorded sound on a display; selecting a section of the displayed recorded sound; and outputting the selected section through an audio transducer.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
55 words
A method of detecting apnea comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; recording the monitored sound; visually observing a sound signal of the recorded sound on a display; selecting a section of the recorded sound; and outputting the selected section through an audio transducer.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
55 words
A method of detecting apnea comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; recording the monitored sound; visually observing a sound signal of the recorded sound on a display; selecting a section of the recorded sound; and outputting the selected section through an audio transducer.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and identifying a soft palate of the sleeping subject as the source of the snoring, as a velum snore, when the snoring is substantially of a fundamental frequency below a threshold and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of detecting and analyzing sleep disorders comprising the steps of: monitoring sound produced by a sleeping subject through a sensor proximate the sleeping subject; continuously recording the monitored sound; identifying snoring within the recorded sound; analyzing the identified snoring to locate upper airway structural sources generating the snoring; and identifying a soft palate of the sleeping subject as the source of the snoring, as a velum snore, when the snoring is substantially of a fundamental frequency below a threshold and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-29 | 2001-03-31 | 2001-09-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-29 | 2005-03-31 | 2005-09-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-29 | 2009-03-31 | 2009-09-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |