Method and apparatus for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea with an awake patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10165959-B2
Application number	US-201113878591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2011
Priority date	Oct 20, 2010
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for use in diagnosing the presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a patient includes a sensing module structured to measure a parameter indicative of a tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway. The sensing module generates one or more electrical signals based on the measured parameter. The apparatus also includes a processor operatively coupled to the sensing module, the processor being structured to receive the one or more electrical signals, perform an analysis of the one or more electrical signals, and based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use in determining whether a tremor in a patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles has a frequency in at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the patient, the apparatus comprising:
a first sensing module, the first sensing module configured to measure a first parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the first parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, the first sensing module generating one or more electrical signals based on the measured first parameter while the patient is awake, wherein the first sensing module comprises a velocity sensor configured to measure velocity of a surface of the tongue, and wherein the first parameter comprises the velocity of the surface of the tongue caused by the tremor;
a processor operatively coupled to the first sensing module, the processor being configured to:
receive the one or more electrical signals for a plurality of breathing cycles of the patient,
select a subset of the plurality of breathing cycles that best fit a mean breathing cycle for the patient, wherein selecting the subset includes filtering the plurality of breaths based on a minimum length of the breathing cycles and selecting the breathing cycles having the minimum length,
perform an analysis of the one or more electrical signals from the subset, and
based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in the at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA, the at least one predetermined frequency range being associated with and characteristic of an increased compensatory muscular activation of the upper airway of the patient during wakefulness.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one predetermined frequency range is below 100 Hz.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one predetermined frequency range is 30-40 Hz.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module structured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises an AC source, a source electrode, and one or more collection electrodes structured to be selectively positioned on separated surfaces of the patient's neck or head, wherein an alternating current generated by the AC source flows from the source electrode, wherein the second parameter comprises a modulated electrical signal collected by the one or more collection electrodes, the modulated electrical signal being modulated by the tremor, and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the second sensing module and configured to:
perform an analysis of the modulated electrical signals from the source electrode and the one or more collection electrodes, and
based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in the at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises an EMG sensor, wherein the second parameter comprises muscle potential changes in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles caused by the tremor, and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the second sensing module and configured to:
perform an analysis of the muscle potential changes caused by the tremor, and
based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in the at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises an actimetry sensor configured to be selectively positioned on the patient's neck or head, wherein the processor receives actimetry signals from the actimetry sensor and uses the actimetry signals to remove motion artifacts from the one or more electrical signals when performing an analysis of the one or more electrical signals.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the velocity sensor comprises an ultrasonic transducer probe configured to emit ultrasound waves that will pass through the patient's body and detect returning echoes that are generated responsive to the emitted ultrasound waves, wherein the one or more parameters further comprise the returning echoes.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises a sound module that includes a sound emitter and a sound detector, wherein the sound module to be selectively positioned near the outside of the patient's mouth or in the patient's mouth or throat or selectively inserted down the patient's throat and into the patient's pharyngeal region, wherein the sound emitter is configured to emit first sounds and the sound detector configured to detect second sounds that are generated in response to the first sounds, and wherein the second parameter comprises the second sounds caused by the tremor, and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the second sensing module and configured to:
perform an analysis of the second sounds caused by the tremor, and
based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in the at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises a sound detector that is configured to detect airway sounds that are generated by the patient while breathing, and wherein the second parameter comprises the airway sounds caused by the tremor, and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the second sensing module and configured to:
perform an analysis of the airway sounds caused by the tremor, and
based on the analysis determine whether the tremor has a frequency in the at least one predetermined frequency range that is indicative of OSA.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sensing module configured to measure a second parameter indicative of the tremor in the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat muscles while the patient is awake, the second parameter not being airflow through the patient's airway, wherein the second sensing module comprises a strain detector that is configured to be selectively positioned on the patient's neck and to detect strain resulting from motion caused by the muscles of the patient's neck, tongue and/or throat, and wherein second parameter comprises the strain caused by the tremor, and wherein the processor is operatively coupled to the second sensing module

Assignees

• Colbaugh Michael Edward
• Fligge Ronald Dean Dean
• Iyer Vijay Kumar
• Mechlenburg Douglas
• Shaw Edmund Arnliot
• Zimmerman Nathan
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Colbaugh Michael Edward
• Fligge Ronald Dean Dean
• Iyer Vijay Kumar
• Mechlenburg Douglas
• Shaw Edmund Arnliot
• Zimmerman Nathan

Classifications

• A61B8/08

  Clinical applications (A61B8/02, A61B8/04, A61B8/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/4818 Primary

  Sleep apnoea · CPC title

• A61B7/003

  Detecting lung or respiration noise · CPC title

• A61B5/0488 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A61B5/389

  Electromyography [EMG] · CPC title