| CPC G16H 20/40 (2018.01) [A61B 5/0004 (2013.01); A61B 5/0006 (2013.01); A61B 5/0022 (2013.01); A61B 5/087 (2013.01); A61B 5/14552 (2013.01); A61B 5/369 (2021.01); A61B 5/486 (2013.01); A61B 5/4806 (2013.01); A61B 5/4815 (2013.01); A61B 5/6831 (2013.01); A61B 5/721 (2013.01); A61B 5/7282 (2013.01); G16H 40/20 (2018.01); G16H 40/67 (2018.01); A61B 2560/0214 (2013.01); A61B 2560/0475 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0219 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A sleep diagnostic system for testing multiple subjects at multiple remote locations for sleep apnea comprising:
a) a database stored on a first non-transitory computer readable medium configured to operate with one or more servers at a first or multiple locations for receiving and transmitting data to and from the database;
b) an at least first software stored on a second non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to be executable by a processor at the first location, a second location and/or the multiple locations configured to process, in part, the data to be stored in the database;
c) multiple portable, wearable patient interface boxes, each portable, wearable patient interface box adapted to be worn by a subject during testing at a remote sleep location remote from a sleep analysis unit or lab and the first, the second and the multiple locations where the database and the at least first software are operating, one or more of the multiple portable, wearable patient interface boxes comprising:
i) a battery;
ii) a digital memory;
iii) electronics, which are programmed to check the data for adequacy and receive collected data in real-time from at least three sensors for storage in the digital memory;
iv) a transceiver or a transmitter adapted to upload the collected data, and/or data based on the collected data to the at least first software and/or the database; and
v) at least two sensor connectors adapted to electrically connect the at least three sensors directly to and/or within the portable, wearable patient interface box;
d) the at least three sensors are selected from a group consisting of: accelerometer(s), fingertip pulse oximeter(s), rip belt(s), respiratory effort belt(s), pressure sensor(s), microphone(s), strain gauge(s), pressure transducer(s), and transducer(s), the at least three sensors adapted:
i) to be applied to the subject, a first and a second of the at least three sensors adapted to be applied to a finger, wrist, arm and/or torso of the subject;
ii) to allow to be measured, calculated and/or derived three or more of the following sleep data: airflow, snore, changes in pulse, changes in heart rate, changes in sleep state, respiratory effort, body position, tidal volume, ventilation rate and blood oxygenation of the subject during testing; and
iii) to be electrically hardwired and/or releasably connected to the at least two sensor connectors on and/or within the portable, wearable patient interface box adapted to be worn by the subject;
e) the database being accessible to individuals from the sleep analysis unit or lab, and adapted to receive the collected data and/or data based on the collected data from the memory of the portable, wearable patient interface box uploaded to the first software and/or the one or more servers associated with the database through the transceiver or the transmitter on the portable, wearable patient interface box;
f) the first software, when executed by the processor, is configured to automatically identify and quantify physiological events in the sleep data including determining a respiratory disturbance index from the data that was transferred from the portable, wearable patient interface box, the physiological events indicative of a sleeping disorder, the first software further adapted to be executed by a processor at the first location, another processor at the second location or on multiple processors at multiple locations each location different than the remote sleep location; and
g) a communication device adapted to output:
i) the collected data or data based on the collected data, at least in part, from the database,
ii) the identified and quantified physiological events in the data, at least in part, or
iii) both i) and ii) in a form adapted so a professional medical diagnosis can be made of whether the patient suffers from a sleep disorder.
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