Adaptive Sensory Stimulation System for Sleep Depth Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sleep monitoring systems deliver sensory stimulation during sleep without adjusting intensity based on the subject's sleep depth, often disrupting sleep patterns by applying loudest stimulation during lighter sleep and insufficient stimulation during deep sleep.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising sensory stimulators, sensors, and hardware processors that determine brain activity parameters, such as EEG power ratios and slow wave density, to adjust sensory stimulation intensity in real-time based on sleep depth, ensuring the loudest stimulation occurs during deep sleep and minimizing disruption during lighter sleep.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensory stimulation is applied continuously at fixed intensity, then the stimulation delivery is simple and consistent, but it disrupts sleep during light sleep stages and provides insufficient stimulation during deep sleep
Solution Approach 1:
The stimulation system dynamically adjusts intensity based on real-time sleep depth detection. The controller modifies stimulation parameters (intensity, frequency, duration) according to detected sleep stages, transitioning from fixed to adaptive delivery. This resolves the contradiction by making the system responsive to physiological states while maintaining overall sleep quality improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring sleep depth through sensors and using this information to adjust stimulation intensity. The controller receives feedback from sleep stage detection and modulates stimulation accordingly, preventing disruption during light sleep while ensuring adequate stimulation during deep sleep phases.
2Productivity
If high intensity stimulation is delivered during light sleep, then the stimulation effect is maximized, but it causes sleep disruption and reduces restorative sleep value
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different stimulation intensities to different sleep stages. During deep sleep, high intensity stimulation is delivered to maximize restorative effects, while during light sleep, intensity is reduced or paused to avoid disruption. This spatial-temporal differentiation of stimulation quality resolves the contradiction between effectiveness and harm prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically changes stimulation parameters (intensity, frequency, pulse width) based on detected sleep depth. During deep sleep stages, parameters are optimized for maximum therapeutic effect, while during transition or light sleep, parameters are adjusted to minimize disruption. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by optimizing effectiveness only when appropriate.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If low intensity stimulation is delivered during deep sleep, then sleep disruption is minimized, but the restorative stimulation effect is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts stimulation intensity to match sleep depth, delivering high intensity during deep sleep when the subject is least responsive to disruption. This temporal adaptation ensures maximum restorative effect is achieved during the most appropriate physiological window while maintaining overall sleep continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares and delivers optimal stimulation parameters in advance during deep sleep windows before the subject transitions to lighter sleep stages. By anticipating sleep stage transitions and delivering intensive stimulation during the preparatory deep sleep phase, the system maximizes restorative effects while avoiding disruption during lighter stages.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure pertains to a system configured to adjust an intensity of sensory stimulation delivered to a subject during a sleep session based on sleep depth in the subject during the sleep session. The restorative value of sleep may be increased by enhancing sleep slow-waves using sensory stimulation. The stimulation may be applied at an appropriate timing and/or intensity to enhance sleep slow-waves to enhance slow-waves without disturbing sleep.