Chest Wall Acceleration Sensing for Timed Respiratory Stimulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing treatments for sleep disordered breathing, such as external breathing therapy devices and surgical interventions, often fail to effectively manage the condition.

Innovation Solution

The use of implantable and external acceleration sensors to detect respiratory phases through rotational movements of the chest wall, combined with control algorithms to identify inspiratory and expiratory phases, allowing for synchronized delivery of therapeutic stimulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If external breathing therapy devices and surgical interventions are used to treat sleep disordered breathing, then treatment coverage is provided, but treatment effectiveness is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidadaptive therapeutic intervention
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a closed-loop feedback system where acceleration sensors continuously monitor chest wall motion to detect respiratory phases, and this information feeds back to control the timing and delivery of therapeutic stimulation, enabling adaptive adjustment of treatment based on real-time respiratory status

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the patient's own respiratory movements to generate the control signals for therapy delivery, where the natural chest wall acceleration during breathing serves as both the diagnostic marker and the trigger for therapeutic intervention, eliminating the need for external monitoring equipment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If acceleration sensors are used to detect respiratory phases, then detection reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential feature needed for respiratory detection - chest wall acceleration - and uses a single acceleration sensor to capture this information, eliminating the need for complex multi-sensor arrays or sophisticated imaging systems while maintaining high detection reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The acceleration sensor serves multiple functions: it detects respiratory phase timing, determines respiratory rate, and provides signals for triggering therapeutic stimulation, allowing one simple sensor to replace what would traditionally require multiple specialized monitoring devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If traditional breathing therapy devices are used, then treatment is provided, but timing precision for therapeutic stimulation is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverespiratory phase detection precisionVSAvoidresponse time for therapy delivery
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors and pre-identifies the timing of respiratory phases in advance, so that when a therapeutic intervention is needed, the stimulation can be delivered at the precise optimal moment without waiting for signal processing delays, achieving both high precision and rapid response

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method provides reliable and efficient detection of respiratory phases, enabling timely and adaptive therapeutic interventions for sleep disordered breathing without requiring convergence over multiple breaths, and is robust to variations in signal magnitude and posture.

Implementation Method 1

the sensor signal comprises an acceleration signal from the acceleration sensor, the method comprises determining respiration information via the acceleration signal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcceleration sensing: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP4351417B1Respiration sensing
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 INSPIRE MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
  • EP4351417B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP4351417B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4351417B1 patent drawingFigure 5A

AI summary

A device includes a sensor and a control portion. The sensor is securable to a patient to provide a sensor signal. The sensor is to sense changes in acceleration indicative of respiration of the patient. The control portion is to determine a midpoint of each respiratory phase of the patient based on the sensor signal.