Musical Instrument Therapy Device for Sleep Apnea
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea often have low adherence to conventional treatment options due to discomfort and side effects, and playing wind instruments like the didgeridoo, which can help strengthen throat muscles, may be deterred by noise and size issues.
Innovation Solution
A musical instrument therapy device with a tubular body, mouthpiece, sensors, and mute that provides throat muscle strengthening therapy, allowing for training without the need to play an actual instrument, using sensors and processing units to monitor and indicate proper breathing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wind instruments like didgeridoo are used for throat muscle strengthening therapy, then breathing improvement during sleep is achieved, but noise and size deter patients from using them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the therapeutic function of the didgeridoo (throat muscle strengthening) from the instrument itself by using sensors to detect blow input characteristics and provide feedback, eliminating the need for the actual wind instrument while retaining the therapeutic benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or model of the didgeridoo's therapeutic mechanism using a tubular body with sensors that simulate the breathing exercise requirements without producing the actual sound or requiring the full instrument
2Reliability
If wind instruments like didgeridoo are used for throat muscle strengthening therapy, then breathing improvement during sleep is achieved, but noise and size deter patients from using them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the didgeridoo into essential functional components only (tubular body, mouthpiece, sensors, indicator) rather than using the complete traditional instrument, reducing size while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy or model of the didgeridoo's therapeutic mechanism using a tubular body with sensors that simulate the breathing exercise requirements without producing the actual sound or requiring the full instrument
3Measurement precision
If sensors and indicators are added to the therapy device, then breathing technique monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect blow input characteristics and providing real-time indication to guide patients on proper breathing technique, ensuring correct usage without requiring complex intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-monitoring through sensors that automatically detect and evaluate blow input characteristics, providing feedback without requiring external monitoring or complex user intervention
Data Source
AI summary
A musical instrument therapy device for providing strengthening therapy for sleep apnea treatment. Utilization of the device can help to strengthen the user's muscles of the throat and tongue, which can help the user to maintain an open airway during sleep (reduce airway collapse) and prevent airway blockages, thereby reducing the chance of obstructed breathing during sleep. The musical instrument therapy device comprises: a tubular body defining an air column; a mouthpiece located at a first end of the tubular body configured to receive a blow input; a mute located at a second end of the tubular body configured to mute the blow input; a plurality of sensors configured to obtain measurements associated with the blow input; a processing unit configured to make one or more determinations associated with blow input based on the obtained measurements; and an indicator configured to display an indication of the one or more determinations.