Sleep Depth Determination via Sensitivity Threshold Stimulus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining sleep depth require complex processes involving multiple sensors and signal analysis, making them cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A sleep depth determining device that uses a stimulus giving unit to administer first and second stimuli of different intensities and a sense detecting unit to determine the sensitivity threshold, allowing for precise sleep depth determination without complex signal processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If polysomnography method with multiple sensors and complex signal analysis is used, then sleep depth determination precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement element (sensitivity threshold) from the complex polysomnography system, eliminating the need for multiple sensors and complex signal analysis while maintaining sleep depth determination capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/biological measurement system (multiple physical sensors detecting brain waves, eye movements, muscle activity) with a psychological/perceptual measurement system (subjective stimulus detection threshold)
2Measurement precision
If polysomnography method with multiple sensors is used, then sleep depth determination precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential measurement element (sensitivity threshold) from the complex polysomnography system, eliminating the need for multiple sensors and complex signal analysis while maintaining sleep depth determination capability
Solution Approach 2:
The subject actively participates in the measurement by reporting their stimulus detection status, making the system easier to operate while maintaining precision through direct subjective feedback
3Measurement precision
If multiple stimuli are given to determine sensitivity threshold, then sleep depth determination precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts stimulus intensity based on subject feedback, starting from lower intensities and increasing only as needed to determine the threshold, thereby minimizing overall stimulus exposure while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses real-time feedback from the subject's stimulus detection reports to adjust subsequent stimulus intensity, allowing the system to determine the sensitivity threshold with minimal total stimulus exposure
Data Source
AI summary
A sleep depth determining device 2 is a device for determining an object person M's depth of sleep using a sensitivity threshold which is the minimum stimulus intensity that can be sensed by the object person M in a sleep state and includes: a stimulus giving unit 5 that gives a first stimulus P1 and a second stimulus P2 stronger than the first stimulus P1 to the object person M; a sense detecting unit 6 that detects whether the object person M senses the first stimulus P1 and the second stimulus P2; and a sleep depth determining unit 7 that determines that the object person M's depth of sleep is a depth of sleep S2 corresponding to a sensitivity threshold between a first stimulus intensity T2a and a second stimulus intensity T2b when the sense detecting unit 6 detects that the object person M does not sense the first stimulus P1 but senses the second stimulus P2. Accordingly, it is possible to precisely determine that the object person M's depth of sleep is the depth of sleep S2.