Systems and methods for controlling position
Inventors
Levendowski, Daniel J. • Zavora, Timothy • Westbrook, Philip R. • Mitrovic, Mirko • Veljkovic, Bratislav • Berka, Christine • Trejo, Jonny
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11571166-B2
Publication Date
2023-02-07
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for assessing compliance with position therapy. In an embodiment, position therapy is provided to a user while the user is wearing a position therapy device. The position therapy comprises, by the device, collecting positional data, determining positions of the user over a time period based on the positional data, and, when it is determined that the user is in a target position, providing feedback to the user to influence the user to change to a non-target position. In addition, the device stores a duration of use in its memory. The duration of use indicates a duration that the user has used the wearable position therapy device in each of one or more positions. An assessment of the user's compliance with the position therapy is then provided based, at least in part, on the duration of use.
Core Innovation
The invention provides wearable position therapy for a user by receiving positional data from one or more position detectors of a wearable position therapy device while the user is wearing the device. Based on the positional data, the device determines whether the user is in a target position or one or more non-target positions. When the user is in the target position, the device generates feedback by one or more feedback generators of the wearable device to influence the user to change to the one or more non-target positions.
The invention further generates a report of the position therapy based on time spent in the target position and one or more non-target positions. In embodiments, the device provides an external efficacy assessment/reporting, including comparisons using baseline-versus-feedback time spent in the target position, and derives report content from transmitted information. The report generation may be extended by relationships involving physiological signals such as snoring frequency and snoring magnitude measured during time spent in target versus non-target positions.
The invention includes a wearable position therapy device architecture in which a processor executes instructions stored in memory to carry out the positioning determination, feedback generation, and report generation. The feedback delivery is configured to be adaptively delivered by increasing the feedback generated by the one or more feedback generators until the user changes to the one or more non-target positions, and may involve feedback escalation behavior across time intervals.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims included are clm-00001, clm-00027, and clm-00028. Across these independent claims, the core inventive coverage includes position detection and target-versus-non-target determination, feedback generation when the user is in the target position, report generation based on time spent in target versus non-target positions, and adaptive feedback delivery until the user changes position.
Position detection and target-versus-non-target determination
Receiving positional data from one or more position detectors of a wearable position therapy device while the user is wearing the wearable position therapy device; based on the positional data, determining whether the user is in a target position or one or more non-target positions.
Feedback generation to move from target to non-target positions
When it is determined that the user is in the target position, generating feedback by one or more feedback generators of the wearable position therapy device to influence the user to change to the one or more non-target positions.
Report generation based on time spent in target and non-target positions
Generating a report of the position therapy based on time spent in the target position and one or more non-target positions.
Wearable device with position detector, feedback generator, and processor-executed instructions
A position therapy device wearable by a user, the position therapy device comprising at least one position detector which generates positional data of the user while the user is wearing the position therapy device; at least one feedback generator which generates feedback; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one position detector and the at least one feedback generator, the at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to provide position therapy to the user wearing the position therapy device by receiving positional data; based on the positional data determining whether the user is in a target position or one or more non-target positions; when it is determined that the user is in the target position generating feedback to influence the user to change to the one or more non-target positions; and generating a report based on time spent in the target position and one or more non-target positions.
Adaptive feedback delivery increasing until the user changes position
A wearable device for providing position therapy to a user while the device is worn by the user, the device comprising one or more position detectors which generate positional data; one or more feedback generators which generate feedback; and at least one processor coupled to the one or more position detectors and one or more feedback generators, the at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to influence the user to change position from a target position to one or more non-target positions by collecting positional data while the user is wearing the wearable device; based on the positional data, determining whether the user is in the target position or one or more non-target positions; and when it is determined that the user is in the target position, adaptively delivering feedback by increasing the feedback generated by the one or more feedback generators until the user changes to the one or more non-target positions.
Taken together, the independent claims require a wearable position therapy device that determines a user’s target versus non-target position using positional data from detectors, generates feedback when the user is in the target position to influence movement to non-target positions, and generates a report based on time spent in target versus non-target positions. One independent claim additionally requires adaptively delivering feedback by increasing the feedback until the user changes position.
Stated Advantages
Provides an efficacy/compliance assessment or report based on time spent in target versus non-target positions.
Enables report generation based on relationships involving snoring frequency and snoring magnitude measured during time spent in target versus non-target positions.
Documented Applications
Sleep-disordered breathing, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using wearable position therapy to encourage non-target positions.
Pregnancy and pre-eclampsia posture training.
Rehabilitation posture training.
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