The present invention relates to a system device and method for monitoring infant oral motor kinetics (OMK), which can be used to assess the functional significance of the different sucking components, i.e., the plasticity of infant sucking skills in relation to their oral feeding performance, at a particular time, during the developmental period and/or during preventive or therapeutic intervention programs. It is a unique system and apparatus that provides a means to study the nonnutritive and/or nutritive sucking skills, i.e., the Suction and/or Expression components of sucking, of infants in the natural setting, i.e., during a normal feeding session. OMK sensors, tracked in real-time by the monitoring system, include miniature pressure transducers, or pressure sensitive pads, attached to the nipple for measuring intraoral pressure pulses during Suction, and for measuring compression/stripping pressure pulses during Expression; and a miniature flow sensor for measuring fluid flow rate, which can be integrated over time to determine the volume of milk removed (bolus) per suck. Other signals, such as respiration, swallowing, thermal, optical, and acoustic signals can be recorded and compared along with the instrumented-nipple signals, in an OMK monitoring system.

A pacifier having a nipple portion and a handle portion separated by a collar. One or more sensors are disposed within the pacifier. The one or more sensors are configured to receive data from a user, wherein the user engages the nipple portion.

A biological information display apparatus includes a pulse wave acquisition part, an index derivation part, a determination part, and a display control part. The pulse wave acquisition part acquires a pulse wave signal obtained by measuring a pulse wave of a subject person along a time axis. The index derivation part derives breathing function indexes which are indexes showing states of breathing function of the subject person. The determination part determines whether at least one of the derived multiple breathing function indexes is in a predetermined range as a range of a threshold showing that the subject person gets worse. When at least one of breathing function indexes is in the predetermined range, the display control part displays progress information showing the progress of multiple breathing function indexes since becoming in the predetermined range by the at least one of breathing function indexes.

This invention is about an apparatus and method for positive identification of patients suffering from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction ailment. Eustachian Tube dysfunction is a common ailment which almost 1% of world population suffers. Recent clinical study indicated that some of the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction cases are due to lack of synchronization and synergy of the two muscles responsible for opening Eustachian Tube. The invention teaches a device and method for assessment of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and identifies patients where dysfunction problem originate from lack of muscle synchronization.

Provided is a device for placement on a human subject to detect impacts on the human subject. The device includes a base member, one or more engagement sensors to detect whether the device is properly placed on the human subject, and one or more motion sensors to detect the kinematics of the human subject. The device also includes a processing unit that includes methodology to detect false positives such as chewing, dropping, and throwing.

An apparatus for evaluating the tongue strength and coordination of a subject includes an intermediate device such as a lever which is pivotably attached to a coupling device and extends into a cavity of a nipple element. The lever is detached from the nipple and pivotable in response to deformation of the nipple element by a tongue force exerted on the nipple element by a subject during a suck-swallow-breathe sequence. The coupling device includes a sensing device to wirelessly transmit sensor outputs to a mobile device paired to the sensing device. The sensing device includes at least one sealed chamber defined by a membrane and a sensor. In one example, a first membrane and sensor senses pressure change in a fluid in the apparatus, and a second membrane and sensor is actuated by the intermediate device to sense deformation of the nipple element. A method using the apparatus is provided.

Pressure indicator comprising a base, a deformable membrane fixed to the base in a fluid-tight manner according to a closed contour, and a body fixed to the base, delimiting a hollow volume covering the deformable membrane on the side opposite the base, while encompassing at least the closed contour, at least one inlet for a fluid the pressure of which is to be measured in a pressure range, wherein the deformable membrane is such that the expansion thereof for said pressure range is sufficient to be visible to the naked eye and to allow a direct display indicative of the pressure, in that the base is drilled with at least one first hole a first end of which emerges between the deformable membrane and the base in the closed contour, in that the body is drilled with at least one second hole a first end of which emerges into said hollow volume, in that the other end of the first hole is linked to the inlet respectively to the open air, in that the other end of the second hole is linked to the open air, respectively to the inlet, so that a pressure, respectively a pressure reduction, of fluid at the inlet causes an expansion of the deformable membrane in the hollow volume delimited by the body. Application of such an indicator to the monitoring of the inflation of a medical apparatus pad.

Respiratory variables are estimated on a per-breath basis from airway pressure and flow data acquired by airway pressure and flow sensors (20, 22). A breath detector (28) detects a breath interval. A per-breath respiratory variables estimator (30) fits the airway pressure and flow data over the detected breath interval to an equation of motion of the lungs relating airway pressure, airway flow, and a single-breath parameterized respiratory muscle pressure profile (40, 42) to generate optimized parameter values for the single-breath parameterized respiratory muscle pressure profile. Respiratory muscle pressure is estimated as a function of time over the detected breath interval as the single-breath parameterized respiratory muscle pressure profile with the optimized parameter values, and may for example be displayed as a trend line on a display device (26, 36) or integrated (32) to generate Work of Breathing (WoB) for use in adjusting settings of a ventilator (10).

Certain configurations of methods of using removable oral devices are described. In some examples, a removable oral device can be used in weight loss, weight management, athletic performance or in other applications to monitor or alter a user's behavior or monitor one or more physiological conditions. If desired, the removable oral device can be used in combination with a storage case, a mobile device, application software or other components.

Proposed is a Pulse Transit Time, PTT, measurement concept wherein a forced oscillation technique, FOT, is used to determine a pulse arrival time at alveoli of the lungs of a patient.