Wearable apparatus to detect sleep stage information of an individual

Abstract

A monitor device and associated methodology are disclosed which provide a self contained, relatively small and continuously wearable package for the monitoring of heart related parameters, including ECG. The detection of heart related parameters is predicated on the location of inequipotential signals located within regions of the human body conventionally defined as equivalent for the purpose of detection of heart related electrical activity, such as on single limbs. Amplification, filtering and processing methods and apparatus are described in conjunction with analytical tools for beat detection and display.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus to determine physiological status of an individual, comprising:
 a wearable sensor device adapted to be worn in an equivalence region of the individual;   at least two electrodes attached to said wearable sensor device, said electrodes adapted to be mounted within said equivalence region and to detect a heart-related signal; and   a processor in electronic communication with said at least two electrodes and programmed to determine a sleep-related parameter of the individual.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the sleep-related parameter is a sleep stage. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said individual's sleep stage is REM. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one sensor mounted to said wearable sensor device, said at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of a heat flux sensor, a galvanic skin response sensor, a skin temperature sensor, and an accelerometer. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is programmed to utilize said at least one sensor and said at least two electrodes to determine additional physiological parameters of the individual. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an output device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said processor is further programmed to cause the output device to output an alarm based on the sleep stage of the individual. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said wherein said processor is further programmed to cause the output device to output data relating to the sleep stage of the individual.