Importance

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Abstract

The self-contained apnea monitor of the invention detects an apnea event or shallow breathing in a patient such as an infant, and generates an audible and visual alarm in response thereto. The monitor includes an elastic fabric belt for snugly encircling the abdomen or chest of an infant and a detector unit for detecting expansion or contraction of the elastic fabric belt caused by respiration. To this end, the belt includes a helical spring extending along its length. An inextensible wire is provided within the spring connecting a remote end of the spring to the detector unit. Thus configured, respiration of the infant causes the wire to be withdrawn from the detector unit. Within the detector unit, the wire is mounted to a recoil spring assembly which provides a biasing force for recoiling the wire subsequent to respiration. A detecting arm or magnet is mounted to a barrel containing the recoil spring within an electrical circuit provided to detect motion of the detecting arm or magnet. The electrical circuit measures a time interval between consecutive respirations and generates an audible alarm if the time interval exceeds a predetermined period of time.

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First Claim