Infant Sleeping Area Ventilation System For the Prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Abstract

A ventilation system that includes a fan for providing fresh air within an infant's sleeping area. The fan may be mounted to the infant's sleeping device and may include fan guards surrounding the fan for increased safety. The ventilation system may include a sensing device for monitoring the conditions within the infant's sleeping area. The sensing device may monitor the oxygen level, the carbon dioxide level, and the presence of smoke. The sensing device may monitor for additional toxic gasses or hazardous conditions within the infant's sleeping area. The ventilation system may further include a remote receiver that receives signals from the sensing device if a hazardous condition exists within the infant's sleeping area. The ventilation system may further include local and remote alarms configured to provide notification of a hazardous condition within the infant's sleeping area.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Non-Provisional Application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 117,360 filed Nov. 24, 2008 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 168,113 filed Apr. 9, 2009.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates generally to a ventilation system for use in infant sleeping areas to aid in the prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as “Crib Death”. The invention also relates generally to eliminating toxic gases and cooling the infant in his / her sleeping area.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as Crib Death is a devastating tragedy that claims the lives of about 2500 young infants each year in the United States alone. Until recently, the cause of SIDS was not well known or understood. Recent data provides strong indications that the cause of SIDS is re-breathing of carbon dioxide exhaled by the infant, which deprives the infant of vital oxygen. Carbon...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention achieves the above-mentioned advancements by providing a compact ventilation system for monitoring and removing toxic gases from various infant sleep areas. This invention allows fresh air to flow into the infant sleeping area, and flushes and removes toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and ammonia. The invention also removes bacteria and viruses from the infant's sleeping area, which helps keep the sleeping area sanitized by providing increased oxygen levels, which are known to kill bacteria and viruses.

[0011]The invention may also flush odors from an infant's sleeping area by removing waste gases within the sleeping area. The invention may also reduce high levels of humidity, thereby reducing the growth of microbes such as bacteria, viruses, mold, and mildew. In one embodiment of the invention, by attaching the ventilation system to the foot or head or other portion of an infant's sleeping area and directing the flow of fresh air toward the infant, the air will flush and remove toxic gases and introduce fresh air for the infant to breathe. By attaching the ventilation system directly to the sleeping area the ventilation system can be made much smaller with a greatly reduced air flow, as compared to a standard room fan or ceiling fan. Thus, the invention allows for a quieter and more comfortable sleeping area for an infant.

[0012]This invention allows for a low cost solution to removing toxic gases from an infant's sleeping area, by using small, readily available components such as fans, power supplies, blade guards and supports, and applying them directly and in very close proximity to an infant's breathing space. With this configuration, the ventilation system can concentrate the flow and directly force the toxic gases from an infant's breathing area. The invention, as described herein, may reduce or eliminate the main, and perhaps only, cause of SIDS, suffocation and asphyxiation caused by the re-breathing of carbon dioxide. Although the primary use of this invention is to improve the health of infants by providing a healthier environment, it also has extensive uses for older adults, infirm patients and even healthy adults desiring a better, healthier sleeping environment.

Problems solved by technology

Until recently, the cause of SIDS was not well known or understood.

The cause of SIDS may the lack of sufficient oxygen and / or an increase in carbon dioxide in the infant's breathing air.

Additionally, in the past, parents and healthcare professionals unknowingly have used cribs or high sided bassinets, often draping them in impervious materials that actually trapped and concentrated carbon dioxide and other harmful products in the infant's breathing space.

These practices exacerbate the problem and perhaps even created it.

These practices were perhaps an attempt to eliminate drafts on the infant, but are now found to be counter productive.

Due to the drawbacks and complexities of these methods, neither is in popular use.

Images