Patent ID: 8734367
Filing Date: 2014-05-27
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a non-nutritive pacifier; a pressure transducer in communication with the pacifier to sense pressure applied to the pacifier; a spatiotemporal index (STI) generator configured to generate a plurality of digitized, non-nutritive suck (NNS) pressure samples using the non-nutritive pacifier and the pressure transducer, to determine a plurality of standard deviations of a plurality of burst data sets using the plurality of digitized NNS pressure samples, wherein each standard deviation is based on a burst data point value associated with a particular sample of each of a plurality of normalized burst data sets, and to sum the plurality of standard deviations to provide a spatiotemporal index (STI) of non-nutritive suck pattern stability, wherein the STI is configured to provide a composite indication of variability of amplitude, and duration of a plurality of portions of the NNS pressure samples.