초록 ▼

In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a method and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient's airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates t

In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a method and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient's airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates to a breathing device and method of use to adjust a controlled positive pressure to the airway of a patient by detecting flow limitation from analysis of an inspiratory flow waveform. Once the presence of flow limitation has been analyzed, the system determines an action to take for adjustment of the controlled positive pressure. The pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the system. The preferred breathing apparatus consists of a flow generator, a flow sensor, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor, and a pressure controller, a patient supply hose, a nasal fitting, and, optionally, a pressure transducer. Using the method of the present invention, the microprocessor adjusts the air pressure in the patient supply hose when flow limitation is detected in the airway of the patient.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for the treatment of an obstruction in the airway of a patient, comprising:a source of breathing gas configured to provide breathing gas flow to a patient and to provide positive pressure in the airway of the patient; a sensor to detect the flow of the breathing gas to the patient; a

1. An apparatus for the treatment of an obstruction in the airway of a patient, comprising:a source of breathing gas configured to provide breathing gas flow to a patient and to provide positive pressure in the airway of the patient; a sensor to detect the flow of the breathing gas to the patient; a signal processor operatively connected to the sensor and configured to define a waveform contour of an inspiratory flow of the breathing gas to the patient, and further configured to utilize the waveform contour to detect the presence or absence of an obstruction in the airway of the patient; and a controller operatively connected to the signal processor, the controller being configured to adjust the positive airway pressure to the patient when the signal processor detects the presence or absence of an obstruction in the airway of the patient.