Medical gating using positive airway pressure devices

• US 10,159,446 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregg A. Dickerson
• Original Assignee: Gregg A. Dickerson
• Inventors: Dickerson, Gregg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rozanski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/603,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,303 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5288 involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0033 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1052 using positron emission tomography [PET] single photon emission computer tomography [SPECT] imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1055 using magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1061 using an x-ray imaging system having a separate imaging source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1068 Gating the beam as a function of a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5673 Gating or triggering based on a physiological signal other than an MR signal, e.g. ECG gating or motion monitoring using optical systems for monitoring the motion of a fiducial marker

Abstract

A medical apparatus includes: a breathing device comprising an air pressure generator for generating air pressure, a tube for delivering the air pressure to a patient, and a sensor configured to sense a characteristic associated with a breathing of the patient; and a processing unit configured to receive an output from the sensor, and generate a control signal for controlling a medical device based at least in part on the output from the sensor.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus, comprising:

a breathing device comprising an air pressure generator for generating air pressure, a facemask defining a space, a tube for delivering the air pressure to the space defined by the facemask for a patient, and a sensor configured to sense a characteristic of a breathing of the patient; and

a processing unit configured to receive an output from the sensor, the output comprising multiple sensor values at different respective time points, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine metric values using the sensor values, and generate a control signal for controlling a medical device based at least in part on at least one of the metric values, wherein each of the metric values represents a degree of completeness of a breathing cycle.

2. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the breathing device comprises a BPAP machine.

3. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the breathing device comprises a CPAP machine.

4. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor or an airflow sensor.

5. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises a processor.

6. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation machine, and the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal to control the radiation machine.

7. The medical apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver diagnostic radiation for imaging the patient.

8. The medical apparatus of claim 6, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver treatment radiation for treating the patient.

9. The medical apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control signal is configured to control the medical device to perform one or more of:

turning on a radiation beam, turning off the radiation beam, rotating a gantry of the radiation machine, operating a collimator, operating a patient support, and adjusting a dose rate.

10. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises a collimator, and the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal to control the collimator in synchronization with the breathing of the patient.

11. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises an imaging device, and the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal to activate the imaging device.

12. The medical apparatus of claim 11, wherein the imaging device comprises a CT machine, a PET machine, a PET-CT machine, or a MRI machine.

13. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal in real time to control the medical device.

14. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is also configured to obtain information from a device that is configured to determine a position of a part of the patient, and to correlate the position of the part of the patient with the sensed characteristic.

15. The medical apparatus of claim 14, wherein the position determined by the device is associated with a breathing motion of the patient.

16. The medical apparatus of claim 14, wherein the device that is configured to determine the position comprises a breathing monitoring device.

17. The medical apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air pressure generator is configured to generate the air pressure in response to a respiratory activity of the patient.

18. A medical method, comprising:

providing a breathing device, the breathing device comprising an air pressure generator for generating air pressure, a facemask defining a space, a tube for delivering the air pressure to the space defined by the facemask for a patient, and a sensor;

sensing a characteristic of a breathing of the patient using the sensor;

receiving, by a processing unit, an output from the sensor, the output comprising multiple sensor values at different respective time points;

determining, by the processing unit, metric values using the sensor values, wherein each of the metric values represents a degree of completeness of a breathing cycle; and

generating a control signal to control a medical device based at least in part on at least one of the metric values, wherein the control signal is generated by the processing unit.

19. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the breathing device comprises a BPAP machine.

20. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the breathing device comprises a CPAP machine.

21. The medical method of claim 18, wherein sensor comprises a pressure sensor or an airflow sensor.

22. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation machine, and the control signal is generated to control the radiation machine.

23. The medical method of claim 22, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver diagnostic radiation for imaging the patient.

24. The medical method of claim 22, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver treatment radiation for treating the patient.

25. The medical method of claim 22, wherein the control signal is configured to control the medical device to perform one or more of:

turning on a radiation beam, turning off the radiation beam, rotating a gantry of the radiation machine, operating a collimator, operating a patient support, and adjusting a dose rate.

26. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the medical device comprises a collimator, and the control signal is generated to control the collimator in synchronization with the breathing of the patient.

27. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the medical device comprises an imaging device, and the control signal is generated to activate the imaging device.

28. The medical method of claim 27, wherein the imaging device comprises a CT machine, a PET machine, a PET-CT machine, or a MRI machine.

29. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the control signal is generated in real time to control the medical device.

30. The medical method of claim 18, further comprising:

obtaining information from a device that is configured to determine a position of a part of the patient; and

correlating the position of the part of the patient with the sensed characteristic.

31. The medical method of claim 18, wherein the air pressure generator is configured to generate the air pressure in response to a respiratory activity of the patient.

32. A medical apparatus, comprising:

a breathing device configured to provide air pressure, the breathing device comprising an air pressure generator for generating the air pressure, a facemask defining a space, and a tube for delivering the air pressure to the space defined by the facemask for a patient;

wherein the breathing device comprises a sensor configured to sense a characteristic associated with a breathing of the patient;

a processing unit configured to receive an output from the sensor, the output comprising multiple sensor values at different respective time points, wherein the processing unit is further configured to determine metric values using the sensor values, and generate a control signal to control a medical device based at least in part on at least one of the metric values, wherein each of the metric values represents a degree of completeness of a breathing cycle, and wherein the medical device is configured to provide a medical benefit that is different from that of the breathing device; and

a non-transitory medium for storing data associated with the sensed characteristic at the multiple time points.

33. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the breathing device comprises a BPAP machine.

34. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the breathing device comprises a CPAP machine.

35. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor or an airflow sensor.

36. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the sensor is configured to sense airway pressure or airflow as the characteristic;

and

wherein the data comprises;

airway pressure values or airflow values provided from the sensor, and

time points corresponding to the respective airway pressure values or airflow values.

37. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation machine, and the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal to control the radiation machine.

38. The medical apparatus of claim 37, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver diagnostic radiation for imaging the patient.

39. The medical apparatus of claim 37, wherein the radiation machine is configured to deliver treatment radiation for treating the patient.

40. The medical apparatus of claim 37, wherein the control signal is configured to control the medical device to perform one or more of:

turning on a radiation beam, turning off the radiation beam, rotating a gantry of the radiation machine, operating a collimator, operating a patient support, and adjusting a dose rate.

41. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the processing unit is configured to generate the control signal in real time to control the medical device.

42. The medical apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a treatment planning unit configured to determine a parameter of a treatment plan using the data associated with the sensed characteristic, wherein the treatment plan is configured for use by the medical device.

43. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the processing unit is also configured to obtain information from a device that is configured to determine a position of a part of the patient, and to correlate the position of the part of the patient with the sensed characteristic.

44. The medical apparatus of claim 43, wherein the position determined by the device is associated with a breathing motion of the patient.

45. The medical apparatus of claim 43, wherein the device that is configured to determine the position comprises a breathing monitoring device.

46. The medical apparatus of claim 32, wherein the air pressure generator is configured to generate the air pressure in response to a respiratory activity of the patient.

47. A medical method, comprising:

providing a breathing device, the breathing device comprising an air pressure generator for generating air pressure, a facemask defining a space, a tube for delivering the air pressure to the space defined by the facemask for a patient, and a sensor;

sensing a characteristic associated with a breathing of the patient using the sensor;

receiving, by a processing unit, an output from the sensor, the output comprising multiple sensor values at different respective time points;

determining, by the processing unit, metric values using the sensor values, wherein each of the metric values represents a degree of completeness of a breathing cycle; and

generating a control signal to control a medical device based at least in part on at least one of the metric values, wherein the medical device is configured to provide a medical benefit that is different from that of the breathing device, and wherein the control signal is generated by the processing unit; and

storing data associated with the sensed characteristic in a non-transitory medium.

48. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the breathing device comprises a BPAP machine.

49. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the breathing device comprises a CPAP machine.

50. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor or an airflow sensor.

51. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the data comprises:

airway pressure values or airflow values provided from the sensor, and

time points corresponding to the respective airway pressure values or airflow values.

52. The medical method of claim 47, further comprising determining a parameter of a treatment plan using the stored data, wherein the treatment plan is configured for use by the medical device.

53. The medical method of claim 52, wherein the treatment plan comprises a radiation treatment plan.

54. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the medical device comprises a radiation machine.

55. The medical method of claim 54, wherein the radiation machine comprises a radiation diagnostic machine.

56. The medical method of claim 54, wherein the radiation machine comprises a radiation treatment machine.

57. The medical method of claim 54, wherein the act of controlling the medical device comprises one or more of:

turning on a radiation beam, turning off the radiation beam, rotating a gantry of the radiation machine, operating a collimator, operating a patient support, and adjusting a dose rate.

58. The medical method of claim 47, further comprising:

obtaining information from a device that is configured to determine a position of a part of the patient; and

correlating the position of the part of the patient with the sensed characteristic.

59. The medical method of claim 47, wherein the air pressure generator is configured to generate the air pressure in response to a respiratory activity of the patient.