Snore detecting method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of detecting a snore in a patient comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a pressure support system including a pressure sensor;
(b) monitoring a pressure within the pressure support system indicative of a pressure at an airway of a patient and outputting a pressure signal indicative of the pressure;
(c) filtering the pressure signal to obtain a filtered pressure signal that contains frequencies in a specified frequency range;
(d) generating a threshold value;
(e) comparing the filtered pressure signal to the threshold value;
(f) detecting a first vibration responsive to the filtered pressure signal crossing the threshold value;
(g) determining a benchmark period for the first vibration;
, (h) detecting a second vibration when a second, subsequent vibration in the filtered pressure signal exceeds the threshold value;
(i) determining a second period for the second, subsequent vibration;
(j) comparing the second period to the benchmark period to determine if the periods are consistent; and
(k) declaring a snore responsive to the second period being consistent with the benchmark period.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for detecting disordered breathing in a patient and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for detecting patient snoring and/or for dynamically determining a snore detection threshold, and to a pressure support system and method of providing pressure support that uses this unique snore detection and/or snore detection dynamic adjustment technique to control the pressure provided to at patient.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method of detecting a snore in a patient comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a pressure support system including a pressure sensor;
(b) monitoring a pressure within the pressure support system indicative of a pressure at an airway of a patient and outputting a pressure signal indicative of the pressure;
(c) filtering the pressure signal to obtain a filtered pressure signal that contains frequencies in a specified frequency range;
(d) generating a threshold value;
(e) comparing the filtered pressure signal to the threshold value;
(f) detecting a first vibration responsive to the filtered pressure signal crossing the threshold value;
(g) determining a benchmark period for the first vibration;
,(h) detecting a second vibration when a second, subsequent vibration in the filtered pressure signal exceeds the threshold value;
(i) determining a second period for the second, subsequent vibration;
(j) comparing the second period to the benchmark period to determine if the periods are consistent; and
(k) declaring a snore responsive to the second period being consistent with the benchmark period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 22)
-
-
10. A method of determining a threshold value for a snore detector comprising the steps of:
-
(a) generating a pressure signal indicative of a pressure at an airway of a patient; and
(b) processing the pressure signal to provide an approximation of average peak values for the pressure signal; and
(c) adding an offset to the approximation of average peak values to produce the threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A snore detector comprising:
-
(a) pressure sensor adapted to detect a pressure indicative of a pressure at an airway of a patient and to output a pressure signal indicative thereof, (b) means for filtering the pressure signal to obtain a filtered pressure signal that contains frequencies in a specified frequency range, (c) means for providing a threshold value;
(d) means for comparing the filtered pressure signal to the threshold value;
(e) means for detecting a first vibration responsive to the filtered digital signal exceeding the threshold value;
(f) means for determining a benchmark period for the first vibration;
(g) means for detecting a second vibration responsive to a second vibration in the filtered pressure signal exceeding the threshold value;
(h) means for determining a second period for the second vibration;
(i) means for comparing the second period to the benchmark period to determine if the second periods and the benchmark period are consistent; and
(j) means for declaring a snore responsive to the second period being consistent with the benchmark period. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
23. A threshold detector that determines a threshold value for a snore detector comprising the steps of:
-
(a) a pressure sensor adapted to generate a pressure signal indicative of a pressure at an airway of a patient that includes frequencies in a qualifying range;
(b) means for processing the pressure signal to provide an approximation of average peak values for the pressure signal; and
(c) means for adding an offset to the approximation of average peak values to produce the threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
-
Specification