APNEA TYPE DETERMINING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20080009755A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Patangay, Abhilash, Pu, Yachuan
• Granted Patent: US 7,678,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An apnea classification system provides for apnea monitoring and differentiation based on several sleep apnea related parameters for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Monitoring of such sleep apnea related parameters allows the apnea classification system to differentiate among the different types of apnea. This information may then be used to determine the best method of therapy, or adjust current therapy parameters to more effectively treat a subject.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a respiration-based first apnea detector, comprising a respiration sensor providing cyclic information indicative of inhaling and exhaling;

a non-respiration-based second apnea detector, comprising at least one of a blood pressure sensor and a heart sound sensor, the second apnea detector using information other than cyclic information indicative of inhaling and exhaling; and

an apnea classifier module, coupled to the first and second apnea detectors, to distinguish between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) using information from both the first and second apnea detectors.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes an impedance sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes a blood pressure sensor configured to extract respiration information from blood pressure information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes an accelerometer configured to extract respiration information from an acceleration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes a heart sound sensor configured to extract respiration information from heart sounds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes an acoustic sensor configured to extract respiration information from respiratory sounds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes a position sensor configured to extract respiration information from body movement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the respiration sensor includes a thermister configured to extract respiration information from a temperature variation.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the blood pressure sensor is configured to be located in a pulmonary artery to measure a pulmonary artery pressure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the blood pressure sensor is configured to be located in association with a ventricle to measure a ventricular pressure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the heart sound sensor comprises at least one of an acoustic sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the heart sound sensor includes a position sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the heart sound sensor includes an activity sensor.

14. A method to detect and distinguish between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA), the method comprising the acts of:

sensing a respiration signal that includes cyclic variations indicative of inhaling and exhaling;

detecting at least one of a blood pressure signal and a heart sound signal, the detecting including using a component of the at least one of the blood pressure and the heart sound signal, wherein the component includes information other than the cyclic variations indicative of inhaling and exhaling;

detecting an apnea event from at least one of the respiration signal, the blood pressure signal, and the heart sound signal; and

distinguishing between OSA and CSA using information from the respiration signal and information from at least one of the blood pressure signal and the heart sound signal.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes using an implantable sensor.

16. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes sensing a thoracic impedance.

17. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes extracting respiration information from a blood pressure signal.

18. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes sensing an acceleration and extracting respiration information from the acceleration.

19. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes sensing heart sounds and extracting respiration information from the heart sounds.

20. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes an acoustic sensor and extracting respiration information from the acoustic sensor.

21. The method of claim 14, in which the act of sensing a respiration signal includes sensing a temperature and extracting respiration information from the temperature.

22. The method of claim 14, in which the distinguishing between OSA and CSA includes using information from the respiration signal and information from the blood pressure signal.

23. The method of claim 22, in which the using information from the blood pressure signal includes using information from a pulmonary artery blood pressure signal for distinguishing between OSA and CSA.

24. The method of claim 22, in which the using information from the blood pressure signal includes using information from a ventricular blood pressure signal for distinguishing between OSA and CSA.

25. The method of claim 14, in which the distinguishing between OSA and CSA includes using information from the respiration signal and the heart sounds signal.

26. An apparatus to detect and distinguish between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA), the apparatus comprising:

means for sensing a respiration signal using cyclic information indicative of inhaling and exhaling;

means for detecting at least one of a blood pressure signal and a heart sound signal using information other than cyclic information indicative of inhaling and exhaling;

means for detecting an apnea event from at least one of the respiration signal, the blood pressure signal, and the heart sound signal; and

means for distinguishing between OSA and CSA using information from the respiration signal and information from at least one of the blood pressure signal and the heart sound signal.