IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MASK AND VENTILATOR COMPONENTS

• US 20110139154A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: HENRY, Robert Edward, Kwok, Philip Rodney, Oates, John David, Gunning, Philip John, Selvarajan, Karthikeyan
• Granted Patent: US 8,939,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/27 preventing use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems

Abstract

Components of a CPAP or other patient ventilation apparatus have a remotely-readable identification tag encoded with component identification. data. The flow generator controller is programmed to receive data derived from the identification tag from a tag reader, and to adapt functions of the flow controller to coordinate with the component.

Claims

1. A breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus comprising:

a flow generator that generates a supply of pressurized gas, said flow generator including a programmable controller; and

one or more breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus components having a remotely-readable identification tag containing identification data, the identification data including operational data for operating the breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus,

wherein said controller includes a data input set to receive data derived from an identification tag reader which reads said identification data, and is further set to adjust at least one therapy related parameter of the flow generator to coordinate with the at least one breathable pressurized gas delivery component in response to said received data.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said component is a component in an air flow path.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identification data includes indication of air flow characteristics of the component.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said identification data includes indication of pressure-flow characteristics of the component.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pressure-flow characteristics are indicative of pressure-flow curve characteristics of the component.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said air flow path comprises humidifier, air conduit, and patient interface components.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said component is a patient interface and the pressure-flow characteristics are the pressure-flow characteristics of a patient interface type of which the patient interface is a member.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said pressure-flow characteristics are indicated by reference to the patient interface type.

9. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said pressure-flow characteristics are measured pressure-flow characteristics of the individual patient interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one therapy related parameter is a pressure and/or flow parameter.

11. An apparatus for set-up of breathable pressurized gas delivery treatment parameters for a patient, including:

a breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus according to claim 1;

a remote identification tag reader for reading the component tag; and

a data communication path for communicating data derived from the tag to the flow generator controller.

12. A method of setting up breathable pressurized gas delivery treatment parameters for a flow generator of a breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus according to claim 1, the method comprising:

reading a remote identification tag of a breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus component for use with the flow generator, said remote identification tag including operational data for operating the breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus;

retrieving operational data from said tag and communicating said operational data to the flow generator controller; and

configuring at least one therapy related parameter of the flow generator based at least in part on the operational data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said component is a component in the air flow path.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said air flow path comprises humidifier, air conduit, and patient interface components.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said component is a patient interface,

16. A breathable pressurized gas delivery apparatus comprising:

a flow generator that generates a supply of pressurized gas, said flow generator including a programmable controller;

an air flow path from the flow generator to a patient, said air flow path comprising a humidifier component, an air tube component, and a patient interface component; and

one or more of said air flow path components having an identification device containing identification data including data on pressure-flow characteristics of the component,

wherein said controller includes a data input adapted to receive data derived from an identification device reader which reads said identification data, and is further adapted to adjust one or more pressure flow characteristics of the flow generator in response to said received data.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said identification device and identification device reader comprise a physical connection between the flow generator and the air pathway component.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said identification device comprises a remotely-readable identification tag and said identification device reader comprises a remote identification tag reader.

19. A pressurized breathable gas delivery apparatus component comprising:

a tag that is configured to be remotely readable, wherein the tag includes treatment history data or patient compliance data for a pressurized breathable gas delivery device

wherein the pressurized breathable gas delivery apparatus component is set to coordinate with the pressurized breathable gas delivery device to adjust one or more functions of the pressurized breathable gas delivery device based at least in part on the treatment history data or patient compliance data.

20. The apparatus component according to claim 19, wherein the component is a patient interface.