CORRELATING A CONDITION OF A SUBJECT WITH A DEGREE OF SLEEP APNEA BEING EXPERIENCED BY THE SUBJECT
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system can perform the following procedure as part of a plan to treat sleep apnea, according to an embodiment. The system monitors a degree to which an airway of a subject is open, and monitors a condition that is related to the degree to which the airway is open. The system also correlates the condition to the degree to which the airway is open, and generates a data structure that represents the correlation between the condition and the degree to which the airway is open. This system can allow a sleep-apnea-treatment system to operate in a closed-loop mode, i.e., to monitor a level of sleep apnea in a subject by monitoring the correlated condition, and to treat the subject in a manner that the treatment system deems appropriate for the level of sleep apnea that the treatment system determines that the subject is experiencing.
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Citations
235 Claims
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1-40. -40. (canceled)
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41. A system, comprising:
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a first sensor configured to sense a degree to which an airway of a subject is open; a second sensor configured to sense a condition that is related to the degree to which the airway is open; and a processor coupled to the first and second sensors and configured to monitor the degree to which the airway is open, to monitor the condition, to correlate the condition to the degree to which the airway is open, and to generate a data structure that represents the correlation between the condition and the degree to which the airway is open. - View Dependent Claims (42, 46, 58, 62, 69, 70)
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43-45. -45. (canceled)
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47-57. -57. (canceled)
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59-61. -61. (canceled)
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63-68. -68. (canceled)
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71-111. -111. (canceled)
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112. A method, comprising:
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monitoring a condition of a subject having an airway; and controlling a degree to which the airway of the subject is open in response to a data structure that represents a correlation between the condition of the subject and the degree to which the airway of the subject is open. - View Dependent Claims (115, 118)
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113-114. -114. (canceled)
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116-117. -117. (canceled)
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119-124. -124. (canceled)
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125. A system for treating sleep apnea, the system comprising:
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a collar having a vacuum surface and having a sealing surface that is configured to form a seal with a region of a neck of a subject having an airway and a throat; a sensor configured to monitor a quantity that is related the airway and to generate, in response to the quantity, a feedback signal that indicates a degree to which the airway is open; and a pump configured to maintain the airway open by drawing a vacuum between the vacuum surface and a region of the throat, and configured to adjust a level of the vacuum in response to the feedback signal. - View Dependent Claims (128, 130)
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126-127. -127. (canceled)
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129. (canceled)
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131-151. -151. (canceled)
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152. A method for treating sleep apnea, the method comprising:
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opening a subject'"'"'s airway by generating a negative pressure between a vacuum surface of a collar and the subject'"'"'s throat; monitoring the subject'"'"'s airway or a condition related to the subject'"'"'s airway; and adjusting the negative pressure in response to the monitoring to maintain a level of opening of the subject'"'"'s airway within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (158, 159, 160, 162, 164)
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153-157. -157. (canceled)
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161. (canceled)
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163. (canceled)
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165-167. -167. (canceled)
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168. A method for treating sleep apnea, the method comprising:
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opening a subject'"'"'s airway by pulling a vacuum between a vacuum surface of a collar and the subject'"'"'s throat; monitoring a level of the vacuum; and adjusting the vacuum in response to the monitoring to maintain a level of opening of the subject'"'"'s airway within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (170)
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169. (canceled)
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171. A system for treating sleep apnea, comprising:
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means for opening a subject'"'"'s airway by generating a negative pressure between a vacuum surface of a collar and the subject'"'"'s throat; means for monitoring the subject'"'"'s airway; and means for adjusting the negative pressure in response to the monitoring to maintain a level of opening of the subject'"'"'s airway within a predetermined range. - View Dependent Claims (172)
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173-194. -194. (canceled)
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195. A collar, comprising:
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a vacuum surface that is locatable over a region of a throat of a subject; a sealing surface disposed around the vacuum surface; and an apparatus configured to form a seal between the sealing surface and a region of a neck of the subject by providing a sealing material. - View Dependent Claims (198)
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196-197. -197. (canceled)
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199-217. -217. (canceled)
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218. A system, comprising:
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means for maintaining a seal around a vacuum surface of a collar between a sealing surface of the collar and a region of a neck of a subject by delivery of a sealing material, the vacuum surface located over a region of a throat of the subject; and means for opening an airway of the subject by drawing a vacuum between the vacuum surface of the collar and the region of the throat. - View Dependent Claims (221, 222, 228, 234)
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219-220. -220. (canceled)
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223-227. -227. (canceled)
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229-233. -233. (canceled)
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235-236. -236. (canceled)
Specification