Method and apparatus for maintaining airway patency to treat sleep apnea and other disorders
First Claim
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1. A method of providing breathing gas from a source for breathing by a patient who is breathing in repeated breathing cycles each including an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase comprising the steps of:
- supplying such breathing gas to the airway of such a patient at a positive pressure at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to maintain the patient'"'"'s airway at a positive pressure substantially continuously throughout said repeated breathing cycles;
continually monitoring the flow of such breathing gas between such a source and the airway of such a patient;
from said monitoring, continually determining the instantaneous flow rate and the average flow rate of such breathing gas flowing between such a source and the airway of such a patient;
utilizing said instantaneous flow rate and said average flow rate to identify the occurrence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases; and
coordinating the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with said occurrence of each said inspiratory and expiratory phase to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway substantially continuously during a sequence of said inspiratory and said expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each said expiratory phase of said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each immediately preceding inspiratory phase, respectively.
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Abstract
An improved methodology and apparatus for the treatment of sleep apnea through application of alternating high and low level positive airway pressure within the airway of the patient with the high and low airway pressure being coordinated with the spontaneous respiration of the patient.
620 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of providing breathing gas from a source for breathing by a patient who is breathing in repeated breathing cycles each including an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase comprising the steps of:
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supplying such breathing gas to the airway of such a patient at a positive pressure at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to maintain the patient'"'"'s airway at a positive pressure substantially continuously throughout said repeated breathing cycles; continually monitoring the flow of such breathing gas between such a source and the airway of such a patient; from said monitoring, continually determining the instantaneous flow rate and the average flow rate of such breathing gas flowing between such a source and the airway of such a patient; utilizing said instantaneous flow rate and said average flow rate to identify the occurrence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases; and coordinating the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with said occurrence of each said inspiratory and expiratory phase to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway substantially continuously during a sequence of said inspiratory and said expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each said expiratory phase of said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each immediately preceding inspiratory phase, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of medical treatment for a patient comprising the steps of:
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providing a flow of breathing gas from a source for delivery to the airway of such a patient at selected higher and lower pressure magnitudes at least as great as ambient atmospheric pressure; continually detecting the instantaneous flow rate of said breathing gas flowing between said source and the airway of such a patient; continually processing selected parameters including said instantaneous flow rate to provide a reference indicia corresponding to an average flow rate of breathing gas flowing between said source and said patient; and utilizing said instantaneous flow rate and said reference indicia to select one of said higher and said lower pressure magnitudes for said flow of breathing gas to be applied in the airway of such a patient. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus for delivering pressurized gas to the airway of a patient who is breathing in repeated breathing cycles each including an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase comprising:
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a gas flow generator means for providing a flow of such gas; means for delivery of such gas flow from said flow generator to the airway of such a patient; pressure controller means cooperable with said flow generator means to provide such gas flow within said means for delivery and within the airway of such a patient at selectively variable pressures; detector means for continually detecting the rate of flow of such gas between said flow generator means and the airway of such a patient; first processor means cooperable with said detector means to continually provide a first indicia corresponding to the instantaneous flow rate of such gas between said flow generator means and the airway of such a patient; second processor means cooperable with said first processor means to continually provide a reference indicia approximating the average flow rate of such gas between said flow generator means and the airway of such a patient; decision means operable to utilize said first indicia and said reference indicia to identify the occurrence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases; and said decision means being cooperable with said pressure controller means to control variation of the pressure of such gas flow in response to identification of the occurrence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of treating sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing breathing gas from a source for breathing by a patient; supplying such breathing gas to the airway of such a patient; monitoring the flow rate of such breathing gas between such a source and the airway of such a patient; from said monitoring, continually determining the instantaneous flow rate and the average flow rate of such breathing gas flowing between such a source and the airway of such a patient; utilizing said instantaneous flow rate and said average flow rate to identify the occurrence of each inspiratory and expiratory phase of the patient'"'"'s respiration cycle; and coordinating the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with said occurrence of each said inspiratory and expiratory phase to maintain positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway substantially continuously during a sequence of said inspiratory and said expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each said expiratory phase of said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each immediately preceding inspiratory phase, respectively.
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24. A method of treating sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing a flow of breathing gas from a source for delivery to the airway of a patient at selected higher and lower pressure magnitudes at least as great as ambient atmospheric pressure; continually detecting the instantaneous flow rate of said breathing gas flowing between said source and the airway of such a patient; continually processing selected parameters including said instantaneous flow rate to provide a reference indicia corresponding to an average flow rate of breathing gas flowing between said source and said patient; and utilizing said instantaneous flow rate and said reference indicia to select one of said higher and said lower pressure magnitudes for said flow of breathing gas.
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25. A method of treating sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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substantially continuously providing breathing gas at positive pressure of a magnitude at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to the airway of a patient; and coordinating the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with the occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of the patient'"'"'s respiration to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway substantially continuously during a sequence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each of said expiratory phases being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during the immediately preceding ones of said inspiratory phases, respectively.
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26. A method of treating sleep apnea in a spontaneously breathing patient comprising the steps of:
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substantially continuously providing breathing gas at positive pressure of a magnitude at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to the airway of the patient; and coordinating the magnitude of said positive pressure of said breathing gas in the patient'"'"'s airway with the occurrence of alternating spontaneous inspiratory and expiratory phases of respiration by the patient to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway substantially continuously during a sequence of said spontaneous inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during each of said expiratory phases being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during the immediately preceding ones of said inspiratory phases, respectively.
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Specification