Breathing gas delivery method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of providing a flow of gas within a predetermined flow path which includes a patient'"'"'s respiratory system for breathing by such a patient in repeated breathing cycles each including an inspiratory phase during which said flow of gas includes gas flowing to such a patient'"'"'s lungs and an expiratory phase during which said flow of gas includes gas flowing from such a patient'"'"'s lungs, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing said flow of gas at a positive pressure at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to maintain the patient'"'"'s airway at such a positive pressure during said repeated breathing cycles;
monitoring said flow of gas;
from said monitoring, determining at least one of an instantaneous flow rate and an average flow rate of such gas;
utilizing said at least one of 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 phases in a manner that said positive pressure is maintained in the patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure during selected ones of said expiratory phases in said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure during the respective immediately preceding inspiratory phases.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved methodology and apparatus for delivery of breathing gas such as fop 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.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A method of providing a flow of gas within a predetermined flow path which includes a patient'"'"'s respiratory system for breathing by such a patient in repeated breathing cycles each including an inspiratory phase during which said flow of gas includes gas flowing to such a patient'"'"'s lungs and an expiratory phase during which said flow of gas includes gas flowing from such a patient'"'"'s lungs, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing said flow of gas at a positive pressure at least equal to ambient atmospheric pressure to maintain the patient'"'"'s airway at such a positive pressure during said repeated breathing cycles; monitoring said flow of gas; from said monitoring, determining at least one of an instantaneous flow rate and an average flow rate of such gas; utilizing said at least one of 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 phases in a manner that said positive pressure is maintained in the patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure during selected ones of said expiratory phases in said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure during the respective immediately preceding inspiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. 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 and permitting said flow of gas to pass from the patient; monitoring said flow to detect an instantaneous flow rate of such breathing gas; processing selected parameters including said instantaneous flow rate to provide a reference indicia corresponding to an average flow rate of such breathing gas; and utilizing at least one of said instantaneous flow rate and said reference indicia to select one of said higher and said lower pressure magnitudes to be applied in the airway of such a patient. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. 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 gas; supply means for delivery of said flow of gas from said flow generator means to the airway of such a patient; exhaust means for allowing said flow of gas to pass from the airway of such a patient; pressure controller means cooperable with said flow generator means to provide said flow of gas within said supply means for delivery to the airway of such a patient at selectively variable pressures; monitoring means for monitoring the flow-rate of said flow of gas; processor means which is cooperable with said monitoring means to provide a first indicia corresponding to an instantaneous flow rate of said flow of gas; said processor means being further cooperable with said monitoring means to provide a reference indicia corresponding to an approximate average flow rate of said flow of gas; decision means operable to utilize at least one of 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 the pressure of such gas within said supply means for varying the pressure applied within the airway of such a patient in response to identification of the occurrence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of treating sleep apnea syndrome comprising the steps of:
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providing a flow of breathing gas from a source for breathing by a patient; supplying said flow of breathing gas to the airway of such a patient during inspiration; permitting said flow of breathing gas to pass from such a patient during expiration; monitoring said flow of breathing gas to detect flow conditions of said flow of breathing gas; from said monitoring, determining at least one of an instantaneous flow rate and an average flow rate of said flow of breathing gas; utilizing said at least one of 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 during a sequence of said inspiratory and said expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during selected ones of said expiratory phases in said sequence being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure maintained during the respective immediately preceding inspiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of treating sleep apnea syndrome 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; permitting said flow of breathing gas to pass from such a patient; monitoring said flow of breathing gas to detect an instantaneous flow rate of said breathing gas; processing selected parameters including said instantaneous flow rate to provide a reference indicia corresponding to an average flow rate of said breathing gas; and utilizing at least one of said instantaneous flow rate and said reference indicia to select one of said higher and said lower pressure magnitudes for said supply flow of breathing gas. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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preventing episodes of airway obstruction by applying positive pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure within the airway of a patient; applying said positive pressure by supplying gas at a positive pressure to the airway of such a patient; adjusting the pressure of said gas in the patient'"'"'s airway to coordinate the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with the occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of the patient'"'"'s respiration in a manner to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure during each said expiratory phase being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure during the immediately preceding inspiratory phase, respectively; and maintaining the magnitude of said positive pressure within the patient'"'"'s airway at a value sufficient to prevent said episodes of airway obstruction during said sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of treating sleep apnea syndrome 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; permitting said flow of breathing gas to pass from such a patient; monitoring said flow of breathing gas to detect an instantaneous flow rate of said breathing gas; processing selected parameters including said instantaneous flow rate to provide a reference indicia; and utilizing at least one of said instantaneous flow rate and said reference indicia to select one of said higher and said lower pressure magnitudes for said supply flow of breathing gas. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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preventing episodes of airway obstruction by applying positive pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure within the airway of a patient; applying said positive pressure by supplying gas at a positive pressure to the airway of such a patient throughout a sequence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of the patient'"'"'s respiration; and adjusting said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway to coordinate the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with the occurrence of said alternating inspiratory and expiratory phase in a manner that the magnitude of said positive pressure applied during at least some of said inspiratory phases is greater than the magnitude of said positive pressure applied during the expiratory phases immediately following said at least some of said inspiratory phases, respectively; and maintaining the magnitude of said positive pressure within the patient'"'"'s airway at a value sufficient to prevent said episodes of airway obstruction during said sequence of alternative inspiratory and expiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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preventing episodes of airway obstruction by applying positive pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure within the airway of a patient; applying said positive pressure by supplying gas at said positive pressure to the airway of such a patient throughout a sequence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of the patient'"'"'s respiration; adjusting said positive pressure in the airway of a patient such that the magnitude of said positive pressure applied during at least some of said inspiratory phases is greater than the magnitude of said positive pressure applied during the expiratory phases immediately following said at least some of said inspiratory phases, respectively; and
maintaining the magnitude of said positive pressure within the patient'"'"'s airway at a value sufficient to prevent said episodes of airway obstruction during said sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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preventing episodes of airway obstruction by applying positive pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure within the airway of a patient; applying said positive pressure by supplying gas at said positive pressure to the airway of such a patient; adjusting said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway throughout a sequence of patient respiration phases comprised of at least one inspiratory phase and at least one expiratory phase in a manner that the magnitude of said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway during said inspiratory phases is greater than the magnitude of said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway during said expiratory phases immediately following the respective said inspiratory phases; and
maintaining the magnitude of said positive pressure within the patient'"'"'s airway at a value sufficient to prevent said episodes of airway obstruction during said sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases.
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64. A method of treating incidents of airway obstruction which occur during sleep comprising the steps of:
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preventing episodes of airway obstruction by applying positive pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure within the airway of a patient; applying said positive pressure by supplying gas at a positive pressure to the airway of such a patient; adjusting the pressure of said gas in the patient'"'"'s airway to coordinate the patient'"'"'s airway pressure with the occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of the patient'"'"'s respiration in a manner to maintain said positive pressure in the patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of said inspiratory and expiratory phases with the magnitude of said positive pressure during each said expiratory phase being less than the magnitude of said positive pressure during the immediately preceding inspiratory phase, respectively; and maintaining the magnitude of said positive pressure within the patient'"'"'s airway at a value sufficient to prevent said episodes of airway obstruction during said sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases.
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Specification