Standby control for CPAP apparatus
First Claim
1. A method for controlling CPAP apparatus which applies a positive airway pressure to a patient, said apparatus including an air blower and means for applying a positive air pressure from said blower to a mask adapted to be secured to a patient in communications with the patient'"'"'s respiratory airway, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) placing said CPAP apparatus in a standby mode;
b) sensing the initiation of patient breathing through said mask; and
c) automatically switching said CPAP apparatus from said standby mode to an operating mode in response to the sensing of a patient breathing through said mask to apply a continuous positive airway pressure to such patient.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) respiratory therapy apparatus for treatment of apnea, hypopnea and other sleep disorders, and particularly to a standby control for automatically operating an air blower in CPAP apparatus. A blower is connected through a hose and a mask, such as a nasal mask or a nasal cannula, to the patient'"'"'s respiratory airway. Initially, the blower is in a standby mode in which it is either turned off or, preferably, operated at a low speed. When a patient starts breathing through the mask, the blower is automatically switched to an operating mode. In the operating mode, the blower may be controlled to initially supply a low air pressure to the mask which either is increased after a sufficient time delay to allow the patient to fall asleep or is increased in response to the detection of a respiratory event such as apnea or hypopnea. If patient breathing through the mask ceases because the mask has been removed or otherwise is no longer sufficiently sealed to the patient'"'"'s airway, the blower is automatically returned to the low pressure standby mode. If the patient does not begin breathing through the mask within a predetermined time, the blower is stopped. An optional recorder measures the total time that the patient is breathing through the mask or the total time that the blower is in the operating mode to provide the prescribing physician or technician with patient compliance information.
400 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for controlling CPAP apparatus which applies a positive airway pressure to a patient, said apparatus including an air blower and means for applying a positive air pressure from said blower to a mask adapted to be secured to a patient in communications with the patient'"'"'s respiratory airway, said method comprising the steps of:
-
a) placing said CPAP apparatus in a standby mode; b) sensing the initiation of patient breathing through said mask; and c) automatically switching said CPAP apparatus from said standby mode to an operating mode in response to the sensing of a patient breathing through said mask to apply a continuous positive airway pressure to such patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
- 12. In a method for controlling CPAP apparatus which includes the step of applying a positive airway pressure to a patient from an air blower connected to a mask adapted to be secured to a patient in sealed communications with the patient'"'"'s respiratory airway, the improvement comprising the steps of sensing gross air leaks resulting from said mask no longer being in sealed communication with the patient'"'"'s airway, and placing said apparatus in a reduced pressure standby mode in response to sensing such gross air leaks.
- 16. In apparatus for applying a continuous positive airway pressure to a patient'"'"'s respiratory system including a blower for establishing a positive air pressure, a mask adapted for sealed communication with a patient'"'"'s nose, and a hose supplying pressurized air from said blower to said mask, an improved control comprising means for operating said blower in a standby mode and in a normal mode, means for detecting when a patient begins breathing into said mask, and means responsive to the detection of patient breathing into said mask for changing the operation of said blower from said standby mode to said normal mode.
Specification