Method and apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea
First Claim
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1. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient comprising the steps of:
- (a) sensing inspiration in the patient;
(b) applying bursts of electrical stimulation to a muscle of the patient'"'"'s airway in response to sensed inspiration such that said stimulation has an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration;
(c) detecting an arousal event;
(d) reducing intensity of stimulation following the detection of arousal so that the stimulation is not perceptible to the patient, said reduced intensity maintained for a predetermined period of time after detection of the arousal event; and
(e) after said predetermined period of time has elapsed, increasing the intensity of stimulation to an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration.
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Abstract
A method for treating sleep apnea by bursts of electrical stimulation in response to sensed inspiration which includes detecting an arousal event thereafter maintaining stimulation intensity in response to sensed inspiration below that which is perceptible to the patient. This level of stimulation is maintained for a predetermined period of time after detection of the arousal event in order to allow the patient to return to sleep without perceptible upper airway stimulation.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient comprising the steps of:
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(a) sensing inspiration in the patient; (b) applying bursts of electrical stimulation to a muscle of the patient'"'"'s airway in response to sensed inspiration such that said stimulation has an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration; (c) detecting an arousal event; (d) reducing intensity of stimulation following the detection of arousal so that the stimulation is not perceptible to the patient, said reduced intensity maintained for a predetermined period of time after detection of the arousal event; and (e) after said predetermined period of time has elapsed, increasing the intensity of stimulation to an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient comprising the steps of:
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(a) sensing inspiration in the patient; (b) applying bursts of electrical stimulation to a muscle of the patient'"'"'s airway in response to sensed inspiration such that said stimulation has an intensity effective to maintain patency of an airway of the patient during inspiration; (c) detecting an arousal event; (d) inhibiting stimulation following the detection of arousal for a predetermined period of time after detection of the arousal event; and (e) after said predetermined period of time has elapsed, increasing stimulation to an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. In a method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient by applying bursts of electrical stimulation to a muscle in response to sensed inspiration such that said stimulation has an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration, the improvement comprising:
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(a) initiating a timer; (b) suppressing the stimulation following the initiation of the timer for a predetermined period of time; and (c) after said predetermined period of time has elapsed, increasing stimulation to an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. In a method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient by applying bursts of electrical stimulation to a muscle in response to sensed inspiration such that said stimulation has an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration, the improvement comprising:
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(a) initiating stimulation at an intensity of stimulation that is not perceptible to the patient; (b) increasing the intensity of stimulation at a predetermined rate; and (c) terminating the increase in intensity at a predetermined intensity of stimulation wherein the stimulation is initiated by detection of a signal manually initiated by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A medical device for treating a patient for obstructive sleep apnea comprising:
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(a) sensing means for sensing inspiration in the patient; (b) stimulation means associated with said sensing means for providing a burst of electrical stimulation in response to sensed inspiration at an intensity effective to maintain patency of an airway of the patient during inspiration; (c) detecting means for detecting an arousal event; (d) intensity reducing means associated with said detecting means for reducing the intensity of stimulation such that the stimulation is not perceptible to the patient; (e) clock means associated with said intensity reducing means and said detecting means which maintains said reduced intensity of stimulation for a predetermined period of time after detection of the arousal event; (f) intensity increasing means associated with said clock means for increasing stimulation to an intensity effective to maintain patency of the patient'"'"'s airway during inspiration after the predetermined time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification