Humidifier sleep apnea treatment apparatus
First Claim
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1. Breathing assistance apparatus for delivering gases to a patient to assist said patient'"'"'s breathing comprising:
- gases supply means, including pressure regulating means for supplying gases at a required pressure level,means for providing an indication of the actual pressure of said gases,humidification means which receive said supply gases and variably humidify said gases up to a required humidity level,humidified gases transportation pathway means which channel said humidified gases to said patient,means for providing an indication of the humidity of said gases, andcontrol means programmed with stored instructions which in response to gases humidity and pressure information supplied by said means for providing an indication of the gases humidity and pressure, controls the pressure of gases supplied by said gases supply means so that the gases flow passing through said humidification means is limited to an amount which can be humidified to said required humidity level by said humidification means.
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Abstract
Apparatus and method of treating OSA (Obstructve Sleep Apnea) are disclosed wherein a Positive Airway Pressure device is utilized to provide a gases supply which is then passed through a humidifier. As the amount of water vapor generated by the humidifier is very low at start up (typically the humidifier comprises a water container on a heating plate) the pressure of gases supplied by the apparatus are controlled so that the humidity of the gases supplied to a patient are always at the maximum of the capability of the humidifier to humidify that air flow.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. Breathing assistance apparatus for delivering gases to a patient to assist said patient'"'"'s breathing comprising:
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gases supply means, including pressure regulating means for supplying gases at a required pressure level, means for providing an indication of the actual pressure of said gases, humidification means which receive said supply gases and variably humidify said gases up to a required humidity level, humidified gases transportation pathway means which channel said humidified gases to said patient, means for providing an indication of the humidity of said gases, and control means programmed with stored instructions which in response to gases humidity and pressure information supplied by said means for providing an indication of the gases humidity and pressure, controls the pressure of gases supplied by said gases supply means so that the gases flow passing through said humidification means is limited to an amount which can be humidified to said required humidity level by said humidification means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of operating breathing assistance apparatus comprising the steps of:
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i) providing a breathing assistance apparatus including gases supply means, gases pressure regulating means, gases humidification means, humidified gases transportation means and control means storing predetermined required pressure and humidity values, ii) initiating said gases humidification means to humidify the gases from said gases supply means, iii) sensing an indication of the pressure of said gases, iv) sensing an indication of the humidity of said gases, v) determining a difference pressure value between said predetermined required pressure value and said sensed indicative pressure value, vi) determining a difference humidity value between said predetermined required humidity value and said sensed indicative humidity value, vii) calculating a required average rate of increase of pressure with respect to humidity by dividing said difference pressure value by said difference humidity value, and viii) controlling said gases pressure regulating means to increase the pressure of said gases at said required average rate of increase until said predetermined required pressure value is attained. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a patient comprising the steps of:
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i) generating a gases flow, ii) humidifying said gases flow, iii) supplying said gases flow to said patient via said patient'"'"'s mouth, and iv) automatically controlling the pressure of said gases flow in line with stored instructions so that said pressure increases in line with increases in the humidity of said gases flow.
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23. A method of treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a patient comprising the steps of:
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i) generating a gases flow; ii) humidifying said gases flow, iii) supplying said gases flow to said patient via said patient'"'"'s mouth, iv) sensing an indication of the pressure of said gases, v) sensing an indication of the humidity of said gases, vi) determining a difference pressure value between a predetermined required pressure value and said sensed indicative pressure value, vii) determining a difference humidity value between a predetermined required humidity value and said sensed indicative humidity value, viii) calculating a required average rate of increase of pressure with respect to humidity by dividing said difference pressure value by said difference humidity value, and ix) controlling the pressure of said gases at said required average rate of increase until said predetermined required value is attained. - View Dependent Claims (24, 26, 27)
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25. A method of treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a patient as claimed in clam 23 wherein subsequent to said step (v) of sensing an indication of the humidity of said gases, said method also includes the step of deciding if the initially sensed humidity of said gases is at or greater than about 75% of said predetermined required humidity value, in which case said control means controls said gases supply means to increase the pressure of said gases from zero to said predetermined required pressure value over a fixed period of time.
Specification