CPAP pressure and flow transducer
First Claim
1. In a positive airway pressure apparatus including a gas delivery unit operable to deliver pressurized gas to a patient'"'"'s airway during successive patient breath cycles, a sensor operably connected with said unit and a controller coupled with said sensor, the improvement which comprises:
- said sensor operable to measure a patient breath-indicating parameter selected from the group consisting of pressure, air flow direction and combinations thereof in said unit and to generate a sensor output corresponding to said parameter;
said output presenting high and low peaks during a breath; and
said controller receiving said sensor output for analyzing the output to determine use or non-use of the apparatus by the patient as a function of said measured parameter and operable for analyzing said peaks and comparing said peaks to peak data representative of previous breaths of the patient for determining whether current high and low peaks are representative of an actual breath.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) apparatus for treatment of sleep apnea stores data indicating patient compliance with the prescribed mode of use. The apparatus includes a tubular probe positioned transversely in the conduit between the blower and nose mask. The probe tip is configured for creating a varying pressure across in the probe in response to varying air flow thereacross indicative of patient respiration. A pressure sensor connected to the probe produces signals representative of the varying air pressure. Compliance data, derived from the pressure sensor signals and representative of the patient'"'"'s use of the apparatus, are stored for subsequent analysis.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. In a positive airway pressure apparatus including a gas delivery unit operable to deliver pressurized gas to a patient'"'"'s airway during successive patient breath cycles, a sensor operably connected with said unit and a controller coupled with said sensor, the improvement which comprises:
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said sensor operable to measure a patient breath-indicating parameter selected from the group consisting of pressure, air flow direction and combinations thereof in said unit and to generate a sensor output corresponding to said parameter; said output presenting high and low peaks during a breath; and said controller receiving said sensor output for analyzing the output to determine use or non-use of the apparatus by the patient as a function of said measured parameter and operable for analyzing said peaks and comparing said peaks to peak data representative of previous breaths of the patient for determining whether current high and low peaks are representative of an actual breath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a positive airway pressure apparatus including a gas delivery unit operable to deliver pressurized gas to a patient'"'"'s airway during successive patient breath cycles, a sensor operably connected with said unit and a controller coupled with said sensor, the improvement which comprises:
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said sensor operable to measure a patient breath-indicating parameter selected from the group consisting of pressure, air flow direction and combinations thereof in said unit and to generate a sensor output corresponding to said parameter; said controller receiving said sensor output for analyzing the output to determine use or non-use of the apparatus by the patient as a function of said measured parameter; said output including waveforms having peaks representative of a patient breath-indicating parameter and thereby representative of patient respiration; said controller including a computer program operable for directing said controller and analyzing said waveform; and said program including high and low peak detect for said waveforms and operable for analyzing peak-to-peak differences to determine if said peaks are representative of actual patient breaths. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a positive airway pressure apparatus including a gas delivery unit operable to deliver pressurized gas to a patient'"'"'s airway during successive patient breath cycles, a sensor operably connected with said unit, and a controller coupled with said sensor, the improvement which comprises:
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said sensor operable to measure a patient breath-indicating parameter selected from the group consisting of pressure, air flow direction and combinations thereof in said unit and to generate a sensor output corresponding to said parameter; said controller receiving said sensor output for analyzing the output to determine use or non-use of the apparatus by the patient as a function of said measured parameter; said gas delivery unit including a blower unit and a conduit connected with said blower unit and adapted for coupling with a patient, said blower unit delivering pressurized gas through said conduit to the patient; and said sensor including a tubular probe having a probe tip positioned in said conduit and oriented within the confines of said conduit in order to intersect gas flow through the conduit, said probe having an opposed probe end, said probe tip configured for producing varying pressure in said probe that vary according to said air flow direction in said conduit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification