Breathing gas delivery method and apparatus
First Claim
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1. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
- providing a pressure support system to a patient diagnosed as suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, wherein the pressure support system is adapted to generate a flow of gas;
communicating the flow of gas to an airway of a patient via a patient circuit connected to the pressure support system;
applying the flow of gas to an airway of such a patient during at least a portion of an inspiratory phase at a pressure sufficient to prevent airway obstruction; and
adjusting a pressure of the flow of gas in the patient'"'"'s airway to coordinate the application of a positive pressure to such a patient'"'"'s airway with an occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of such a patient'"'"'s respiration so as to provide the positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases, and wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of each expiratory phase is less than a magnitude of the positive pressure during at least a portion of an immediately preceding inspiratory phase.
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Abstract
An improved methodology and systems for delivery of breathing gas such as for the treatment of obstructive 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, and improved methods and apparatus for triggering and for leak management in such systems.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing a pressure support system to a patient diagnosed as suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, wherein the pressure support system is adapted to generate a flow of gas; communicating the flow of gas to an airway of a patient via a patient circuit connected to the pressure support system; applying the flow of gas to an airway of such a patient during at least a portion of an inspiratory phase at a pressure sufficient to prevent airway obstruction; and adjusting a pressure of the flow of gas in the patient'"'"'s airway to coordinate the application of a positive pressure to such a patient'"'"'s airway with an occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of such a patient'"'"'s respiration so as to provide the positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases, and wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of each expiratory phase is less than a magnitude of the positive pressure during at least a portion of an immediately preceding inspiratory phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing a pressure support system to a patient diagnosed as suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, wherein the pressure support system is adapted to generate a flow of gas; communicating the flow of gas to an airway of such a patient; adjusting a pressure of the flow of gas to coordinate with an occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of such a patient'"'"'s respiration so as to provide a positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases, wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of each expiratory phase is less than the positive pressure during at least a portion of an immediately preceding inspiratory phase, and wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of the inspiratory phase is at a level sufficient to prevent an airway obstruction; and identifying changes in such a patient'"'"'s respiratory state between inspiration and expiration by monitoring the flow of gas to detect a first parameter indicative of an instantaneous flow rate, processing the first parameter to provide a reference, and comparing the first parameter and the reference. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing a pressure support system to a patient diagnosed as suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, wherein the pressure support system is adapted to generate a flow of gas; communicating the flow of gas to an airway of such a patient; adjusting a pressure of the flow of gas to coordinate with an occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of such a patient'"'"'s respiration so as to provide a positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases, wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of each expiratory phase is less than the positive pressure during at least a portion of an immediately preceding inspiratory phase, and wherein the positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during at least a portion of the inspiratory phase is at a level sufficient to prevent an airway obstruction; and determining a leak component of the flow of gas by determining a rate of the flow of gas, integrating the rate of the flow of for a selected plurality of patient respiratory cycles to determine a total respiratory gas volume for the selected plurality of patient respiratory cycles, and dividing the total respiratory gas volume for the selected plurality of patient respiratory cycles by a time duration associated with the selected plurality of patient respiratory cycles. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of treating obstructive sleep apnea comprising the steps of:
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providing a pressure support system to a patient diagnosed as suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, wherein the pressure support system is adapted to generate a flow of gas; communicating the flow of gas to an airway of a patient; adjusting a pressure of the flow of gas to coordinate with an occurrence of alternating inspiratory and expiratory phases of such a patient'"'"'s respiration so as to provide a positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during a sequence of inspiratory and expiratory phases, wherein the positive pressure during at least a portion of each expiratory phase is less the positive pressure during at least a portion of an immediately preceding inspiratory phase, and wherein the positive pressure in such a patient'"'"'s airway during at least a portion of the inspiratory phase is at a level sufficient to prevent an airway obstruction; measuring a total flow of the flow of gas; measuring a pressure P(t) of the flow of gas; calculating, based on the total flow and the pressure, a characteristic K of a hypothetical orifice, which represents an orifice through which all leakage of gas from the pressure support system occurs; and determining a total instantaneous flow of the leakage of gas from the pressure support system based on the characteristic K of the hypothetical orifice. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification