Monitoring device and method

• US 7,785,265 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Humidification Technologies GmbH (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MAP Medizin-Technologie GMBH (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schätzl, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mallari; Patricia C
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLOMB, JORDAN RIVARD
• Application Number:
  US12/078,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600529-543
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0826 Detecting or evaluating apnoea events A61B5/4818 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/40 Respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing information relating to disturbances and/or disease pattern based on a patient'"'"'s breathing parameters. Preferably, the apparatus has multiple functionalities and provides information relating to different disturbances and/or disease patterns. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for identifying different indications of a patient, the apparatus comprising a sensor, for sensing signals indicative of a patient'"'"'s breathing, a processing unit, for processing and/or analyzing the signals, and display means for displaying the outcome of the processing and/or analysis. The corresponding method for identifying different indications of a patient comprises the steps of sensing signals indicative of a patient'"'"'s breathing, processing and/or analyzing the signals, and displaying the outcome of the processing and/or analysis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying different indications of a patient, the apparatus comprising

a sensor configured to sense signals indicative of a patient'"'"'s breathing;

a processing unit configured to process and/or analyze the signals by generating flow and snore channel signals;

a snore detection module configured to calculate a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;

an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module configured to calculate an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;

a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module configured to calculate a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and

a display configured to display data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules as logical YES or NO indicators, the logical YES or NO indicators corresponding the presence or absence of patient snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS, respectively.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the indicators comprise LEDs.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a closed unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a handheld and/or pocket size device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises an energy source.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the energy source is an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one A/D converter.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the filter has a lower frequency cutoff of about 10 Hz.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the filter has an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a single-use apparatus.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second A/D converters, the first A/D converter being usable in the generation of the flow channel signal and the second A/D converter being usable in the generation of the snore channel signal.

14. A portable handheld diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense signals indicative of a patient'"'"'s breathing;

a processing unit configured to generate flow and snore channel signals based on the signals sensed by the sensor;

a snore detection module configured to calculate a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;

an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module configured to calculate an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;

a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module configured to calculate a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and

a display comprising a plurality of logical YES/NO indicators, the YES/NO indicators being actuatable in dependence on calculations from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising first and second A/D converters, the first A/D converter being usable in the generation of the flow channel signal and the second A/D converter being usable in the generation of the snore channel signal.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator, the filter having a lower frequency cutoff about 10 Hz and an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module is configured to calculate a periodic breathing index based on rising and falling gradients.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a nasal cannula.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module is configured to calculate both a periodic breathing index and/or a CS index in dependence on the patient'"'"'s breathing.

20. A method for identifying different indications of a patient via an apparatus usable by the patient, the method comprising

sensing signals indicative of a patient'"'"'s breathing using a sensor connected to the apparatus;

processing and/or analyzing the signals by generating flow and snore channel signals using a processor of the apparatus;

calculating a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals via a snore detection module;

calculating an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal via an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module;

calculating a periodic breathing index and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module via a periodic breathing and/or CS detection module; and

displaying data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising displaying data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules as logical YES or NO indicators, the logical YES or NO indicators corresponding the presence or absence of patient snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS, respectively.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the indicators comprise LEDs.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a closed unit.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a handheld and/or pocket size device.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises an energy source.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the energy source is an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one A/D converter.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the filter has a lower frequency cutoff of about 10 Hz.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the filter has an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.

31. The method according to claim 20, wherein the apparatus is a single-use apparatus.

32. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

generating the flow channel signal via a first A/D converter of the apparatus; and

generating the snore channel signal via a second A/D converter of the apparatus.

33. A method of diagnosing a patient using a portable handheld diagnostic apparatus, the method comprising:

sensing, via a sensor of the apparatus, signals indicative of the patient'"'"'s breathing;

generating, via a processor, flow and snore channel signals based on the signals sensed by the sensor;

calculating, via a snore detection module, a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;

calculating, via an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module, an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;

calculating, via a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module, a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and

selectively actuating a plurality of logical YES/NO indicators provided to the apparatus, in dependence on calculations from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.

34. The method according to claim 33,

generating the flow channel signal via a first A/D converter of the apparatus;

and

generating the snore channel signal via a second A/D converter of the apparatus.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator, the filter having a lower frequency cutoff about 10 Hz and an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.

36. The method according to claim 33, further comprising calculating, via the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module, the periodic breathing index based on rising and falling gradients.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein the apparatus further comprises a nasal cannula.

38. The method according to claim 33, further comprising calculating, via the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module, both the periodic breathing index and/or the CS index in dependence on the patient'"'"'s breathing.