System, method and respiration appliance for supporting the airway of a subject

• US 8,844,531 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Witt, Erik Kurt, Colbaugh, Michael Edward, Clegg, William Edwin, Mechlenburg, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan-Uyen (Jackie) T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRYANT, ERIC C
• Application Number:
  US13/140,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/10 Flow characteristics

Abstract

A respiration appliance, system, and method for supporting the airway of a subject as the subject breathes. The flow of gas from the lungs of the subject during exhalation is leveraged to provide support to the airway. In particular, a body that encloses one or more external orifices of the subject provides a resistance differential between inhaled gas flows and exhaled gas flows that supports the subject'"'"'s airway.

Claims

1. A respiration appliance configured to support an airway of a subject as the subject breathes, the respiration appliance comprising:

a body configured to enclose one or more external orifices of the airway of a subject, wherein the body is wearable;

one or more valves disposed in the body, wherein the one or more valves are configured to provide a controllable resistance during exhalations by the subject to a flow of gas from an interior of the body to an exterior of the body; and

a processor configured to control a resistance of the one or more valves to the flow of gas from the interior of the body to the exterior of the body while the subject exhales through the body, wherein the processor is further configured to increase the resistance of the one or more valves over multiple exhalations to enable the subject to become accustomed to breathing through the body.

2. The respiration appliance of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors generating one or more output signals that convey information related to stability of the airway of the subject, wherein the processor is configured to control the resistance of the one or more valves based on the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors.

3. The respiration appliance of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to increase the resistance of the one or more valves to the flow of gas from the interior of the body to the exterior of the body responsive to the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors indicating that the airway of the subject is unstable such that increased pressure within the airway of the subject caused by the increased resistance of the one or more valves to the flow of gas from the interior of the body to the exterior of the body provides support to the airway of the subject.

4. The respiration appliance of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to decrease the resistance of the one or more valves to the flow of gas from the interior of the body to the exterior of the body when the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors indicate that the airway of the subject is stable.

5. The respiration appliance of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a transducer configured to transduce vibration of tissue of the subject or sound waves.

6. The respiration appliance of claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a sensor that monitors a flow rate and/or a pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

7. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the body includes a membrane that surrounds an exterior of the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject.

8. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein gas passes from the exterior of the body to the interior of the body to enable the subject to inhale freely through the one or more external orifices of the airway that are enclosed by the body.

9. The respiration appliance of claim 8, further comprising one or more inhalation valves disposed in the body that enable gas to pass from the exterior of the body to the interior of the body such that the subject is enabled to inhale freely through the one or more inhalation valves.

10. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to enclose nostrils of the subject.

11. A method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes, the method comprising:

configured for enclosing a wearable body, one or more external orifices of the airway of a subject;

controlling a resistance to gas flow of one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere, wherein controlling the resistance is performed by one or more valves disposed in the wearable body, wherein controlling the resistance is performed during exhalations as the subject exhales through the one or more flow paths, and wherein controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises increasing the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths over multiple exhalations to enable the subject to become accustomed to breathing through the one or more flow paths.

12. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 11, further comprising generating one or more output signals that convey information related to stability of the airway of the subject, wherein controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths based on the generated one or more output signals.

13. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 12, wherein controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises increasing the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths responsive to the generated one or more output signals indicating that the airway of the subject is unstable such that increased pressure within the airway of the subject caused by the increased resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths provides support to the airway of the subject.

14. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 12, wherein controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises decreasing the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths responsive to the generated one or more output signals indicating that the airway of the subject is stable.

15. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 12, wherein generating the one or more output signals comprises a transducer configured for transducing vibration of tissue of the subject or sound waves.

16. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 12, wherein generating one or more the output signals comprises generating a signal indicative of a flow rate and/or a pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

17. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 11, wherein enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprises enclosing the one or more external orifices with a membrane that surrounds an exterior of the enclosed one or more external orifices.

18. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 11, further comprising enabling gas from in the ambient atmosphere to reach the enclosed one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject such that the subject is able to inhale freely through the one or more external orifices of the airway that are enclosed.

19. The method of supporting an airway of a subject as the subject breathes of claim 11, wherein enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject includes enclosing nostrils of the subject.

20. A respiratory appliance configured to support an airway of a subject as the subject breathes, the respiratory appliance comprising:

means for enclosing one or more external orifices of the airway of a subject, wherein the means for enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject is wearable; and

means for controlling a resistance during exhalations by the subject to gas flow of one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere, wherein the means for controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises means for increasing the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths over multiple exhalations to enable the subject to become accustomed to breathing through the one or more flow paths, wherein the means for controlling the resistance during the exhalations by the subject to the gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which the gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to the ambient atmosphere is disposed in the means for enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject.

21. The respiratory appliance of claim 20, further comprising means for generating one or more output signals that convey information related to stability of the airway of the subject, wherein the means for controlling the resistance during the exhalations by the Subject to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises means for controlling the resistance during the exhalations by the Subject to gas flow of the one or more flow paths based on the generated output signals.

22. The respiration appliance of claim 21, wherein the means for controlling the resistance during the exhalations by the subject to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprises means for increasing the resistance of the one or more flow paths to gas flow responsive to the one or more output signals indicating that the airway of the subject is unstable such that pressure within the airway of the subject is increased by the increased resistance of the flow paths to gas flow provides support to the airway of the subject.

23. The respiration appliance of claim 21, wherein the means for controlling the resistance during the exhalations by the subject to gas flow of the one or more flow paths through which gas is communicated from the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere comprise means for decreasing the resistance of the one or more flow paths to gas flow when the one or more generated output signals indicate that the airway of the subject is stable.

24. The respiration appliance of claim 21, wherein the means for generating the one or more output signals comprise means for transducing vibration of tissue of the subject or sound waves.

25. The respiration appliance of claim 21, wherein the means for generating the one or more output signals that convey information related to the stability of the airway of the subject generate a signal indicative of a flow rate and/or a pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

26. The respiration appliance of claim 20, wherein the means for enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprise a membrane that surrounds an exterior of the enclosed one or more external orifices.

27. The respiration appliance of claim 20, further comprising means for enabling gas from in the ambient atmosphere to reach the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject with relatively little resistance such that the subject is able to inhale freely through the one or more external orifices of the airway that are enclosed.

28. the respiration appliance of claim 20, wherein the means for enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject encloses nostrils of the subject.