Discreet respiratory therapy system

• US 9,669,172 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ResMed Pty Ltd. (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Resmed Limited (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Aaron Samuel, Formica, Justin John, Cullen, Christopher Samuel, Gupta, Tumul, Dantanarayana, Muditha Pradeep, Mazzone, Damien Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boecker, Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US13/934,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20140020687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0069 the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/026 specially adapted for predicting, e.g. for determining an information representative of a flow limitation during a ventilation cycle by using a root square technique or a regression analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0866 Passive resistors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1005 with O2 features or with parameter measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/127 by Venturi effect, i.e. entrainment mixers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/201 Controlled valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/203 Proportional
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/204 used for inhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/207 : Membrane valves with pneumatic amplification stage, i.e. having master and slave membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 : Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 : with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 : pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 : in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/21 : insensitive to tilting or inclination, e.g. spill-over prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 : Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 : Controlling downstream pump pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 : remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 : local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 : using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 : using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 : with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 : User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/75 : with filters

Abstract

A device provides respiratory treatment such as for sleep disordered breathing and other respiratory conditions in a discreet configuration to provide a minimally invasive system. The system may include a flow pressurizer apparatus configured to generate a pressurized flow of air through a fine bore delivery conduit toward a patient interface. The system may further include a treatment compensator coupled with the fine bore delivery conduit. The treatment compensator may be configured at the patient interface to reduce pressure for patient inspiration. A processor may control adjustments to the pressure generated by the flow pressurizer apparatus.

Claims

1. A respiratory treatment system comprising:

a flow pressurizer apparatus configured to generate a pressurized flow of air through a fine bore delivery conduit toward a patient interface;

a treatment compensator coupled with the fine bore delivery conduit at the patient interface and configured to reduce a first pressure from the fine bore delivery conduit to a second pressure for delivery to a patient from the treatment compensator, the second pressure being above atmospheric pressure; and

a processor configured to control adjustments to the first pressure generated by the flow pressurizer apparatus,

wherein the flow pressurizer apparatus comprises a first flow generator and second flow generator, each flow generator comprising a motor with impeller and volute, wherein the first flow generator is configured to generate a fixed pressure to overcome pressure drop introduced by the fine bore delivery conduit, and wherein the second flow generator is configured to dynamically generate treatment pressure to different levels of pressurization above the fixed pressure.

2. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 wherein the second flow generator comprises a controller to control operation of the second flow generator and to control operation of the first flow generator.

3. The respiratory treatment system of claim 2 wherein the first flow generator is coupled with the second flow generator by a large bore delivery conduit.

4. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 further comprising a Venturi chamber coupled to the patient interface, the Venturi chamber configured to entrain atmospheric air proximate to a nozzle coupled with an output of the fine bore delivery conduit.

5. The respiratory treatment system of claim 4 further comprising a foam filter configured at an entrainment inlet of the Venturi chamber.

6. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 wherein the treatment compensator comprises a pressure step-down chamber including a shuttle configured to move to reduce the first pressure at an input to the step-down chamber to the second pressure at an output of the step-down chamber, the shuttle activated by an air feed-back passage.

7. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 wherein the treatment compensator comprises a stint valve configured to selectively reduce a flexible passage of the treatment compensator to reduce the first pressure for patient inspiration.

8. The respiratory treatment system of claim 7 wherein the stint valve comprises a solenoid actuator controlled by the processor as a function of a measure of pressure from a pressure sensor located proximate to an output of the stint valve.

9. The respiratory treatment system of claim 7 wherein the stint valve comprises an actuation lever.

10. The respiratory treatment system of claim 9 wherein the lever is configured proximate to a pressure feedback chamber having a membrane, the membrane being configured to move the lever with changing pressure of the pressure feedback chamber.

11. The respiratory treatment system of claim 7 wherein the stint valve comprises first and second pressure activation chambers adjacent to first and second membranes of the flexible passage, the first pressure activation chamber comprising a feed-forward pressure chamber in gas communication with an input side of the flexible passage, the second pressure activation chamber comprising a feedback pressure chamber in gas communication with an output side of the flexible passage.

12. The respiratory treatment system of claim 11 wherein the first pressure activation chamber includes a release vent having a release vent gate.

13. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 further comprising a gas source input configured to couple with a supplemental oxygen gas source, the input to direct the supplemental oxygen to mix with the pressurized air.

14. The respiratory treatment system of claim 1 where the treatment compensator is configured to deliver the reduced second pressure above atmospheric pressure to the patient interface during patient inspiration.

15. A respiratory treatment system of claim 1 wherein the treatment compensator includes a shuttle.

16. A method for control of a respiratory treatment apparatus, the method comprising:

producing with a flow pressurizer system a flow of air through a fine bore delivery conduit toward a patient interface at a first pressure above atmospheric pressure;

compensating at the patient interface with a treatment compensator to reduce the first pressure to a second pressure for delivery to a patient from the treatment compensator, the second pressure being above atmospheric pressure; and

with a processor, controlling adjustments to the first pressure generated by the flow pressurizer system,

wherein the flow pressurizer system comprises a first flow generator and second flow generator, each flow generator comprising a motor with impeller and volute, wherein the first flow generator is configured to generate a fixed pressure to overcome pressure drop introduced by the fine bore delivery conduit, and wherein the second flow generator is configured to dynamically generate treatment pressure to different levels of pressurization above the fixed pressure.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the a controller of the second flow generator controls operation of the second flow generator and the first flow generator.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second flow generator is coupled with the first flow generator by a large bore delivery conduit.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising entraining atmospheric air with a Venturi chamber coupled to the patient interface, the entraining proximate to a nozzle coupled with an output of the fine bore delivery conduit.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the entraining is performed through a foam filter configured at an entrainment inlet of the Venturi chamber.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the treatment compensator comprises a pressure step-down chamber including a shuttle moving to reduce the first pressure at an input to the step-down chamber to the second pressure at an output of the step-down chamber, the shuttle activated by an air feed-back passage.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the treatment compensator comprises a stint valve that selectively reduces a flexible passage of the treatment compensator to reduce the first pressure for patient inspiration.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the stint valve comprises a solenoid actuator controlled by the processor as a function of a measure of pressure from a pressure sensor located proximate to an output of the stint valve.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the stint valve comprises an actuation lever.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the lever is configured proximate to a pressure feedback chamber having a membrane, the membrane flexing to move the lever with changing pressure of the pressure feedback chamber.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the stint valve comprises first and second pressure activation chambers adjacent to first and second membranes of the flexible passage, the first pressure activation chamber comprising a feed-forward pressure chamber in gas communication with an input side of the flexible passage, the second pressure activation chamber comprising a feedback pressure chamber in gas communication with an output side of the flexible passage.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first pressure activation chamber includes a release vent having a release vent gate.

28. The method of claim 16 further comprising a gas source input configured to couple with a supplemental oxygen gas source, the input directing the supplemental oxygen to mix with the pressurized air.

29. The method of claim 16 where the treatment compensator delivers the reduced second pressure above atmospheric pressure to the patient interface during patient inspiration.

30. The method of claim 16 wherein the treatment compensator includes a shuttle.