System and method for entraining the breathing of a subject

• US 9,789,275 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Iyer, Vijay Kumar, Colbaugh, Michael Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Ditmer, Kathryn E
• Application Number:
  US13/377,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20120085347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,680 Days
• Field of Search: 12820611, 12820412, 12820411, 12820718, 12820615, 12820423
• 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 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0866 Passive resistors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0033 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0088 modulated by a simulated respiratory frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• 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 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0093 the load of the exercise apparatus being controlled by performance parameters, e.g. distance or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0085 using pneumatic force-resisters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/18 for improving respiratory function

Abstract

A respiration appliance (10) is configured to entrain the breathing of the subject. The breathing of the subject is entrained to modulate the autonomic nervous system of the subject to decrease sympathetic nerve activity and/or to reduce sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in order to provide relaxation to the subject. The respiration appliance (10) restricts the exhalation of the subject, while permitting substantially unencumbered inhalation, to impact the breathing of the subject in a manner that enhances relaxation.

Claims

1. A respiration appliance configured to entrain the breathing of a subject, the respiration appliance comprising:

a body configured to enclose two external orifices of an airway of the subject, wherein the body forms one or more flow paths between the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject and ambient atmosphere, the one or more flow paths comprising a first subset of flow paths between two inhalation ports formed by the body and the two external orifices, and a second subset of flow paths between two exhalation ports formed by the body and the two external orifices, the two inhalation ports being located remotely from the two exhalation ports, the two exhalation ports being located remotely from each other;

one or more valves disposed in the body, the one or more valves comprising two inhalation valves individually coupled with the two inhalation ports and two exhalation valves individually coupled with the two exhalation ports, the one or more valves being configured to provide (i) a cumulative inhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from ambient atmosphere to the two external orifices of the airway of the subject, and (ii) a cumulative exhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from the two external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere,

wherein the cumulative inhalation resistance is low enough that the subject can inhale freely from ambient atmosphere through the body, and

wherein the cumulative exhalation resistance is higher than the cumulative inhalation resistance, and is selected to entrain the breathing of the subject while the subject is conscious to modulate the autonomic nervous system of the subject to decrease sympathetic nerve activity and/or to reduce sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in order to provide relaxation to the subject;

a movable flap disposed at or near one of the exhalation valves, wherein the movable flap is configured to be moved away from the body in response to a pressure differential between the one or more flow paths formed by the body and ambient atmosphere breaching a threshold pressure differential, and wherein the movable flap moving away from the body is configured to prompt the subject to alter their breathing;

one or more sensors configured to generate one or more output signals conveying information related to a physiological parameter; and

a processor in operative communication with the one or more sensors, the processor being configured to automatically adjust operation of the two exhalation valves to control the cumulative exhalation resistance based on the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors to modulate the physiological parameter.

2. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the entrainment of the breathing of the subject modulates in a predetermined manner a physiological parameter associated with a breathing rate and/or a tidal volume of respiration.

3. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the automatic adjustment of the operation of the two exhalation valves configured to control the cumulative exhalation resistance comprises controlling the two exhalation valves to ramp the cumulative resistance to exhalation gradually over time to modulate the physiological parameter until a target physiological parameter is reached.

4. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the physiological parameter comprises blood pressure.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a first one of the two enclosed external orifices and a first one of the two inhalation ports are located along a first axis of the body;

a second one of the two enclosed external orifices and a second one of the two inhalation ports are located along a second axis of the body;

the two exhalation ports are located along a third axis of the body at opposite ends of the body;

the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel; and

the third axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

6. A method of entraining the breathing of a subject with a respiration appliance, the respiration appliance comprising a body, a movable flap, one or more sensors, and one or more physical computer processors, the method comprising:

enclosing two external orifices of an airway of the subject with the body such that one or more flow paths are formed between the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject and ambient atmosphere, the one or more flow paths comprising a first subset of flow paths between two inhalation ports formed by the body and the two external orifices, and a second subset of flow paths between two exhalation ports formed by the body and the two external orifices, the two inhalation ports being located remotely from the two exhalation ports, the two exhalation ports being located remotely from each other;

providing, during inhalation with one or more valves disposed in the body, a cumulative inhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from ambient atmosphere to the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject, wherein the cumulative inhalation resistance is low enough that the subject can inhale freely from ambient atmosphere through the one or more flow paths, and wherein the one or more valves comprise two inhalation valves individually coupled with the two inhalation ports and two exhalation valves individually coupled with the two exhalation ports; and

providing, during exhalation with the two inhalation valves and the two exhalation valves, a cumulative exhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere, wherein the cumulative exhalation resistance is higher than the cumulative inhalation resistance, and is selected to entrain the breathing of the subject while the subject is conscious to modulate the autonomic nervous system of the subject to decrease sympathetic nerve activity and/or to reduce sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in order to provide relaxation to the subject;

disposing the movable flap at or near one of the exhalation valves, wherein the movable flap is moved away from the body due to a pressure differential between the one or more flow paths formed by the means for enclosing and ambient atmosphere breaching a threshold pressure differential, and wherein the movable flap moving away from the body is configured to prompt the subject to alter their breathing;

generating, with the one or more sensors, one or more output signals conveying information related to a physiological parameter; and

adjusting, with the one or more physical computer processors, operation of the two exhalation valves to control the cumulative exhalation resistance automatically based on the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors to modulate the physiological parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the entrainment of the breathing of the subject modulates in a predetermined manner a physiological parameter associated with a breathing rate and/or a tidal volume of respiration.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the adjusting operation of the two exhalation valves to control the cumulative exhalation resistance automatically comprises controlling the two exhalation valves to ramp the cumulative resistance to exhalation gradually over time to modulate the physiological parameter until a target physiological parameter is reached.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the physiological parameter comprises blood pressure.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein:

a first one of the two enclosed external orifices and a first one of the two inhalation ports are located along a first axis of the body;

a second one of the two enclosed external orifices and a second one of the two inhalation ports are located along a second axis of the body;

the two exhalation ports are located along a third axis of the body at opposite ends of the body;

the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel; and

the third axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

11. A system configured to entrain the breathing of a subject, the system comprising:

means for enclosing two external orifices of an airway of the subject such that one or more flow paths are formed between the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject and ambient atmosphere, the one or more flow paths comprising a first subset of flow paths between two inhalation ports formed by the means for enclosing and the two external orifices, and a second subset of flow paths between two exhalation ports formed by the means for enclosing and the two external orifices, the two inhalation ports being located remotely from the two exhalation ports, the two exhalation ports being located remotely from each other;

means for providing, during inhalation with one or more valves disposed in the means for enclosing, a cumulative inhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from ambient atmosphere to the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject, wherein the cumulative inhalation resistance is low enough that the subject can inhale freely from ambient atmosphere through the one or more flow paths, and wherein the one or more valves comprise two inhalation valves individually coupled with the two inhalation ports and two exhalation valves individually coupled with the two exhalation ports; and

means for providing, during exhalation with the two inhalation valves and the two exhalation valves, a cumulative exhalation resistance to gas flow within the one or more flow paths to gas flowing from the two enclosed external orifices of the airway of the subject to ambient atmosphere, wherein the cumulative exhalation resistance is higher than the cumulative inhalation resistance, and is selected to entrain the breathing of the subject while the subject is conscious to modulate the autonomic nervous system of the subject to decrease sympathetic nerve activity and/or to reduce sympathetic/parasympathetic balance in order to provide relaxation to the subject;

movable flap means disposed at or near one of the exhalation valves, wherein the movable flap means is configured to be moved away from the means for enclosing due to a pressure differential between the one or more flow paths formed by the means for enclosing and ambient atmosphere breaching a threshold pressure differential, and wherein the movable flap means moving away from the means for enclosing is configured to prompt the subject to alter their breathing;

means for generating one or more output signals conveying information related to a physiological parameter; and

means for adjusting the operation of the two exhalation valves to control the cumulative exhalation resistance automatically based on the generated one or more output signals to modulate the physiological parameter.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the entrainment of the breathing of the subject modulates in a predetermined manner a physiological parameter associated with a breathing rate and/or a tidal volume of respiration.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for adjusting the two exhalation valves to control the cumulative exhalation resistance automatically comprises controlling the two exhalation valves to ramp the cumulative resistance to exhalation gradually over time to modulate the physiological parameter until a target physiological parameter is reached.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the physiological parameter comprises blood pressure.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein:

a first one of the two enclosed external orifices and a first one of the two inhalation ports are located along a first axis of the means for enclosing;

a second one of the two enclosed external orifices and a second one of the two inhalation ports are located along a second axis of the means for enclosing;

the two exhalation ports are located along a third axis of the means for enclosing at opposite ends of the means for enclosing;

the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel; and

the third axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.