SYSTEM, METHOD AND RESPIRATION APPLIANCE FOR SUPPORTING THE AIRWAY OF A SUBJECT

• US 20120227742A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Witt, Erik Kurt, Colbaugh, Michael Edward, Clegg, William Edwin, Mechlenburg, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,844,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 breaths. 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 the 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;

one or more valves disposed in the body configured to provide a controllable resistance to the flow of gas from the interior of the body to the exterior of the body; and

a processor configured to control 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 while the subject breathes through the body.

2. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to ramp the resistance of the one or more valves up over time.

3. The respiration appliance of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors generating one or more output signals that convey information related to the 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.

4. The respiration appliance of claim 3, 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 if the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors indicate that the airway of the subject is unstable such that the increased pressure within the airway of the subject caused by the increased resistance of the 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.

5. The respiration appliance of claim 3, 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 if the one or more output signals generated by the one or more sensors indicate that the airway of the subject is stable.

6. The respiration appliance of claim 3, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a transducer that transduces vibration of the tissue of the subject or sound waves.

7. The respiration appliance of claim 3, wherein the one or more sensors comprises a sensor that monitors the flow rate and/or the pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

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

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

10. The respiration appliance of claim 9, 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 with relatively little resistance.

11. The respiration appliance of claim 1, wherein the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprise the nostrils of the subject.

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

enclosing 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 the controlling is performed as the subject breathes through the one or more flow paths.

13. The method 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 ramping the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths up over time.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating one or more output signals that convey information related to the 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 output signals.

15. The method of claim 14, 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 of the one or more flow paths to gas flow if the one or more generated output signals indicate that the airway of the subject is unstable such that the increased pressure within the airway of the subject caused by the increased resistance of the flow paths to gas flow provides support to the airway of the subject.

16. The method of claim 14, 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 of the one or more flow paths to gas flow if the one or more generated output signals indicate that the airway of the subject is stable.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the one or more output signals comprises transducing vibration of the tissue of the subject or sound waves.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein generating one or more the output signals comprises generating a signal indicative of the flow rate and/or the pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

19. The method of claim 12, 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 the exterior of the enclosed one or more external orifices.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising enabling gas from in the ambient atmosphere to reach the enclosed 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.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprise the nostrils of the subject.

22. A respiratory appliance configured to support the 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; and

means for 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.

23. The respiratory appliance of claim 22, wherein the means for 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 means for ramping the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths up over time.

24. The respiratory appliance of claim 22, further comprising means for generating one or more output signals that convey information related to the stability of the airway of the subject, wherein the means for 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 means for controlling the resistance to gas flow of the one or more flow paths based on the generated output signals.

25. The respiration appliance of claim 24, wherein the means for 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 comprise means for increasing the resistance of the one or more flow paths to gas flow if the one or more generated output signals indicate that the airway of the subject is unstable such that the increased pressure within the airway of the subject caused by the increased resistance of the flow paths to gas flow provides support to the airway of the subject.

26. The respiration appliance of claim 24, wherein the means for 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 comprise means for decreasing the resistance of the one or more flow paths to gas flow if the one or more generated output signals indicate that the airway of the subject is stable.

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

28. The respiration appliance of claim 24, wherein the means for generating one or more the output signals generate a signal indicative of the flow rate and/or the pressure of gas at or near the airway of the subject.

29. The respiration appliance of claim 22, wherein the means for enclosing the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprise a membrane that surrounds the exterior of the enclosed one or more external orifices.

30. The respiration appliance of claim 22, further comprising means for enabling gas from in the ambient atmosphere to reach the enclosed 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.

31. The respiration appliance of claim 22, wherein the one or more external orifices of the airway of the subject comprise the nostrils of the subject.