Method and apparatus for increasing cough flow
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsMaarten Leonardus Christian Brand, Wei Zhou, Huimin Chen
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Abstract
A system and method are configured to utilize patient effort to increase cough flow of a subject by limiting airway collapse by causing a series of exsufflation events over an individual exhalation of the subject. A single exhalation of the subject is segmented into a series of exsufflation events by a processor configured to toggle a pressure regulator between a first airway closed mode and a second airway open mode. The processor is configured such that the transitions between the closed and open modes are initiated based on predetermined timing or based on output signals generated by sensors monitoring one or more gas parameters (for example, pressure) in the airway of the patient.
Claims15
A device configured to enhance cough flow of a subject, the device comprising;
- a subject interface configured to communicate with an airway of the subject;
- a pressure regulator configured to selectively control flow through the subject interface, the pressure regulator operating in (i) a first mode in which the subject interface is closed such that substantially no gas is communicated with the airway of the subject therethrough, and (ii) a second mode in which the subject interface is opened to permit gas to be exhausted from the airway of the subject through the subject interface;
- and
- a controller configured to successively toggle the pressure regulator between the first mode and the second mode during an individual exhalation of the subject, to cause a series of exsufflation events to occur during the individual exhalation of the subject, wherein the controller comprises one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
- a pressurization module configured to receive, from a user control interface, information indicating that the subject has pressurized the subject interface, the information including an input by the subject to the user control interface;
- and
- a control module configured to control operation of the pressure regulator between the first mode and the second mode to exsufflate the subject, wherein the control module is configured to exsufflate the subject by placing the pressure regulator in the first mode until a determination by the pressurization module that the subject has pressurized the subject interface, and, responsive to such a determination, to cause a series of exsufflation events over an individual exhalation of the subject through the subject interface by toggling, based on a user setting, the pressure regulator between the first mode and the second mode during the individual exhalation.
A method for controlling a cough flow enhancement device, the method comprising;
- interfacing with a subject interface, an airway of the subject;
- operating a pressure regulator in a first mode in which the subject interface is closed such that substantially no gas is communicated with the airway of the subject therethrough;
- receiving, from a user control interface, information indicating pressurization of the subject interface by the subject, the information including an input by the subject to the user control interface;
- and
- responsive to a determination that the subject has pressurized the subject interface, successively toggling, based on a user setting, the pressure regulator between the first mode and a second mode during a single exhalation of the subject, to create a series of exsufflation events to occur during the single exhalation, wherein in the second mode the subject interface is opened to permit gas to be exhausted from the airway of the subject through the subject interface.
A system configured to enhance a cough flow of a subject, the system comprising:
- means for communicating with an airway of the subject;
- means for selectively controlling flow through the means for communicating, the means for selectively regulating flow operating in (i) a first mode in which the means for communicating is closed such that substantially no gas is communicated with the airway of the subject therethrough, and (ii) a second mode in which the means for communicating is opened to permit gas to be exhausted from the airway of the subject through the means for communicating;
- means for receiving information indicating that the subject has pressurized the means for communicating, the information including an input by the subject to a means for accepting user input to the system;
- and
- means for controlling operation of the means for selectively controlling flow between the first mode and the second mode to exsufflate the subject, wherein the means for controlling the means for selectively regulating exsufflates the subject by placing the means for selectively regulating in the first mode until a determination that the subject has pressurized the means for communicating, and, responsive to such a determination, successively toggling, based on a user setting, the means for regulating between the first mode and the second mode during an individual exhalation of the subject, to create a series of exsufflation events to occur during the individual exhalation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.