System and method for stimulating airways
AssigneeAUT Ventures Limited
InventorsDavid Edward White, Thomas George McLeod
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Abstract
Described is a method of stimulating airways of a mammal comprising: cyclically occluding a nasal air stream at a frequency rate between 50 Hz to 650 Hz. Also described is an apparatus for stimulating airways of a mammal, comprising: a fluid connection to each of a first and second naris of the mammal; and an occluding device configured to cyclically occlude a nasal air stream within each fluid connection at a frequency rate between 100 Hz to 650 Hz.
Claims28
A method of stimulating nasal airways of a mammal wherein the mammal has two nares of a mammal, and a first naris and a second naris, the method comprising:
- providing a fluid connection for each of the first and second naris for a nasal airstream to enter each of the first and second naris of the mammal;
- using an occluding device to cyclically occlude a nasal air stream within each fluid connection to cause pressure oscillations, said cyclic occlusion at a frequency rate between 50 Hz to 650 Hz to deliver pressure oscillations into the air stream entering the respective first or second naris, thereby simulating humming, which stimulates discharge of Nitric Oxide (NO) from a paranasal sinus connected to the nasal airway of the respective first or second naris into the nasal airway of the respective first or second naris so as to improve nasal airflow by reducing congestion of the respective first or second naris,
- wherein during a first mode cyclically occluding the nasal air stream comprises cyclically occluding only the nasal air stream of the first naris,
- wherein during a second mode cyclically occluding the nasal air stream comprises cyclically occluding only the nasal air stream of the second naris, and
- wherein change between the first mode and the second mode is controlled by a controller.
An apparatus for stimulating nasal airways of a mammal, comprising:
- a fluid connection to each of a first and second naris of the mammal for a nasal air stream to the respective first and second naris;
- an occluding device configured to cyclically occlude a nasal air stream within each fluid connection at a frequency rate between 100 Hz to 650 Hz to deliver pressure oscillations into the air stream entering the respective first or second naris, thereby simulating humming, which stimulates discharge of Nitric Oxide (NO) from a paranasal sinus connected to the nasal airway of the respective first or second naris into the nasal airway of the respective first or second naris so as to improve nasal airflow by reducing congestion of the respective first or second naris;
- and
- a controller,
- wherein the apparatus in a first mode cyclically occludes only the nasal air stream of the first naris,
- wherein the apparatus in a second mode cyclically occludes only the nasal air stream of the second naris,
- wherein change between the first mode and the second mode is controlled by the controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.