# US 2019/0167930 A1 · Methods and Systems for the Treatment of Sleep Apnea > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167930 A1 - Document ID: US20190167930A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/210,697 - Filed: 2018-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Fresca Medical, Inc. - Applicants: Fresca Medical Inc. - Inventors: John Cox; Ed McCarthy; Richard Ewers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167930A1 ## CPC - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - A61B 5/4818: {Sleep apnoea} - A61M 16/0069: {the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation} - A61M 16/024: {including calculation means, e.g. using a processor} - A61F 5/56: Devices for preventing snoring - A61M 16/0672: {Nasal cannula assemblies for oxygen therapy} - A61M 16/203: {Proportional} - A61M 2016/0036: {in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase} - A61M 2016/0039: {in the inspiratory circuit} - A61M 2205/3553: remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office - A61M 2205/3592: using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission - A61M 2205/505: Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract A blower for the treatment of a patient's sleep apnea is disclosed. The blower includes a start/stop button, an air pump, and a processor connected to the start/stop button and air pump. A user may input a snooze period (Tsnooze), a ramp period, (Tramp1), and an ultimate therapeutic pressure (TP). The processor performs an snooze function that allows a user to stop the delivery of pressure from the blower for the snooze period, after which the processor ramps the pressure gradually over the ramp period until plateauing at the ultimate therapeutic pressure. The processor may limit the number of snooze triggers that a patient may use. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A blower for the treatment of a patient's sleep apnea, the blower comprising: a start/stop button; an air pump; a processor connected to the start/stop button and air pump, the processor configured to perform an snooze procedure with the following steps: a. set a snooze period (Tsnooze), set ramp period (Tramp1), and set an ultimate therapeutic pressure (TP), b. When the patient presses the start/stop button: i. allow Tsnooze to elapse, start a timer (T3), and set the air pump to deliver air pressure at a pressure based on ((T3/Tramp1)×TP); ii. If during step (b)(i) patient presses the start/stop button, then reset T3, stop delivering air pressure, and return to step (b)(i). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The blower of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following step: if T3>=Tramp 1 then set the air pump to deliver air pressure at a pressure based on TP; ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The blower of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following step: if patient presses the start/stop button when T3>=Tramp1 then reset T3, stop delivering air pressure and return to step (b)(i). ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The blower of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following steps: set a snooze disable period (Tds), after step (b) but before (b)(i), start a timer (T1); if patient presses the start/stop button and Tds>=T1, then stop blower and exit snooze procedure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The blower of claim 2, further comprising a touchscreen connected to the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following steps: set a snooze disable period (Tds), after step (b) but before (b)(i), start a timer (T1); while Tds>=T1 the start/stop button comprises a snooze button displayed on the touch screen; while Tds=Nmax, then ignore step (b)(ii). ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The blower of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following steps: set a second ramp period (Tramp2); if patient presses the start/stop button when T3>=Tramp1 then: i. allow Tsnooze to elapse, and reset and start T3 ii. set the air pump to deliver air pressure at a pressure based on ((T3/Tramp2)×TP); iii. if T3>=Tramp2 then set the air pump to deliver air pressure at a pressure based on TP. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The blower of claim 1, further comprising a flow detector connected to the processor and adapted to measure the airflow delivered to the patient, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following steps: measure the air flow over a first period; measure the air flow over a second period; detect an apnea or hypopnea event based on a deviation between the measured air flows; adjust the TP based on the detected apnea or hypopnea event. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The blower of claim 1, wherein the processor sets Tsnooze, Tramp1 and TP based on a user's input. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The blower of claim 4, wherein the processor sets Tds based on a user's input. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The blower of claim 6, wherein the processor sets Tps based on a user's input. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The blower of claim 7, wherein the processor sets Nmax based on a user's input. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The blower of claim 8, wherein the processor sets Tramp2 based on a user's input. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The blower of claim 14, wherein either or both of Tramp 1 and Tramp 2 are set between 0.25 and 1.5 hours. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The blower of claim 1, wherein either or both of Tsnooze and Tramp 1 is set between 0.1 and 1.5 hours. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The blower of claim 1, wherein TP is set between 4 and 20 CM H20. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The blower of claim 4, wherein Tds is set between 4 and 8 hours. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The blower of claim 5, wherein Tps is set between 0.1 and 1.5 hours. ### Claim 20 (depends on 7) The blower of claim 7, wherein Nmax is set between 3 and 6. ### Claim 21 A blower for the treatment of a patient's sleep apnea, the blower comprising: a start/stop button; an air pump; a processor connected to the start/stop button and air pump, the processor configured to perform an snooze procedure with the following steps: a. receive a snooze period (Tsnooze), set ramp period (Tramp1), and an ultimate therapeutic pressure (TP), b. When the patient presses the start/stop button: i. allow Tsnooze to elapse; ii. then deliver air pressure ramped up to and plateaued at the value of TP over period Tramp 1; c. If during steps (b)(i) or (b)(ii) the patient presses the start/stop button, then: i. stop delivering air pressure and return to step (b)(i). ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The blower of claim 20, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving a max number of snooze triggers (Nmax), and step (c) further comprises before performing step (c)(i), determining the number of times the patient presses the start/stop button exceeds Nmax, if so then return to step (b)(ii). ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The blower of claim 20, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving a pre-snooze period (Tps); and step (b) further comprises before performing step (b)(i), allowing Tps to elapse. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The blower of claim 20, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving a snooze disable period (Tds); and step (c) further comprises before performing step (c)(i), determining if Tds has elapse since the patient presses the start/stop button in step (b), and if so stop delivering air pressure and exit snooze procedure. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The blower of claim 21, further comprising a flow detector connected to the processor and adapted to measure the airflow delivered to the patient, wherein the processor is further configured to perform the following steps: measure the air flow over a first period; measure the air flow over a second period; detect an apnea or hypopnea event based on a deviation between the measured air flows; adjust the TP based on the detected apnea or hypopnea event.