System and method for airway muscle activation using air pressure routines

A controller for controlling the operation of a breathing assistance device for stimulating one or more airway muscles of a user that uses the breathing assistance, wherein the controller comprises:

• an input for receiving sensor data from at least the user;
• a memory unit that comprises instructions for applying one or more air pressure routines during operation of the breathing assistance device;
• a processor that is electronically coupled to the input to receive the sensor data, the processor being configured to generate a control signal for controlling the breathing assistance device by:
• processing the sensor data to predict whether a respiratory failure event is imminent or is detect that the respiratory event is currently occurring when the user is using the breathing assistance device;
• selecting one or more of the air pressure routines to prevent the predicted respiratory failure event or to mitigate the respiratory failure event that is currently occurring;
• adjusting the control signal of the breathing assistance device based on the selected one or more pressure routines;
• and
• providing the control signal to the breathing assistance device to apply the selected one or more air pressure routines to the user.