Method and apparatus for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

A method of treatment of a patient for obstructive sleep apnea, comprising the steps of applying compressed air continually to a nose mask fitted to cover the patient's nose, maintaining a positive pressure of air within said mask to maintain the nasopharyngeal airway of a patient open, continually exhausting air from said mask by way of a threshold valve which is continually open during normal respiration of the patient, said valve operates in one of a seated state in the absence of said compressed air pressure and in a continuous unseated state when said nose mask is donned on a patient and application of said compressed air pressure to said nose mask causes said valve to operate in said continuously unseated state, said valve being adjustably biasable to select an operating pressure within said mask in a range of from 5 to 15 centimeters of H.sub.2 O, and further comprising the step of selecting a positive pressure for treatment of said patient within said range by adjusting said bias.