Respiratory apparatus with improved flow-flattening detection
AssigneeResMed Limited
InventorPeter John Deacon Wickham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a respiratory apparatus for treatment of sleep apnea and other disorders associated with an obstruction of a patient's airway and which uses an airflow signal, an obstruction index is generated which detects the flattening of the inspiratory portion of the airflow. The obstruction index is used to differentiate normal and obstructed breathing. The obstruction index is based upon different weighting factors applied to sections of the airflow signal thereby improving sensitivity to various types of respiration obstructions.
Claims40
An apparatus for detecting an upper respiratory obstruction indicative of sleep apnea comprising:
- a sensor configured to sense a flow of gas breathed by a patient and to generate a flow signal indicative of the gas flow;
- and
- an obstruction detector including a processor coupled to said sensor, said obstruction detector configured to evaluate portions of said flow signal and to generate an obstruction signal to indicate an obstruction when the flow signal represents an inspiratory pattern having a lobe representative of respiratory obstruction.
A method for detecting an upper respiratory obstruction indicative of sleep apnea comprising:
- sensing with a sensor a flow of gas breathed by a patient and generating a flow signal indicative of the gas flow;
- and
- detecting an obstruction event with a processor coupled to said sensor, the processor configured to control an evaluation of portions of the flow signal and to generate an obstruction signal to indicate an obstruction event when the flow signal represents an inspiratory pattern having a lobe representative of respiratory obstruction.
An apparatus for monitoring or treating a patient having sleep disorder, said apparatus comprising:
- a flow sensor to generate a flow signal indicative of the patient's respiration;
- and
- an obstruction detector coupled to said flow sensor arranged to generate an obstruction signal when said flow signal has, during an inspiratory portion of a breathing cycle, two high positive lobes and a relatively flat zone between the lobes.
A method for determining the presence of an obstruction of the airway of a patient, the method comprising:
- accessing data samples of a signal generated by a flow sensor, the data samples representing airflow of a patient's airway;
- and
- generating an obstruction signal in an obstruction detector coupled to said flow sensor when at least one breathing cycle in the sampled flow signal has, during an inspiratory portion, two high positive lobes and a relatively flat zone between the lobes.
An apparatus for monitoring or treating a patient having sleep disorder, said apparatus comprising:
- a flow sensor to generate a flow signal indicative of the patient's respiration;
- and
- an obstruction detector coupled to said flow sensor arranged to generate an obstruction signal when said flow signal has, during an inspiratory portion of a breathing cycle, an abnormally wide initial positive lobe preceding a relatively flat portion.
A method for determining the presence of an obstruction of the airway of a patient, the method comprising:
- accessing data samples of a signal generated by a flow sensor, the signal representing airflow of a patient's airway;
- generating an obstruction signal in an obstruction detector coupled to said flow sensor when at least one breathing cycle in the sampled flow signal has, during an inspiratory portion, an abnormally wide initial positive lobe preceding a relatively flat portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.