Abstract: Ultrasound delivery catheters comprising elongate flexible catheter bodies having rigid distal tip or head members inserted into, and affixed thereto. At least one ultrasound transmission member extends longitudinally through the catheter body and is coupled to the distal tip or head member. Additionally, the invention provides methods for manufacturing such ultrasound delivering catheters.

Abstract: In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea a method and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient's airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates to a breathing device and method of use to adjust a controlled positive pressure to the airway of a patient by detecting flow limitation from analysis of an inspiratory flow waveform. Once the presence of flow limitation has been analyzed, the system determines an action to take for adjustment of the controlled positive pressure. The pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the system. The preferred breathing apparatus consists of a flow generator, a flow sensor, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor, and a pressure controller, a patient supply hose, a nasal fitting, and, optionally, a pressure transducer.