Abstract: Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the upper anatomical airways of a patient suffering from a sleep disorder, such as apnoea. The apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway, and determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure based on a determination of several factors, such is the occurrence of hypopnoea, hyperventilation, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. The method of controlling the pressure includes determining a mean amplitude of the flow of air to the patient during a predetermined number of respiratory cycles. A hypopnoea time counter is incremented when the amplitude of the flow of air during a current respiratory cycle is less than the mean amplitude of the flow of air multiplied by a hypopnoea factor. The pressure of the flow of air to the patient is increased when the hypopnoea time counter is greater than or equal to a hypopnoea time threshold.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airways by the apparatus according to the methods of the present invention. The apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway, and determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure based on a determination of several factors, such as the occurrence of an obstructive or central apnoea, hyperventilation, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of apnoeas may be stored by the apparatus and read by a clinician at a later date.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airways by the apparatus according to the methods of the present invention. The apparatus measures and/or calculates the inspiratory air flow, volume and pressure to the airway. The apparatus further determines whether to increase or decrease the airway pressure based on a determination of several factors, such as the occurrence events representing a sleep problem, duration of inspiratory air flow, correspondence of the inspiratory air flow curve to a sinusoidal curve, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of events representing a sleep problem may be stored by the apparatus and read by a clinician at a later date.