Abstract: A breathing apparatus is provided for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea that optimizes the positive pressure to the airway of a patient. The apparatus is configured to detect flow limitations in the patient airway from an analysis of inspiratory flow waveforms. The airway pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether a flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the apparatus. The apparatus may include a blower, a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a microprocessor, a pressure controller and a nasal fitting. The apparatus is configured to increase the airway pressure when a flow limitation is detected in the airway of the patient and to decrease the airway pressure when a flow limitation is not detected.

Abstract: A diagnostic device having a nose fitting used without connection to a breathing gas supply for obtaining flow data values at ambient pressure. The nose fitting is connected to a pressure or flow sensor that supplies data values to a microprocessor. The detection and measurement of breathing gas flow is made from a tight sealing nose fitting (mask or prongs) configured with a resistive element inserted in the flow stream as breathing gas exits from and enters into the fitting. The nasal fitting is further provided with a port for connection to a flow or pressure transducer. The resistive element causes a pressure difference to occur between the upstream side and the downstream side when air flows through the element. The data values may be stored in computer memory to be analyzed for flow limitations.

Abstract: A diagnostic device having a nose fitting used without connection to a breathing gas supply for obtaining flow data values at ambient pressure. The nose fitting is connected to a pressure or flow sensor that supplies data values to a micro-processor. The detection and measurement of breathing gas flow is made from a tight sealing nose fitting (mask or prongs) configured with a resistive element inserted in the flow stream as breathing gas exits from and enters into the fitting. The nasal fitting is further provided with a port for connection to a flow or pressure transducer. The resistive element causes a pressure difference to occur between the upstream side and the downstream side when air flows through the element. The data values may be stored in computer memory to be analyzed for flow limitations.

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.

Abstract: A motion transducer is embedded in a section of cable interconnecting a primary medical sensor with associated electronics. By affixing the section containing the transducer to a portion of a patient's anatomy, information relating to the parameter of primary concern as well as the patient's activity can be gathered without the complexity normally associated with instrumenting a patient for the acquisition of such data.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient are disclosed which are particularly useful in treating mixed and obstructive sleep apnea and certain cardiovascular conditions, among others, by increasing nasal air pressure delivered to the patient's respiratory passages just prior to inhalation and by subsequently decreasing the pressure to ease exhalation effort. The preferred apparatus includes a patient-coupled gas delivery device for pressurizing the patient's nasal passages at a controllable pressure, and a controller coupled with the delivery device having a pressure transducer for monitoring the nasal pressure and a microcontroller for selectively controlling the nasal pressure. In operation, the controller determines a point in the patient breathing cycle just prior to inhalation and initiates an increase in nasal pressure at that point in order to stimulate normal inhalation, and subsequently lowers the nasal pressure to ease exhalation efforts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient are disclosed which are particularly useful in treating mixed and obstructive sleep apnea and certain cardiovascular conditions, among others, by increasing nasal air pressure delivered to the patient's respiratory passages just prior to inhalation and by subsequently decreasing the pressure to ease exhalation effort. The preferred apparatus includes a patient-coupled gas delivery device for pressurizing the patient's nasal passages at a controllable pressure, and a controller coupled with the delivery device having a pressure transducer for monitoring the nasal pressure and a microcontroller for selectively controlling the nasal pressure. In operation, the controller determines a point in the patient breathing cycle just prior to inhalation and initiates an increase in nasal pressure at that point in order to stimulate normal inhalation, and subsequently lowers the nasal pressure to ease exhalation efforts.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient are disclosed which are particularly useful in treating mixed and obstructive sleep apnea and certain cardiovascular conditions, among others, by increasing nasal air pressure delivered to the patient's respiratory passages just prior to inhalation and by subsequently decreasing the pressure to ease exhalation effort. The preferred apparatus includes a patient-coupled gas delivery device for pressurizing the patient's nasal passages at a controllable pressure, and a controller coupled with the delivery device having a pressure transducer for monitoring the nasal pressure and a microcontroller for selectively controlling the nasal pressure. In operation, the controller determines a point in the patient breathing cycle just prior to inhalation and initiates an increase in nasal pressure at that point in order to stimulate normal inhalation, and subsequently lowers the nasal pressure to ease exhalation efforts.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient detects patient airway sounds and resolves these sounds into audio component bands whereupon an analysis is performed to produce a trend value. In response, a pressure action is determined using the trend value for controlling the pressure delivered to a patient for preventing the onset of obstructive apnea.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient are disclosed which are particularly useful in treating mixed and obstructive sleep apnea and certain cardiovascular conditions, among others, by increasing nasal air pressure delivered to the patient's respiratory passages just prior to inhalation and by subsequently decreasing the pressure to ease exhalation effort. The preferred apparatus includes a patient-coupled gas delivery device for pressurizing the patient's nasal passages at a controllable pressure, and a controller coupled with the delivery device having a pressure transducer for monitoring the nasal pressure and a microcontroller for selectively controlling the nasal pressure. In operation, the controller determines a point in the patient breathing cycle just prior to inhalation and initiates an increase in nasal pressure at that point in order to stimulate normal inhalation, and subsequently lowers the nasal pressure to ease exhalation efforts.

Abstract: An optical cell provides a measuring chamber which is L-shaped with an absorbance optical path lying along the horizontal leg of the L. A second optical path is provided transverse to the absorbance path and sized to permit the passage of radiation into the entire L-shaped chamber. The exit slit for the cell receives radiation from the entire vertical leg of the L and may serve as the entrance slit to a photometer.

Abstract: Light induced current from a photodiode is converted into a voltage proportional to the integral with respect to time of the current using two serially connected integrating operational amplifiers. In each case the integrating capacitors are connected so that the photodiode is part of the charge current for the capacitors. The amplifiers operate in sequence.