SLEEP DISORDER BREATHING CONTROL APPARATUS

• Main Authors: YEN FUUNG, AXE JOHN R, BEHBEHANI KHOSROW, LUCAS EDGAR A, BURK JOHN R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.05.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROMTHE BODY; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING; DIAGNOSIS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRE-FIGHTING; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; LIFE-SAVING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; SURGERY; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus which controls disordered sleep breathing using variable multiple-level pressure. SOLUTION: A breathable compressed gas is fed from a pressure source (43) to the respiratory tract of a user by a comparatively low pressure. Pressure is monitored by pressure transducers (45 and 48) and converted into an electronic signal. The electronic signal is waved and processed so that it extracts a specific characteristic of the duration and an energy level and so on (49 and 55). When these characteristics exceeds a selected threshold level of the duration and energy level over a minimum period, the existence of disordered sleep breathing is declared by a microprocessor (57). When a selected number of these characteristics arise in a selected period, the pressure sent from the pressure source is adjusted by the microprocessor. If the disordered sleep breathing is not detected in a certain period, a pressure level is decreased gradually by the microprocessor. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI