Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a respiratory apparatus to adjust a prescribed positive pressure to the respiratory tract of a patient by detecting a flow restriction from analysis of a waveform of inspired air flow. SOLUTION: This is the respiratory apparatus for detecting the flow restriction in the respiratory tract of the patient. The apparatus is equipped with a nose mounting fixture fluid-communicating with the respiratory tract of the patient. The nose mount fixture has an entrance and a flow restricting device positioned between the entrance and the air passage of the patient. The apparatus is peculiarly equipped with a flow sensor fluid-communicated with the nose mounting fixture and formed so as to generate a first data value representing the inspired air flow of ambient air to the patient, a microprocessor formed so as to determine whether or not the first data value indicates the flow restriction of the patient and to generate a second data value representing the flow restriction, and a computer memory formed so as to store the first data value generated by the flow sensor and the second data value generated by the microprocessor. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a method and apparatus are disclosed for detecting obstructive apnea and 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. Using the method of the present invention, the microprocessor adjusts the air pressure in the patient supply hose when flow limitation is detected in the airway of the patient.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new aerosolization device comprising a housing having a mouthpiece, and a flow path arrangement wherein fluid is communicated with the mouthpiece. SOLUTION: The flow path arrangement has a flow regulating valve and a threshold valve, wherein the threshold valve is configured to open at a first vacuum level and to close at a second vacuum level lower than the first vacuum level. The housing includes a region which is allowed to hold powder while fluid is communicated with the flow path arrangement, and is constituted so that air drawn through the mouthpiece opens the threshold valve once the first vacuum level is exceeded and remains open until the vacuum falls below the second vacuum level. The flow rate of the air drawn through the mouthpiece is regulated by the flow regulating valve to remain within a certain range while the threshold valve remains open. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT