Method and system for bi-level treatment of sleep apnea

Inventors

Putman, John B. • Putman, Matthew C. • Orlando, Julie A.

Assignees

Nanotronics Health LLC

Abstract

A positive airway pressure device is disclosed herein. The positive airway pressure device includes a blower, a buffer chamber, a gas manifold, a first sensor, a second sensor, and a controller. The buffer chamber is downstream of the blower. The buffer chamber configured to receive gas generated by the blower and output the gas to a patient. The gas manifold is fluidly coupling the blower to the buffer chamber. The first sensor is at least partially disposed in the gas manifold. The first sensor is configured to measure a first pressure in the gas manifold. The second sensor is at least partially disposed in the buffer chamber. The second sensor is configured to measure a second sensor in the buffer chamber.

Core Innovation

The document discloses a bi-level positive airway pressure device that includes a blower and a downstream buffer chamber configured to receive gas generated by the blower and output the gas to a patient. A gas manifold fluidly couples the blower to the buffer chamber, and a first sensor at least partially disposed in the gas manifold measures a first pressure in the gas manifold while a second sensor at least partially disposed in the buffer chamber measures a second pressure in the buffer chamber.

The document further describes placing the second sensor closer to the patient connection port than the first sensor along a flow path from the blower to the patient connection port. The second pressure measured by the second sensor is configured to monitor a respiratory cycle of the patient, where the second pressure relates to a respiratory response of the patient. A microprocessor is described as being in communication with the first sensor, the second sensor, and the blower for performing device operations that include calibration and correlating sensor readings.

For sensor accuracy, the document describes initiating a calibration process for the first sensor in which the device receives a first plurality of pressure readings from the first sensor and receives a second plurality of pressure readings from the second sensor. The pressure readings are based on a varying amount of pressure delivered by the positive airway pressure device, and the microprocessor correlates the first plurality of pressure readings with the second plurality of pressure readings. The microprocessor then calibrates the first sensor based on the correlating.

The document also addresses backpressure and backflow management concepts in the gas path. It describes a connector between the gas manifold and the buffer chamber, including a check valve configured to prevent backflow of gas into the blower, and describes a buffer-chamber flow restrictor or disruptor mechanism configured to provide backpressure to the device.

Claims Coverage

The partial content identifies three independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00007, clm-00012). Across these claims, the inventive features focus on a dual-sensor pressure architecture along a flow path, respiratory-cycle monitoring based on a patient-response-related pressure measurement, and calibration that correlates pressure-reading pluralities from both sensors under varying delivered pressure.

Overall, the independent claims cover a bi-level positive airway pressure device with two pressure sensors located at different points in the flow path (manifold/buffer or closer-to-patient placement), using the second pressure to monitor a respiratory cycle via a respiratory response of the patient, and using a microprocessor to calibrate the first sensor by correlating first and second pluralities of pressure readings obtained under varying delivered pressure. The partial content also indicates dependent refinements for preventing blower backflow and for providing backpressure.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications