Respiratory pressure therapy system

Inventors

Armitstead, Jeffrey Peter • Buckley, Mark David • Colefax, Michael Waclaw • Lynch, Susan Robyn • Martin, Dion Charles Chewe • Peake, Gregory Robert • Ramanan, Dinesh • Wehbeh, Jamie Graeme • Zotelo, Natalie

Assignees

Resmed Corp • Resmed Inc

Abstract

Apparatus and methods provide compliance management tools such as for respiratory pressure therapy. In some versions, a respiratory pressure therapy system may include one or more processors, such as of a data server, configured to communicate with a computing device and/or a respiratory pressure therapy device. The respiratory pressure therapy device may be configured to deliver respiratory pressure therapy to a patient for a session. The computing device may be associated with the patient. The processor(s) may be further configured to compute a therapy quality indicator of the session from usage data relating to the session. The therapy quality indicator may be a number derived from contributions of a plurality of usage variables for the session in the usage data. The processor(s) may be further configured to present, such as by transmitting, the therapy quality indicator to the computing device. The therapy quality indicator may promote patient compliance.

Core Innovation

The invention relates to respiratory pressure therapy compliance management in which a data server or one or more processors access data associated with usage of an RPT device delivering therapy to a patient in multiple sessions. For each session, the system determines a therapy quality indicator from usage data using usage variables such as usage time, apnea-hypopnea index, average leak flow rate, and number of sub-sessions within the session. The therapy quality indicator is a number derived from adding a plurality of contributions, each contribution corresponding to a different usage variable.

The contributions are computed with threshold-based limiting in that at least one contribution is set to a first maximum contribution when the corresponding usage variable exceeds a maximum threshold, and/or set to a second maximum contribution when the corresponding usage variable is less than a minimum threshold for that usage variable. In some implementations, the contributions can include refinements such as discounting/bonus-penalty based on recent history, and dependent claims further refine the computation by weighting and adjustment logic for contributions.

Based on the therapy quality indicator, the system provides compliance information and initiates actions. The system can alter a setting of the RPT device, change a therapy mode, and/or send a message to a computing device associated with the patient. The message identifies a component of the respiratory pressure therapy system associated with delivering the therapy and informs the patient to adjust that component, including adjustment of a patient interface component associated with mask fit, delivered through implementations such as email, SMS, web portal, or a patient app.

Claims Coverage

The independent claims cover a processor-based computation of a therapy quality indicator from session usage data using a sum of multiple contributions with min/max threshold limiting, and downstream actions including device setting/mode change and/or patient messaging. Across the independent claims, the main inventive features include threshold-capped contributions, indicator-derived compliance actions, and patient prompts identifying a specific delivery-related component.

Overall, the independent claims require computing a session-based therapy quality indicator as a sum of contributions tied to usage variables with min/max threshold capping, and then using that indicator to drive compliance-related outcomes through device setting or therapy-mode changes and/or patient messaging that prompts adjustment of a component associated with delivering the respiratory pressure therapy.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications