Systems and methods for active power management in medical devices

Abstract

A respiratory treatment device includes a blower for providing a flow of breathable gas to a patient and one or more auxiliary devices. A respiratory therapy device includes active power management to distribute power from a power source that does not have sufficient power to simultaneously power a blower and an auxiliary device. Active power management preferentially powers the blower and limits the power supplied to the accessory device based on current measurements of the blower and the accessory device to maintain the sum of the power drawn at or below the capacity of the power source. When additional power is available, power to the one or more accessory devices is boosted beyond a target due to reduced power consumption of the blower in order to compensate for when power is not supplied to the one or more accessory devices.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201980082931.1, application date October 14, 2019, and invention name “System and method for active power management in medical devices”. The patent application with application number 201980082931.1 is the Chinese national phase application of the PCT application with application number PCT / US2015 / 044521.

[0002] 1 Cross-references to related patents and applications

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 745,909, filed on October 15, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 856,348, filed on June 3, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] This application is related to the following commonly assigned U.S. patents and patent applications, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. patent application No. 14 / 472,651 entitled "Power Management in Respiratory Therapy Devices"; U.S. patent application No. 15 / 710 / 879 entitled "Humidification of Breathing Gases"; U.S. Patent No. 8,844,522 entitled "Power Management in Respiratory Therapy Devices"; and U.S. Patent No. 9,802,022 entitled "Humidification of Breathing Gases." 2 Background technology 2.1 Technical Field

[0005] The present technology relates to one or more of screening, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, prevention and improvement of breathing-related disorders. The present technology also relates to medical devices or equipment and uses thereof. More specifically, the technology described herein relates to power management in medical devices or equipment. 2.2 Background Technology

[0007] 2.2.1 Human respiratory system and its disorders

[0008] The human respiratory system facilitates gas exchange. The nose and mouth form the entrance to the patient's airway.

[0009] The airway includes a series of branching tubes, which become narrower, shorter and more numerous as the branching tracheae penetrate deeper into the lungs. The main function of the lungs is gas exchange, allowing oxygen to enter the venous blood from the inhaled air and expel carbon dioxide in the opposite direction. The trachea is divided into the left main bronchi and the right main bronchi, which are eventually divided into terminal bronchioles. The bronchi constitute the conducting airways and do not participate in gas exchange. Further branches of the airway lead to the respiratory bronchioles and eventually to the alveoli. The alveolar region of the lungs is the area where gas exchange occurs and is called the respiratory zone. See "Respiratory Physiology", 9th edition, published by John B. West, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins in 2012.

[0010] There is a range of breathing disorders. Some conditions can be characterised by specific events such as apnea, hypopnea and hyperpnea.

[0011] Examples of breathing disorders include obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR), respiratory insufficiency, obesity hyperventilation syndrome (OHS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), neuromuscular disease (NMD), and chest wall disorders.

[0012] Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a form of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) characterized by events including occlusion or obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. It results from a combination of an abnormally small upper airway and normal loss of muscle tone in the area of ​​the tongue, soft palate, and posterior oropharyngeal wall during sleep. The condition causes affected patients to stop breathing, typically for periods of 30 to 120 seconds, sometimes 200 to 300 times per night. This often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and can lead to cardiovascular disease and brain damage. Comorbid symptoms are common disorders, especially in middle-aged overweight men, but those affected may not be aware of the problem. See U.S. Patent No. 4,944,310 (Sullivan).

[0013] Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is another form of sleep-disordered breathing. CSR is a disorder of the patient's respiratory controller in which there are rhythmic alternating cycles of boom-and-bust ventilation called CSR cycles. CSR is characterized by repeated hypoxia and reoxygenation of arterial blood. CSR can be harmful because of the repeated lack of oxygen. In some patients, CSR is associated with repeated arousals from sleep, which leads to severe sleep disruption, increased sympathetic activity, and increased afterload. See U.S. Patent No. 6,532,959 (Berthon-Jones).

[0014] Respiratory failure is a term for a respiratory disorder in which the lungs cannot take in enough oxygen or exhale enough CO2 to meet the patient's needs. Respiratory failure can encompass some or all of the following disorders.

[0015] Patients with respiratory insufficiency, a form of respiratory failure, may experience abnormal shortness of breath during exercise.

[0016] Obesity hyperventilation syndrome (OHS) is defined as the combination of severe obesity and chronic hypercapnia during wakefulness in the absence of other known causes of hypoventilation. Symptoms include dyspnea, morning headache, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

[0017] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) encompasses any of a group of lower airway diseases that have certain common features. These diseases include increased resistance to air flow, prolonged expiratory phase of breathing, and loss of normal elasticity of the lungs. Examples of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD is caused by chronic smoking (a major risk factor), occupational exposure, air pollution, and genetic factors. Symptoms include: dyspnea on exertion, chronic cough, and sputum production.

[0018] Neuromuscular disease (NMD) is a broad term that covers many diseases and ailments that impair muscle function directly through intrinsic muscle pathology or indirectly through neuropathology. Some NMD patients are characterized by progressive muscle damage, which leads to loss of walking ability, wheelchair use, dysphagia, respiratory muscle weakness, and ultimately death from respiratory failure. Neuromuscular disorders can be divided into rapidly progressive and slowly progressive: (i) rapidly progressive disorders: characterized by muscle damage that worsens over months and leads to death within a few years (e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in adolescents; (ii) variable or slowly progressive disorders: characterized by muscle damage that worsens over years and only slightly shortens life expectancy (e.g., limb-girdle, facioscapulohumeral, and myotonic muscular dystrophy). Symptoms of respiratory failure in NMD include: increasing general weakness, dysphagia, dyspnea during exercise and at rest, fatigue, drowsiness, morning headaches, and difficulty concentrating and mood changes.

[0019] The chest wall is a group of thoracic deformities that result in inefficient connections between the respiratory muscles and the thorax. These disorders are often characterized by restrictive defects and have the potential for long-term hypercapnic respiratory failure. Scoliosis and / or kyphoscoliosis can cause severe respiratory failure. Symptoms of respiratory failure include: dyspnea during exertion, peripheral edema, orthopnea, recurrent chest infections, morning headaches, fatigue, poor sleep quality, and loss of appetite.

[0020] A range of treatments have been used to treat or ameliorate such conditions. In addition, such treatments can be used to prevent breathing disorders in otherwise healthy individuals. However, these treatments have a number of disadvantages.

[0021] 2.2.2 Treatment

[0022] Various therapies, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, non-invasive ventilation (NIV), and invasive ventilation (IV) have been used to treat one or more of the above-mentioned breathing disorders.

[0023] Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy has been used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The mechanism of action is that the continuous positive airway pressure acts as a pneumatic splint and can prevent upper airway occlusion, such as by pushing the soft palate and tongue forward and away from the posterior oropharyngeal wall. Treatment of OSA treated by CPAP can be voluntary, so if the patient finds the device used to provide such treatment to be any one or more of: uncomfortable, difficult to use, expensive, and unsightly, the patient may choose not to comply with the treatment.

[0024] Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) provides ventilation support to patients through the upper airway to help them breathe and / or maintain appropriate oxygen levels in the body by completing some or all of the work of breathing. Ventilatory support is provided via a non-invasive patient interface. NIV has been used to treat CSR and respiratory failure in the form of OHS, COPD, NMD, and chest wall disorders. In some forms, the comfort and effectiveness of these treatments can be improved.

[0025] Non-invasive ventilation (IV) provides ventilation support to patients who are unable to breathe effectively on their own and can be provided using a tracheostomy tube. In some forms, the comfort and effectiveness of these treatments can be improved.

[0026] 2.2.3 Treatment system

[0027] These therapies can be provided by a therapeutic system or device.Such systems and devices can also be used to screen, diagnose, or monitor a condition without treating it.

[0028] The therapy system may include a respiratory pressure therapy device (RPT device), air circuit, humidifier, patient interface, and data management.

[0029] Another form of treatment system is a mandibular repositioning device.

[0030] 2.2.3.1 Patient interface

[0031] The patient interface can be used to engage the respiratory apparatus to its wearer, for example by providing an air flow to the entrance of the airway. The air flow can be provided to the patient's nose and / or mouth via a mask, to the mouth via a tube, or to the patient's trachea via a tracheostomy tube. Depending on the treatment to be applied, the patient interface can form a seal with an area of ​​the patient's face, for example, to facilitate the delivery of gas at a pressure that is sufficiently different from the ambient pressure (e.g., a positive pressure of approximately 10 cm H2O relative to the ambient pressure) to achieve the treatment. For other forms of treatment, such as oxygen delivery, the patient interface may not include a seal sufficient to facilitate the delivery of a gas supply at a positive pressure of approximately 10 cm H2O to the airway.

[0032] Certain other mask systems may not be functionally suitable for use in this field. For example, a purely decorative mask may not be able to maintain appropriate pressure. A mask system for underwater swimming or diving may be configured to prevent the entry of water from a higher pressure outside, but not to maintain the internal air at a pressure higher than the ambient pressure.

[0033] Certain masks may be clinically unfavorable for the present technology, for example where they block airflow through the nose and only allow it through the mouth.

[0034] If certain masks require the patient to insert a portion of the mask structure into their mouth to create and maintain a seal with their lips, this may be uncomfortable or impractical with the present technology.

[0035] Certain masks may not be feasible for use while sleeping, such as when sleeping on one's side in bed with the head on a pillow.

[0036] The design of a patient interface presents many challenges. The face has a complex three-dimensional shape. The size and shape of the nose and head vary greatly between individuals. Because the head is composed of bone, cartilage, and soft tissue, different areas of the face respond differently to mechanical forces. The jaw or mandible can move relative to other bones of the skull. The entire head can move during a respiratory therapy session.

[0037] Due to these challenges, some masks face one or more of the following problems: obtrusive, unsightly, expensive, disproportionate, difficult to use, and uncomfortable, especially when worn for a long time or when the patient is not familiar with the system. A mask of the wrong size may lead to reduced compliance, reduced comfort, and poor patient outcomes. Masks designed only for pilots, masks designed to be part of personal protective equipment (e.g., filtering masks), SCUBA masks, or masks designed to apply anesthetics are acceptable for their original applications, but such masks are not as comfortable as ideal for long periods of time (e.g., several hours). This discomfort may lead to reduced patient compliance with treatment. This is even more true if the mask is worn during sleep.

[0038] CPAP therapy is very effective in treating certain breathing disorders, assuming the patient complies with the therapy. If the mask is uncomfortable or difficult to use, the patient may not comply with the therapy. Since patients are generally advised to clean their masks regularly, if the mask is difficult to clean (e.g., difficult to assemble or disassemble), the patient may not be able to clean their mask, which may affect patient compliance.

[0039] While a mask used for other applications (eg, pilots) may not be suitable for treating sleep-disordered breathing, a mask designed for treating sleep-disordered breathing may be suitable for use in other applications.

[0040] For these reasons, patient interfaces for delivering CPAP during sleep have emerged as a distinct field.

[0041] 2.2.3.2 Respiratory Pressure Therapy (RPT) Devices

[0042] Respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) devices can be used alone or as part of a system to deliver one or more of the various therapies described above, such as by operating the device to generate an air flow for delivery to an airway interface. The air flow can be pressurized. Examples of RPT devices include CPAP devices and ventilators.

[0043] Air pressure generators are known in the context of applications such as industrial scale ventilation systems. However, air pressure generators for medical applications have specific requirements that are not met by more general air pressure generators, such as reliability, size and weight requirements for medical devices. Furthermore, even devices designed for medical use may suffer from disadvantages, related to one or more of comfort, noise, ease of use, efficacy, size, weight, manufacturability, cost and reliability.

[0044] One example of a special requirement for certain RPT devices is noise.

[0045] Table of noise output levels of existing RPT devices (one sample only, measured at 10 cm H2O in CPAP mode using the test method specified in ISO 3744).

[0046] RPT device name A-weighted sound pressure level dB(A) Years (approximately) <![CDATA[C series Tango TM > 31.9 2007 <![CDATA[C-Series Tango with Humidifier TM > 33.1 2007 <![CDATA[S8 Escape TM II]]> 30.5 2005 <![CDATA[With H4i TM S8 Escape humidifier TM II]]> 31.1 2005 <![CDATA[S9 AutoSet TM ]]> 26.5 2010 <![CDATA[S9 AutoSet with H5i Humidifier TM > 28.6 2010

[0047] One known RPT device for treating sleep-disordered breathing is the S9 sleep therapy system manufactured by ResMed. Another example of an RPT device is a ventilator. Ventilators, such as the ResMed Stellar ventilator for adults and pediatrics TM series, which can provide invasive and non-invasive non-dependent ventilatory support to a range of patients to treat a variety of conditions such as but not limited to NMD, OHS and COPD.

[0048] ResMed Elisée TM 150 ventilator and ResMed VS III TM Ventilators can provide support for invasive and non-invasive dependent ventilation for adult or pediatric patients for the treatment of a variety of conditions. These ventilators provide volumetric ventilation modes and pressure ventilation modes with single-limb circuits or double-limb circuits. RPT devices typically include a pressure generator, such as a motor-driven blower or a compressed gas reservoir, and are configured to supply an air flow to the patient's airway. In some cases, the air flow can be provided to the patient's airway at a positive pressure. The outlet of the RPT device is connected to a patient interface such as those described above via an air circuit.

[0049] Numerous options are available to the designer of the device. Design criteria often conflict, which means that certain design choices are far from conventional or unavoidable. Furthermore, certain aspects of comfort and efficacy may be highly sensitive to small subtle changes in one or more parameters.

[0050] One of the design choices for a device includes the type of power source included in the device. The type of power source can determine the amount of power available to the components of the device, the weight and size of the device, and the cost. Although smaller and lighter devices are desired, a reduction in the size of the power source will also reduce the amount of available power. In other cases, the type of power that can be used in the device may have been determined, but it may be desirable to include additional subsystem components. These subsystem components may include, for example, blowers, heat plates, heat pipes, or other components (e.g., communication modules). These additional subsystem components may need to use limited power provided by the power source already included in the device. Therefore, it is desirable to provide effective power management of the power source included in the device, particularly in devices where the power source may not have enough power to power all device components and subsystem components simultaneously.

[0051] 2.2.3.3 Humidifier

[0052] Delivering an air stream without humidification may result in airway drying. Using a humidifier with an RPT device and a patient interface to produce humidified gas minimizes drying of the nasal mucosa and increases patient airway comfort. Additionally, in colder climates, warm air, which is often applied to the facial area in and around the patient interface, is more comfortable than cool air.

[0053] Many artificial humidification devices and systems are known, however they do not meet the special requirements of medical humidifiers.

[0054] Medical humidifiers are used to increase the humidity, temperature (or both) of an air stream relative to ambient air when needed, typically while the patient is asleep or resting (e.g., in a hospital). Medical humidifiers placed at the bedside can be small. Medical humidifiers can be configured to humidify and / or heat only the air stream delivered to the patient, without humidifying and / or heating the patient's surroundings. Room-based systems (e.g., saunas, air conditioners, evaporative coolers, etc.) can also humidify the air inhaled by the patient, however these systems also humidify and / or heat the entire room, which can be uncomfortable for the occupants. In addition, medical humidifiers can have more stringent safety constraints than industrial humidifiers.

[0055] Although many medical humidifiers are known, they may have one or more disadvantages. Some medical humidifiers may provide inadequate humidification and may be difficult or inconvenient for some patients to use.

[0056] 2.2.3.4 Data Management

[0057] There may be many clinical reasons to obtain data to determine whether a patient being treated with a prescribed respiratory therapy is "compliant," such as if the patient has used their RPT device in accordance with one or more "compliance rules." One example of a compliance rule for CPAP therapy is a requirement that the patient use the RPT device for at least four hours each night for at least 21 or 30 consecutive days in order for the patient to be considered compliant. To determine the patient's compliance, a provider of the RPT device, such as a healthcare provider, may manually obtain data describing the use of the RPT device for the patient's treatment, calculate the use over a predetermined time period and compare to the compliance rules. Once the healthcare provider has determined that the patient has used their RPT device in accordance with the compliance rules, the healthcare provider may inform the patient of the third part of compliance.

[0058] There are other aspects of patient treatment that may benefit from the communication of treatment data to third parties or external systems.

[0059] Existing methods of communicating and managing such data can be one or more of the following: expensive, time consuming, and error prone.

[0060] 2.2.3.5 Mandibular reduction

[0061] A mandibular repositioning device (MRD) or mandibular advancement device (MAD) is one of the treatment options for sleep apnea and snoring. It is an adjustable oral appliance available from a dentist or other supplier that holds the lower jaw (mandible) in a forward position during sleep. An MRD is a removable device that the patient inserts into their mouth before falling asleep and removes after sleep. Therefore, an MRD is not designed to be worn all the time. MRDs can be custom made or produced in a standard form and include a bite impression portion designed to allow fitting to the patient's teeth. This mechanical protrusion of the mandible expands the space behind the tongue, applies tension on the pharyngeal walls to reduce collapse of the airway and reduces palatal vibrations.

[0062] In certain embodiments, the mandibular advancement device may include an upper splint intended to engage or cooperate with teeth on the maxilla or maxilla and a lower splint intended to engage or cooperate with teeth on the maxilla or mandible. The upper splint and the lower splint are laterally connected together via a pair of connecting rods. The pair of connecting rods are symmetrically fixed to the upper splint and the lower splint.

[0063] In this design, the length of the connecting rod is selected so that when the MRD is placed in the patient's mouth, the mandible remains in an anteriorly displaced position. The length of the connecting rod can be adjusted to change the degree of protrusion of the mandible. The dentist can determine the protrusion level of the mandible, which will determine the length of the connecting rod.

[0064] Some MRDs are constructed to push the mandible forward relative to the maxilla, while other MADs (such as the ResMed Narval CC TM The MRD) is designed to hold the mandible in a forward position. The device also reduces or minimizes dental and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) side effects. Thus, it is constructed to minimize or prevent any movement of one or more teeth.

[0065] 2.2.3.6 Ventilation technology

[0066] Some forms of therapy systems may include a vent to allow flushing of exhaled carbon dioxide. The vent may allow gas to flow from an interior space (eg, a plenum) of the patient interface to a space outside the patient interface, such as to the environment.

[0067] The vent may include an orifice through which gas may flow when the mask is in use. Many such vents are noisy. Others may become blocked during use, thereby providing insufficient flushing. Some vents may disturb the sleep of the patient's 1000 bed partner 1100, for example, by making noise or by gathering airflow.

[0068] Resmed Limited has developed many improved mask ventilation technologies, see International Patent Application Publication No. WO 1998 / 034,665; International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2000 / 078,381; U.S. Patent No. 6,581,594; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009 / 0050156; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009 / 0044808.

[0069] Noise table of existing masks (ISO 17510-2:2007, pressure of 10cmH2O at 1m)

[0070]

[0071] (*One sample only, measured at 10 cmH2O in CPAP mode using the test method specified in ISO 3744)

[0072] The sound pressure values ​​for various objects are listed below

[0073]

[0074] 2.2.4 Screening, diagnosis and surveillance systems

[0075] Polysomnography (PSG) is a conventional system for diagnosing and monitoring cardiopulmonary diseases, and usually involves clinical experts to apply the system. PSG usually involves placing 15 to 20 contact sensors on the patient to record various body signals, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), electrooculogram (EOG), electromyogram (EMG), etc. The PSG of sleep-disordered breathing involves observing the patient for two nights in the clinic, one night of pure diagnosis and the second night of clinician titration of treatment parameters. Therefore, PSG is expensive and inconvenient. In particular, it is not suitable for home screening / diagnosis / monitoring of sleep-disordered breathing.

[0076] Screening and diagnosis generally describe the identification of a condition from its signs and symptoms. Screening typically gives a true / false result indicating whether a patient's SDB is severe enough to warrant further investigation, while diagnosis can yield clinically actionable information. Screening and diagnosis tend to be one-time processes, while monitoring the progression of a condition can continue indefinitely. Some screening / diagnosis systems are only for screening / diagnosis, while some can also be used for monitoring.

[0077] A clinical expert may be able to adequately screen, diagnose, or monitor a patient based on visually observed PSG signals. However, there are situations where a clinical expert may not be available or may not be affordable. Different clinical experts may disagree on a patient's condition. Furthermore, a given clinical expert may apply different criteria at different times. 3. Summary of the invention

[0078] The present technology is intended to provide a medical device for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, ameliorating, treating or preventing respiratory disorders with improved one or more of comfort, cost, efficacy, ease of use and manufacturability.

[0079] A first aspect of the present technology relates to a device for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, ameliorating, treating or preventing a respiratory disorder.

[0080] Another aspect of the present technology relates to methods for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, ameliorating, treating or preventing breathing disorders.

[0081] One aspect of some forms of the present technology is for providing methods and / or apparatus for improving patient compliance with respiratory therapy.

[0082] One form of the present technology includes providing adaptive power management in a respiratory therapy device.

[0083]

[0013] Another aspect of one form of the present technology includes providing adaptive power management in a respiratory therapy device that provides a pressurized flow of gas that may be heated and / or humidified.

[0084] One form of the present technology includes providing adaptive power management of multiple components included in a medical device, such as a device for screening, diagnosing, monitoring, ameliorating, treating or preventing breathing disorders.

[0085] One aspect of one form of the present technology is a portable RPT device that can be carried by a person (e.g., a person in a person's home).

[0086] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device, comprising: a power source; a pressure generator configured to generate an air flow; a heating element configured to heat the generated air flow; one or more sensors configured to generate a sensor signal representing a characteristic of the air flow; and a processing system. The processing system can be configured to: receive the sensor signal; determine a control signal for controlling the heating element based on the received sensor signal; receive a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator; receive a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element; generate a new control signal for controlling the heating element based on (1) the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator, (2) the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element, (3) the determined control signal for the heating element, and (4) the power of the power source; and control the operation of the heating element using the new control signal for controlling the heating element.

[0087] In an example, (a) the power that can be consumed by the pressure generator and the heating element in combination exceeds the capacity of the power supply, (b) when the sum of the current drawn by the pressure generator and the current that will be drawn by the heating element using the determined control signal for the heating element exceeds the maximum current of the power supply, the new control signal is generated so that the new control signal will cause the heating element to draw less current than the current drawn using the determined control signal, and (c) when the sum of the current drawn by the pressure generator and the current that will be drawn by the heating element using the determined control signal for the heating element does not exceed the maximum current of the power supply. the processing system being further configured to control the pressure generator based on the sensor signal representing the temperature of the air flow, and (e) at least one of the one or more sensors is a pressure sensor configured to generate a sensor signal representing the pressure of the air flow and is used to control the pressure of the heating element. The control signal is determined based on the sensor signal representing the pressure of the air flow, (f) at least one of the one or more sensors is a flow sensor configured to generate a sensor signal representing the flow rate of the air flow, and the processing system is configured to control the pressure generator based on the sensor signal representing the flow rate of the air flow, and the control signal for controlling the heating element is determined based on the sensor signal representing the flow rate of the air flow, (g) the air flow can be delivered to a patient interface via a tube (e.g., a flexible tube) connected to the flow generator, (h) the generated control signal for controlling the heating element is controlled to accumulate heat loss in a time period and return the accumulated heat loss in a subsequent time period, (i) the generated control signal for controlling the heating element reduces the heat generated by the heating element during a first time period and increases the heat generated by the heating element during a second time period subsequent to the first time period, and / or (j) during the first time period, the power of the power supply is lower than the power consumed by the pressure generator and the heating element, and / or during the second time period, the power of the power supply exceeds the power consumed by the pressure generator and the heating element.

[0088] Another aspect of the present technology relates to an apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder in a patient, the apparatus comprising: a power source; a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating the respiratory disorder; a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas and comprising a first heating element configured to heat the supply of water; a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to the patient; a transducer configured to generate a flow signal representative of a characteristic of the flow of breathable gas; and a controller. The controller can be configured to: determine, based on the flow signal, a first control signal for controlling the first heating element and a second control signal for controlling the second heating element; determine, based on (1) a measured current drawn by the pressure generator during operation of the pressure generator, (2) the first control signal, and (3) the second control signal, whether the power to be used by the device exceeds the peak power of the power supply; if it is determined that the power to be used by the device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modify the first control signal and / or the second control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; and if it is determined that the power to be used by the device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, modify the first control signal and / or the second control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

[0089] In examples, (a) the first and second control signals are pulse width modulated signals, (b) the first control signal is a first pulse width modulated signal and the second control signal is a second pulse width modulated signal offset in time from the first pulse width modulated control signal, (c) if it is determined that the power to be used by the device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, the first control signal and the second control signal are modified to increase the power used by the first heating element and the second heating element, giving priority to the second heating element, (d) if it is determined that the power to be used by the device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, the first control signal and the second control signal are modified to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element, giving priority to the second heating element, (e) the first control signal is a first current set point provided to a proportional, proportional-derivative, or proportional-integral controller configured to control the operation of the second heating element, and the second control signal is a first current set point provided to a proportional, proportional-derivative, or proportional-integral controller configured to control the operation of the second heating element. (d) determining whether the power to be used by the device exceeds the peak power of the power supply includes determining that (1) the sum of the current drawn by the device and the current drawn by the first and second heating elements, (2) the current drawn by the first heating element using the determined first control signal, and (3) the current drawn by the second heating element using the determined second control signal is greater than the maximum current that can be provided by the power supply, (e) the flow signal corresponds to a breathing cycle of the patient during use of the device, and the first control signal and the second control signal are determined based on the flow signal to control the offset peak power operation of the first heating element and the second heating element, (f) the power of the power supply is less than the power drawn by the pressure generator, the first heating element and the second heating element simultaneously, and / or (g) the humidified breathable gas in the hose is delivered to the patient via a patient interface connected to the hose.

[0090] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device, comprising: a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; an accessory device including a tubular heater and a humidifier heater; a power supply and a controller coupled to the flow generator, the accessory device and the power supply. The controller can be configured to: control the operation of the flow generator, the delivery tube heater and the humidifier heater; determine a first pulse width modulated control signal for controlling the delivery tube heater and a second pulse width modulated control signal for controlling the humidifier heater; and upon determining that the rated current of the power supply does not exceed the current that will be drawn by: the flow generator; when the determined first pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the delivery tube heater, the delivery tube heater; and when the determined second pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the humidifier heater, the heated humidifier increases the duty cycle of the first pulse width modulated control signal and the second pulse width modulated control signal.

[0091] In an example, (a) the controller is further configured to: upon determining that the rated current of the power supply exceeds the current to be drawn by: the flow generator; the delivery tube heater when the determined first pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the delivery tube heater; and the heated humidifier when the determined second pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the humidification heater, reduce the duty cycle of the first pulse width modulated control signal and the second pulse width modulated control signal, (b) the first pulse width modulated control signal is offset in time from the second pulse width modulated control signal, and / or (c) the flow generator is connected to a patient interface via a tube to provide a flow of breathable gas to the patient.

[0092] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device, comprising: a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; an accessory device including a tubular heater and a humidifier heater; a power supply and a controller coupled to the flow generator, the accessory device and the power supply. The controller can be configured to: control the operation of the flow generator, the delivery tube heater and the humidifier heater; determine a first pulse width modulated control signal for controlling the delivery tube heater and a second pulse width modulated control signal for controlling the humidifier heater; and upon determining that the rated current of the power supply does not exceed the current that will be drawn by: the flow generator; when the determined first pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the delivery tube heater, the delivery tube heater; and when the determined second pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the humidifier heater, the heated humidifier increases the duty cycle of the first pulse width modulated control signal and the second pulse width modulated control signal.

[0093] In an example, (a) the controller is further configured to: upon determining that the rated current of the power supply exceeds the current to be drawn by: the flow generator; the delivery tube heater when the determined first pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the delivery tube heater; and the heated humidifier when the determined second pulse width modulated control signal is to be applied to the humidification heater, reduce the duty cycle of the first pulse width modulated control signal and the second pulse width modulated control signal, and / or (b) the first pulse width modulated control signal is offset in time from the second pulse width modulated control signal, and / or (c) the flow generator is connected to a patient interface via a tube to provide a flow of breathable gas to the patient.

[0094] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a method of operating a respiratory therapy device for generating a flow of breathable gas for treating a respiratory disorder, the method comprising: measuring a characteristic of the air flow using a transducer; determining, by a controller and based on the measured characteristic, a first control signal, a second control signal, and a third control signal, the first control signal being used to control a pressure generator, the pressure generator being configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating a respiratory disorder, the second control signal being used to control a first heating element disposed in a humidifier, the humidifier being configured to store a water supply to humidify the breathable gas, the third control signal being used to control a second heating element, the second heating element being configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose, the hose being configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient; if a function to be used by the respiratory therapy device is If the rate exceeds the peak power of the power supply used to power the respiratory therapy device, the controller determines based on (1) the measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal; if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, the controller modifies the second control signal and / or the third control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, the controller modifies the second control signal and / or the third control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

[0095] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a non-volatile storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for controlling the operation of a respiratory therapy device, the respiratory therapy device being configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating a respiratory disorder, the program, when executed, causing the respiratory therapy device to: receive a characteristic of the flow of breathable gas from a transducer; determine a first control signal, a second control signal, and a third control signal based on the characteristic of the flow of breathable gas, the first control signal being used to control a pressure generator, the pressure generator being configured to generate the flow of breathable gas, the second control signal being used to control a first heating element disposed in a humidifier, the humidifier being configured to store a water supply to humidify the breathable gas, the third control signal being used to control a second heating element, the second heating element being configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose, the hose being configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient; if the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of a power supply used to power the respiratory therapy device, determining based on (1) the measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal; if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying the second control signal and / or the third control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; and if it is determined that the power to be used by the device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, modifying the second control signal and / or the third control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

[0096] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device apparatus, comprising: a power source; a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; one or more heating elements; a processing system including at least one processor, the processing system configured to determine a heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements and a flow control signal for controlling the flow generator; and hardware circuitry. The hardware circuitry may be configured to: receive the heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements; determine a power consumption signal representing total power consumption based on operation of the flow generator and the one or more heating elements; and output a modified heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements based on the power consumption signal.

[0097] In an embodiment, (a) a flow generator current signal and a current signal for one or more heating elements are received, and wherein the power consumption signal is determined by summing a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representing the received current signal for one or more heating elements, (b) the hardware circuit is configured to generate a pulse width modulated power signal based on the power consumption signal, and the modified heating control signal is generated by combining the pulse width modulated power signal with the received heating control signal, (c) the hardware circuit is configured to generate a pulse width modulated power signal based on the power consumption signal, and the hardware circuit includes a logic (d) receiving a flow generator current signal and a current signal for one or more heating elements, and wherein the power consumption signal is determined by summing a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representing the received current signal for one or more heating elements, and / or (e) at least one of the heating elements is provided in a tube heater, and at least one of the heating elements is provided in a humidification heater.

[0098] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device apparatus, comprising: a power source; a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; one or more heating elements; hardware circuitry; and a processing system including at least one processor. The hardware circuitry can be configured to: receive a flow generator current signal representing a current drawn by the flow generator and one or more heating element current signals representing a current drawn by the one or more heating elements, and determine the power consumption signal by summing a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representing the received one or more heating element current signals. The processing system can be configured to: receive the power consumption signal from the hardware circuitry; determine a flow control signal for controlling the flow generator; and determine a heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements based on the power consumption signal.

[0099] In an example, (a) determining a heating control signal includes: determining a pulse width modulated control signal for each of the heating elements; transmitting the determined pulse width modulated control signal to each corresponding heating element when the received power consumption signal is above a predetermined limit; and modifying each of the determined pulse width modulated control signals and sending the modified pulse width modulated control signal to each corresponding heating element when the received power consumption signal is below the predetermined limit, and / or (b) the hardware circuit is configured to buffer and amplify the received flow generator current signal; for one or more heating elements, the power consumption signal is a low-pass filtered sum of a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representing the received current signal.

[0100] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device comprising: a power source; a pressure generator configured to generate an air flow; a heating element configured to heat the generated air flow; one or more sensors configured to generate a sensor signal representative of a characteristic of the air flow; and a processing system configured to: (h) generate a control signal for the heating element, wherein the heating element is controlled to accumulate a heat loss over a time period and return the accumulated heat loss over a subsequent time period,

[0101] Another aspect of the present technology relates to a respiratory therapy device comprising: a power source; a pressure generator configured to generate an air flow; a heating element configured to heat the generated air flow; one or more sensors configured to generate sensor signals representing characteristics of the air flow; and a processing system configured to: receive the sensor signals; determine a control signal for controlling the heating element based on the received sensor signals; receive a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator; receive a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element; control the heating element based on the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator, the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element, the determined control signal for the heating element, the determined control signal for the heating element, and the power of the power source, (h) wherein the heating element is controlled to accumulate a heat loss over a time period and return the accumulated heat loss over a subsequent time period,

[0102] In embodiments, the flow of breathable gas is delivered to the patient via tubing coupled between the patient interface and the flow generator and / or humidifier.

[0103] The described methods, systems, devices and apparatus may be implemented to improve the functionality of a processor, such as a processor of a dedicated computer, a respiratory monitor and / or a respiratory therapy device. In addition, the described methods, systems, devices and apparatus may provide improvements in the art of automated management, monitoring and / or treatment of respiratory conditions, including, for example, sleep-disordered breathing.

[0104] Of course, a part of these aspects may form a sub-aspect of the present technology. Each aspect and / or each of the aspects may be combined in various ways and also constitute other aspects or sub-aspects of the present technology.

[0105] Other features of the present technology will become apparent from consideration of the information contained in the following detailed description, abstract, drawings, and claims. 4. Description of the drawings

[0106] The present technology is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, including:

[0107] 4.1 Treatment system

[0108] Figure 1 A system is shown that includes a patient 1000 wearing a patient interface 3000 in the form of nasal pillows receiving a supply of air under positive pressure from an RPT device 4000. Air from the RPT device 4000 is humidified in a humidifier 5000 and delivered to the patient 1000 along an air circuit 4170. A bed partner 1100 is also shown. The patient sleeps in a supine sleeping position.

[0109] Figure 2 A system is shown that includes a patient 1000 wearing a patient interface 3000 in the manner of a nasal mask receiving a supply of air at a positive pressure from an RPT device 4000. Air from the RPT device is humidified in a humidifier 5000 and delivered to the patient 1000 along an air circuit 4170.

[0110] Figure 3 A system is shown that includes a patient 1000 wearing a patient interface 3000 in the form of a full face mask receiving a supply of air under positive pressure from an RPT device 4000. Air from the RPT device is humidified in a humidifier 5000 and delivered to the patient 1000 along an air circuit 4170. The patient sleeps in a side-lying sleeping position.

[0111] 4.2RPT device

[0112] Figure 4A One form of RPT device according to the present technology is shown.

[0113] Figure 4Bis a schematic diagram of the pneumatic path of an RPT device in accordance with one form of the present technology. Upstream and downstream directions are indicated with reference to a blower and a patient interface. The blower is defined as upstream of the patient interface and the patient interface is defined as downstream of the blower, regardless of the actual flow direction at any particular moment. Items within the pneumatic path between the blower and the patient interface are downstream of the blower and upstream of the patient interface.

[0114] Figure 4C A schematic diagram of the electrical components of an RPT device according to one form of the present technology is shown.

[0115] Figure 4D A schematic diagram of an algorithm implemented in a RPT device according to one form of the present technology is shown.

[0116] Figure 4E This is a description of a form of the present technology. Figure 4D A flow chart of a method performed by a treatment engine module.

[0117] 4.3 Humidifier

[0118] Figure 5A An isometric view of a humidifier according to one form of the present technology is shown.

[0119] Figure 5B An isometric view of a humidifier according to one form of the present technology is shown showing the humidifier reservoir 5110 removed from the humidifier reservoir base 5130.

[0120] Figure 5C A schematic diagram of a humidifier according to one form of the present technology is shown.

[0121] 4.4 Active Power Management

[0122] Figure 5D An exemplary architecture of a device using power provided by power supply 4210 is shown.

[0123] Figure 5E An exemplary architecture for controlling the operation of multiple devices using power provided by power supply 4210 is shown.

[0124] Fig. 5F and 5G Exemplary power measurements of components in RPT device 4000 are shown.

[0125] Figure 5H An example circuit is shown that may be used to measure the power used by an RPT device 4000 in one form of the present technology.

[0126] Fig.5I Shows Figure 5HExemplary signal waveforms for the circuit shown.

[0127] Figure 5J One form of power control circuit according to the present technology is shown which may be used to control the operation of a heating element based on a control signal representative of the power consumption of the RPT device 4000.

[0128] Figure 5K An output signal gate-PWM duty cycle proportional to the control signal control signal V_ctrl is shown in accordance with one form of the present technique.

[0129] Figure 5L The relationship between the output signal Gate-PWM input into an AND gate and the gated PWM output signal of a humidifier output by the AND gate according to one form of the present technology is shown.

[0130] Figure 5M A method for performing adaptive power management in one form of the present technology is shown.

[0131] Figure 5N A method for performing adaptive power management in another form of the present technology is shown.

[0132] Fig.5O and 5P A more detailed method for performing adaptive power management according to various forms of the present technology is shown.

[0133] 4.5 Respiratory waveform

[0134] Fig. 6A A model typical breathing waveform of a person during sleep is shown.

[0135] Figure 6B Selected polysomnographic channels (pulse oximetry, flow, chest motion, and abdominal motion) are shown for a patient's non-REM sleep breathing period, typically over about ninety seconds.

[0136] Figure 6C Shown is a polysomnogram of the patient before treatment.

[0137] Fig.6D Shown are flow data for a patient while the patient was experiencing a series of complete obstructive apneas.

[0138] Fig. 6E The zoomed inspiratory portion of the breath is shown, where the patient is experiencing low frequency inspiratory snoring.

[0139] Fig. 6F An example of a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath is shown where the patient is experiencing flattened inspiratory flow limitation.

[0140] Figure 6GShown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a "table top" type flat inspiratory flow limitation.

[0141] Figure 6H Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where a patient is experiencing an example of a "panda ear" type inspiratory flow limitation.

[0142] Fig.6I Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a "chair" type restriction.

[0143] Figure 6J Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of an "inverted chair" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0144] Figure 6K Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of an "M-shaped" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0145] Figure 6L Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a deep "M-shaped" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0146] Figure 6M Patient data from a patient with Heyne-Stokes breathing is shown.

[0147] Figure 6N Shows the use of Figure 6M The same three channels are from patient data of another embodiment of a patient with tidal breathing. 5. Specific implementation methods

[0148] Before describing the present technology in further detail, it should be understood that the present technology is not limited to the specific examples described herein, which may be varied. It should also be understood that the terminology used in the present disclosure is only for the purpose of describing the specific examples described herein and is not intended to be limiting.

[0149] The following description is provided in relation to various examples that may share one or more common features and / or characteristics. It should be understood that one or more features of any one example may be combined with one or more features of another example or other examples. In addition, in any one of the examples, any single feature or combination of features may constitute another example.

[0150] 5.1 Treatment

[0151] In one form, the present technology includes a method for treating a breathing disorder, the method comprising the step of applying positive pressure to an airway entrance of a patient 1000 .

[0152] In certain examples of the present technology, a supply of air under positive pressure is provided to the patient's nasal passages via one or both nostrils.

[0153] In certain examples of the present technology, mouth breathing is limited, restricted or prevented.

[0154] 5.2 Treatment system

[0155] In one form, the present technology includes a device or apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder. The device or apparatus may include an RPT device 4000 for supplying pressurized air to a patient 1000 via an air circuit 4170 to a patient interface 3000 .

[0156] 5.3 Patient Interface

[0157] A non-invasive patient interface 3000 according to one aspect of the present technology includes the following functional aspects: a seal-forming structure 3100, an inflatable chamber 3200, a positioning and stabilizing structure 3300, a vent 3400, a connection port 3600 for connecting to a form of air circuit 4170, and a forehead support 3700. In some forms, the functional aspects may be provided by one or more physical components. In some forms, one physical component may provide one or more functional aspects. In use, the seal-forming structure 3100 is arranged to surround the entrance of the patient's airway to facilitate the supply of positive pressure air to the airway.

[0158] If a patient interface cannot comfortably deliver a minimum level of positive pressure to the airway, the patient interface may not be suitable for respiratory pressure therapy.

[0159] A patient interface 3000 in accordance with one form of the present technology is constructed and arranged to supply air at a positive pressure of at least 6 cm H2O relative to ambient.

[0160] A patient interface 3000 in accordance with one form of the present technology is constructed and arranged to supply air at a positive pressure of at least 10 cm H20 relative to ambient.

[0161] A patient interface 3000 in accordance with one form of the present technology is constructed and arranged to supply air at a positive pressure of at least 20 cm H20 relative to ambient.

[0162] 5.4RPT device

[0163] The RPT device 4000 according to one aspect of the present technology includes mechanical, pneumatic and / or electrical components and is configured to execute one or more algorithms 4300, such as any of the methods described herein in whole or in part. The RPT device 4000 can be configured to generate an air flow for delivery to the airway of a patient, such as for treating one or more respiratory conditions described elsewhere in this document.

[0164] In one form, the RPT device 4000 is constructed and arranged to deliver air flow in the range of -20 L / min to +150 L / min while maintaining a positive pressure of at least 6 cmH2O, or at least 10 cmH2O, or at least 20 cmH2O.

[0165] The RPT device can have an outer housing 4010 that is constructed in two parts: an upper portion 4012 and a lower portion 4014. In addition, the outer housing 4010 can include one or more panels 4015. The RPT device 4000 includes a chassis 4016 that supports one or more internal components of the RPT device 4000. The RPT device 4000 can include a handle 4018.

[0166] The pneumatic path of the RPT device 4000 may include one or more air path items, such as an inlet air filter 4112, an inlet muffler 4122, a pressure generator 4140 (e.g., a blower 4142) capable of supplying air at a positive pressure, an outlet muffler 4124, and one or more transducers 4270, such as a pressure sensor 4272 and a flow sensor 4274.

[0167] One or more air path items may be disposed within a removable separate structure, which will be referred to as a pneumatic block 4020. The pneumatic block 4020 may be disposed within the outer housing 4010. In one form, the pneumatic block 4020 is supported by, or forms part of, the chassis 4016.

[0168] The RPT device 4000 may have a power source 4210, one or more input devices 4220, a central controller 4230, a treatment device controller 4240, a pressure generator 4140, one or more protection circuits 4250, a memory 4260, a transducer 4270, a data communication interface 4280, and one or more output devices 4290. The electrical components 4200 may be mounted on a single printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 4202. In an alternative form, the RPT device 4000 may include more than one PCBA 4202.

[0169] 5.4.1 Mechanical and pneumatic components of RPT device

[0170] The RPT device may include one or more of the following components in an integral unit. In an alternative form, one or more of the following components may be provided as separate units.

[0171] 5.4.1.1 Air filter

[0172] An RPT device according to one form of the present technology may include an air filter 4110, or multiple air filters 4110.

[0173] In one form, the inlet air filter 4112 is positioned at the beginning of the pneumatic path upstream of the pressure generator 4140 .

[0174] In one form, an outlet air filter 4114 , such as an antimicrobial filter, is positioned between the outlet of the pneumatic block 4020 and the patient interface 3000 .

[0175] 5.4.1.2 Silencer

[0176] An RPT device according to one form of the present technology may include a silencer 4120 , or a plurality of silencers 4120 .

[0177] In one form of the present technology, the inlet muffler 4122 is positioned in the pneumatic path upstream of the pressure generator 4140 .

[0178] In one form of the present technology, an outlet muffler 4124 is positioned in the pneumatic path between the pressure generator 4140 and the patient interface 3000 .

[0179] 5.4.1.3 Pressure generator

[0180] In one form of the present technology, the pressure generator 4140 for generating an air flow or air supply under positive pressure is a controllable blower 4142. For example, the blower 4142 may include a brushless DC motor 4144 having one or more impellers. These impellers may be located in a volute. The blower may deliver the air supply, for example, at a rate of up to about 120 liters per minute and at a positive pressure in the range of about 4 cm H2O to about 20 cm H2O or in other forms up to about 30 cm H2O. The blower may be as described in any of the following patents or patent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety: U.S. Patent No. 7,866,944; U.S. Patent No. 8,638,014; U.S. Patent No. 8,636,479; and PCT Patent Application No. WO 2013 / 020167.

[0181] The pressure generator 4140 is under the control of the treatment device controller 4240.

[0182] In other words, the pressure generator 4140 may be a piston driven pump, a pressure regulator connected to a high pressure source (eg, a compressed air reservoir), or a bellows.

[0183] 5.4.1.4 Transducer

[0184] The transducer may be internal to the RPT device, or external to the RPT device. An external transducer may be located, for example, on or form part of an air circuit such as a patient interface. An external transducer may be in the form of a non-contact sensor, such as a Doppler radar motion sensor that transmits or transfers data to the RPT device.

[0185] In one form of the present technology, one or more transducers 4270 may be positioned upstream and / or downstream of the pressure generator 4140. The one or more transducers 4270 may be constructed and arranged to generate a signal representative of a characteristic of the air flow such as flow, pressure or temperature at that point in the pneumatic path.

[0186] In one form of the present technology, one or more transducers 4270 may be positioned proximal to the patient interface 3000 .

[0187] In one form, the signal from the transducer 4270 may be filtered, such as by low pass filtering, high pass filtering, or band pass filtering.

[0188] 5.4.1.4.1 Flow sensor

[0189] A flow sensor 4274 according to the present technology may be based on a differential pressure transducer, such as the SDP600 series differential pressure transducer from SENSIRION.

[0190] In one form, a signal representing flow from the flow sensor 4274 is received by the central controller 4230.

[0191] 5.4.1.4.2 Pressure Sensor

[0192] A pressure sensor 4272 in accordance with the present technology is positioned in fluid communication with the pneumatic path. An example of a suitable pressure sensor is a transducer from the ASDX series of HONEYWELL. An alternative suitable pressure sensor is a transducer from the NPA series of GENERALELECTRIC.

[0193] In one form, signals from the pressure sensor 4272 may be received by the central controller 4230 .

[0194] 5.4.1.4.3 Motor speed transducer

[0195] In one form of the present technology, a motor speed transducer 4276 is used to determine the rotational speed of the motor 4144 and / or blower 4142. A motor speed signal from the motor speed transducer 4276 may be provided to the treatment device controller 4240. The motor speed transducer 4276 may be, for example, a speed sensor such as a Hall effect sensor.

[0196] 5.4.1.5 Anti-overflow valve

[0197] In one form of the present technology, an anti-spillback valve 4160 is positioned between the humidifier 5000 and the pneumatic block 4020. The anti-spillback valve is constructed and arranged to reduce the risk of water flowing upstream from the humidifier 5000 to the motor 4144, for example.

[0198] 5.4.2 RPT device electrical components

[0199] 5.4.2.1 Power supply

[0200] The power source 4210 may be positioned inside or outside of the outer housing 4010 of the RPT device 4000 .

[0201] In one form of the present technology, the power supply 4210 provides power only to the RPT device 4000. In another form of the present technology, the power supply 4210 provides power to the RPT device 4000 and subsystem devices that are directly or indirectly coupled to the RPT device 4000. These subsystem devices may include a humidifier 5000 and / or a heat pipe. In some embodiments of the present technology, the subsystem device may be part of the RPT device 4000.

[0202] The power supply 4210 may receive power from an external power source (e.g., A / C or DC power) and / or include batteries to store power. The DC source may include a car battery, a car outlet, a fuel cell, and / or a solar panel. The power supply 4210 may be configured to charge these batteries when an external power source is available.

[0203] The power supply 4210 may be configured to provide 30, 60, and / or 90 watts of power. The power supply 4210 may include a converter configured to receive power in one form (e.g., from an A / C power source) and convert it to another form (DC power) used by the RPT device and / or one or more of the subsystem devices. In some implementations of the present technology, the power supply 4210 may include a DC converter (inside or outside of the external housing 4010) to provide power to the system or charge the battery.

[0204] The power supply 4210 may include a primary power supply and an auxiliary power supply. The primary power supply may be coupled to an A / C power source (e.g., 240 volts at 50 Hz A / C or 120 volts at 60 Hz A / C) and / or one or more batteries. One or more batteries may provide power to the RPT device 4000 in the absence of A / C power and / or when components and / or subsystem devices of the RPT device 4000 require additional power.

[0205] The power supply 4210 may not have enough power to power the RPT device 4000 and the subsystem devices simultaneously. For example, the power supply 4210 may not have enough power to power the blower 4142, the heater (e.g., a heating plate) in the humidifier 5000, and the heat pipe simultaneously. As will be discussed in more detail below, the RPT device 400 may include active power management to distribute power from the power supply 4210 to the blower 4142 and one or more subsystem devices without triggering overcurrent protection of the power supply 4210.

[0206] The power supply 4210 may include a current limiting circuit configured to limit the output power to a predetermined percentage of the power supply rating (eg, 110%, 120%, or 150%) when the output current exceeds the maximum rating of the power supply.

[0207] In one embodiment, the power supply 4210 can be a 24V / 65W rating with a 120% over current protection (OCP) trigger (100ms delay) and a 150% OCP trigger (no delay). The heating plate can consume approximately 67.8W (8.5Ω±5% at 25°C), the heat pipe can consume approximately 57.7W (9.3-10.9Ω at 20-30°C), and the blower can consume 40W, which is limited by the stress system software. As can be seen from this embodiment, the total current consumption of all these components is much higher than the power that the power supply 4210 can provide. The active power management system is configured to manage the distribution of available power without tripping the over-protection of the power supply. As will be discussed in more detail below, in some implementations of the present technology, power management can be performed entirely by software.

[0208] 5.4.2.2 Input device

[0209] In one form of the present technology, the RPT device 4000 includes one or more input devices 4220 in the form of buttons, switches, or dials to allow a person to interact with the device. The buttons, switches, or dials may be physical devices or software devices accessed via a touch screen. In one form, the buttons, switches, or dials may be physically connected to the external housing 4010, or in another form, may be in wireless communication with a receiver that is electrically connected to a central controller 4230.

[0210] In one form, input device 4220 may be constructed or arranged to allow a person to select values ​​and / or menu options.

[0211] 5.4.2.3 Central Controller

[0212] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 is one or more processors suitable for controlling the RPT device 4000.

[0213] Suitable processors may include x86 Intel processors, -M processors, such as the STM32 series microcontrollers from ST MICROELECTRONIC. In some alternative forms of the present technology, 32-bit RISC CPUs such as the STR9 series microcontrollers from ST MICROELECTRONICS, or 16-bit RISC CPUs such as the MSP430 series microcontrollers manufactured by TEXAS INSTRUMENTS may also be suitable.

[0214] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 is a dedicated electronic circuit.

[0215] In one form, the central controller 4230 is an application specific integrated circuit. In another form, the central controller 4230 includes discrete electronic components.

[0216] The central controller 4230 may be configured to receive input signals from one or more transducers 4270 , one or more input devices 4220 , and the humidifier 5000 .

[0217] The central controller 4230 may be configured to provide output signals to one or more output devices 4290 , the therapy device controller 4240 , the data communication interface 4280 , and the humidifier 5000 .

[0218] In some forms of the present technology, the central controller 4230 is configured to implement one or more methods described herein, such as one or more algorithms 4300 represented as computer programs stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as memory 4260. In some forms of the present technology, the central controller 4230 may be integrated with the RPT device 4000. However, in some forms of the present technology, some of the methods may be performed by a remotely located device. For example, the remotely located device may determine a control setting for the ventilator or detect a breathing-related event by analyzing against stored data, such as from any of the sensors described herein.

[0219] 5.4.2.4 Clock

[0220] The RPT device 4000 may include a clock 4232 connected to a central controller 4230 .

[0221] 5.4.2.5 Treatment device controller

[0222] In one form of the present technology, the treatment device controller 4240 is a treatment control module 4330 that forms part of the algorithm 4300 executed by the central controller 4230.

[0223] In one form of the present technology, the treatment device controller 4240 is a dedicated motor control integrated circuit. For example, in one form, the MC33035 brushless DC motor controller manufactured by ONSEMI is used.

[0224] 5.4.2.6 Protection circuit

[0225] One or more protection circuits 4250 in accordance with the present technology may include electrical protection circuits, temperature and / or pressure safety circuits.

[0226] 5.4.2.7 Memory

[0227] According to one form of the present technology, the RPT device 4000 includes memory 4260, such as non-volatile memory. In some forms, the memory 4260 may include battery-powered static RAM. In some forms, the memory 4260 may include volatile RAM.

[0228] Memory 4260 may be located on PCBA 4202. Memory 4260 may be in the form of EEPROM or NAND flash memory.

[0229] Additionally or alternatively, the RPT device 4000 includes memory 4260 in a removable form, such as a memory card made in accordance with the Secure Digital (SD) standard.

[0230] In one form of the present technology, the memory 4260 serves as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which are stored computer program instructions representing one or more of the methods described herein, such as one or more algorithms 4300 .

[0231] 5.4.2.8 Data Communication System

[0232] In one form of the present technology, a data communication interface 4280 is provided and connected to the central controller 4230. The data communication interface 4280 may be connected to a remote external communication network 4282 and / or a local external communication network 4284. The remote external communication network 4282 may be connected to a remote external device 4286. The local external communication network 4284 may be connected to a local external device 4288.

[0233] In one form, the data communications interface 4280 is part of the central controller 4230. In another form, the data communications interface 4280 is separate from the central controller 4230 and may include an integrated circuit or processor.

[0234] In one form, remote external communication network 4282 is the Internet. Data communication interface 4280 may be connected to the Internet using wired communication (eg, via Ethernet or fiber optic) or wireless protocols (eg, CDMA, GSM, LTE).

[0235] In one form, the local external communications network 4284 utilizes one or more communications standards, such as Bluetooth or consumer infrared protocols.

[0236] In one form, the remote external device 4286 can be one or more computers, such as a cluster of network computers. In one form, the remote external device 4286 can be a virtual computer rather than a physical computer. In either case, this remote external device 4286 can be accessed by appropriately authorized personnel (such as a clinician).

[0237] The local external device 4288 may be a personal computer, a mobile phone, a tablet or a remote control device.

[0238] 5.4.2.9 Output devices including optional displays and alarms

[0239] Output devices 4290 according to the present technology may take the form of one or more of visual, audio, and tactile units.The visual display may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a light emitting diode (LED) display.

[0240] 5.4.2.9.1 Display Driver

[0241] The display driver 4292 receives as input characters, symbols, or images for display on the display 4294 and converts them into commands that cause the display 4294 to display those characters, symbols, or images.

[0242] 5.4.2.9.2 Display

[0243] The display 4294 is configured to visually display characters, symbols, or images in response to commands received from the display driver 4292. For example, the display 4294 may be an eight-segment display, in which case the display driver 4292 converts each character or symbol (such as the number "0") into eight logic signals indicating whether the eight corresponding segments are to be activated to display the particular character or symbol.

[0244] 5.4.3RPT device algorithm

[0245] As described above, in some forms of the present technology, the central controller 4230 may be configured to implement one or more algorithms 4300 represented as computer programs stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as memory 4260. The algorithms 4300 are generally grouped into groups called modules.

[0246] 5.4.3.1 Preprocessing Module

[0247] A pre-processing module 4310 according to one form of the present technology receives as input a signal from a transducer 4270 (e.g., a flow sensor 4274 or a pressure sensor 4272) and performs one or more process steps to calculate one or more output values ​​to be used as input to another module (e.g., a therapy engine module 4320).

[0248] In one form of the present technology, the output values ​​include interface or mask pressure Pm, respiratory flow Qr, and leak flow Ql.

[0249] In various forms of the present technology, the pre-processing module 4310 includes one or more of the following algorithms: pressure compensation 4312 , ventilation flow estimation 4314 , leak flow estimation 4316 , and respiratory flow estimation 4318 .

[0250] 5.4.3.1.1 Pressure compensation

[0251] In one form of the present technology, the pressure compensation algorithm 4312 receives as input a signal indicative of the pressure in the pneumatic path near the outlet of the pneumatic block. The pressure compensation algorithm 4312 estimates the pressure drop through the air circuit 4170 and provides the estimated pressure Pm in the patient interface 3000 as output.

[0252] 5.4.3.1.2 Ventilatory flow estimation

[0253] In one form of the present technology, the ventilation flow estimation algorithm 4314 receives as input an estimated pressure Pm in the patient interface 3000 and estimates a ventilation flow Qv of air from the vent 3400 in the patient interface 3000 .

[0254] 5.4.3.1.3 Leakage flow estimation

[0255] In one form of the present technology, the leak flow rate estimation algorithm 4316 receives the total flow Qt and the ventilation flow Qv as inputs and provides an estimate of the leak flow Ql as output. In one form, the leak flow estimation algorithm estimates the leak flow Ql by averaging the difference between the total flow Qt and the ventilation flow Qv over a sufficiently long period of time (e.g., about 10 seconds) including several respiratory cycles.

[0256] In one form, the leak flow estimation algorithm 4316 receives the total flow Qt, the ventilation flow Qv and the estimated pressure Pm as inputs in the patient interface 3000, and provides the leak flow Ql as output by calculating the leak conductivity and determining the leak flow Ql as a function of the leak conductivity and the pressure Pm. The leak conductivity is calculated as the quotient of the low-pass filtered non-ventilation flow and the square root of the low-pass filtered pressure Pm, the low-pass filtered non-ventilation flow being equal to the difference between the total flow Qt and the ventilation flow Qv, wherein the low-pass filter time constant has a value long enough to include several respiratory cycles, for example, about 10 seconds. The leak flow Ql can be estimated as the product of the leak conductivity and the function of the pressure Pm.

[0257] 5.4.3.1.4 Respiratory flow estimation

[0258] In one form of the present technology, a respiratory flow estimation algorithm 4318 receives as input a total flow Qt, a ventilation flow Qv, and a leak flow Ql, and estimates a respiratory flow Qr of air to the patient by subtracting the ventilation flow Qv and the leak flow Ql from the total flow Qt.

[0259] 5.4.3.2 Treatment Engine Module

[0260] In one form of the present technology, therapy engine module 4320 receives as input one or more of pressure Pm in patient interface 3000 and respiratory flow Qr of air to the patient, and provides as output one or more therapy parameters.

[0261] In one form of the present technology, the treatment parameter is the treatment pressure Pt.

[0262] In one form of the present technology, the therapy parameter is one or more of pressure amplitude, basal pressure, and target ventilation.

[0263] In various forms, the therapy engine module 4320 includes one or more of the following algorithms: phase determination 4321, waveform determination 4322, ventilation determination 4323, inspiratory flow limitation determination 4324, apnea / hypopnea determination 4325, snoring determination 4326, airway patency determination 4327, target ventilation determination 4328 and therapy parameter determination 4329.

[0264] 5.4.3.2.1 Phase determination

[0265] In one form of the present technology, the RPT device 4000 is phase indeterminate.

[0266] In one form of the present technology, the phase determination algorithm 4321 receives as input a signal indicative of respiratory flow Qr and provides as output the phase Φ of the current respiratory cycle of the patient 1000.

[0267] In some forms referred to as discrete phase determination, the phase output Φ is a discrete variable. One implementation of discrete phase determination provides a two-value phase output Φ having an inspiratory or expiratory value, such as values ​​represented as 0 and 0.5 turns, respectively, when the onset of spontaneous inspiration and expiration, respectively, is detected. The "triggered" and "cycled" RPT device 4000 effectively performs discrete phase determination because the trigger point and the cycle point are the moments when the phase changes from exhalation to inspiration and from inspiration to exhalation, respectively. In one implementation of two-value phase determination, the phase output Φ is determined to have a discrete value of 0 (thereby "triggering" the RPT device 4000) when the respiratory flow Qr has a value exceeding a positive threshold, and a discrete value of 0.5 turns (thereby "cycling" the RPT device 4000) when the respiratory flow Qr has a value more negative than a negative threshold. The inspiratory time Ti and the expiratory time Te can be estimated as typical values ​​over many respiratory cycles of the time spent with the phase Φ equal to 0 (indicating inspiration) and 0.5 (indicating exhalation), respectively.

[0268] Another implementation of discrete phase determination provides a three-value phase output Φ having one of values ​​of inspiration, mid-inspiratory pause, and expiration.

[0269] In other forms, referred to as continuous phase determination, the phase output Φ is a continuous variable, for example, varying from 0 to 1 turn or 0 to 2 radians. The RPT device 4000 performing continuous phase determination can trigger and cycle when the continuous phase reaches 0 and 0.5 turns, respectively. In one implementation of continuous phase determination, a fuzzy logic analysis of the respiratory flow Qr is used to determine the continuous phase value Φ. The continuous phase value determined in this implementation is generally referred to as "fuzzy phase". In one implementation of the fuzzy phase determination algorithm 4321, the following rules are applied to the respiratory flow Qr:

[0270] 1. If the respiratory flow is zero and increases rapidly, the phase is 0 turns.

[0271] 2. If the respiratory flow is large, positive and stable, the phase is 0.25 turns.

[0272] 3. If the respiratory flow is zero and decreases rapidly, the phase is 0.5 turns.

[0273] 4. If the respiratory flow is large, negative and stable, the phase is 0.75 turns.

[0274] 5. If the respiratory flow is zero and stable, and the 5-second low-pass filtered absolute value of the respiratory flow is large, the phase is 0.9 turns.

[0275] 6. If the respiratory flow is positive and the phase is exhalation, the phase is 0 turns.

[0276] 7. If the respiratory flow is negative and the phase is inspiratory, the phase is 0.5 turns.

[0277] 8. If the absolute value of the 5 second low pass filtered respiratory flow is large, the phase is increased at a steady rate equal to the patient's respiratory rate, low pass filtered with a time constant of 20 seconds.

[0278] The output of each rule can be represented as a vector whose phase is the result of the rule and whose magnitude is the fuzziness of the rule being true. The fuzziness of respiratory flow being "large", "stable", etc. is determined using appropriate membership functions. The results of the rules are represented as vectors and then combined by some function such as taking the centroid. In such a combination, the rules can be weighted equally, or differently.

[0279] In another embodiment of continuous phase determination, as described above, the phase Φ is first estimated discretely from the respiratory flow Qr, as is the inspiratory time Ti and the expiratory time Te. The continuous phase Φ at any time can be determined as half of the proportion of the inspiratory time Ti that has passed since the previous triggering time, or 0.5 turns plus half of the proportion of the expiratory time Te that has passed since the previous cycle time (whichever is closest).

[0280] 5.4.3.2.2 Waveform determination

[0281] In one form of the present technology, the therapy parameter determination algorithm 4329 provides a substantially constant therapy pressure throughout the patient's breathing cycle.

[0282] In other forms of the present technology, the therapy control module 4330 controls the pressure generator 4140 to provide a therapy pressure Pt that varies according to a waveform template Π(Φ) as a function of the phase Φ of the patient's respiratory cycle.

[0283] In one form of the present technology, the waveform determination algorithm 4322 provides a value in the range [0, 1] to the waveform template Π(Φ) over the phase value domain Φ provided by the phase determination algorithm 4321 for use by the treatment parameter determination algorithm 4329.

[0284] In one form, applicable to discrete or continuous valued phases, the waveform template Π(Φ) is a square wave template having a value of 1 for phase values ​​up to and including 0.5 turns, and having a value of 0 for phase values ​​above 0.5 turns. In one form, applicable to continuous valued phases, the waveform template Π(Φ) includes two smooth curved portions, namely a smooth curve (e.g., raised cosine) rising from 0 to 1 for phase values ​​up to 0.5 turns, and a smooth curve (e.g., exponential) falling from 1 to 0 for phase values ​​above 0.5 turns. In one form, applicable to continuous valued phases, the waveform template Π(Φ) is based on a square wave, but has a smooth rise from 0 to 1 for phase values ​​up to a "rise time" less than 0.5 turns, and a smooth fall from 1 to 0 for phase values ​​within a "fall time" after 0.5 turns, the "fall time" being less than 0.5 turns.

[0285] In some forms of the present technology, the waveform determination algorithm 4322 selects a waveform template Π(Φ) from a library of waveform templates based on the settings of the RPT device. Each waveform template Π(Φ) in the library can be provided as a lookup table of values ​​Π for phase values ​​Φ. In other forms, the waveform determination algorithm 4322 calculates the "on-the-fly" waveform template Π(Φ) using a predetermined functional form that may be parameterized by one or more parameters (e.g., a time constant of an exponential curve portion). The parameters of the functional form may be predetermined or dependent on the current state of the patient 1000.

[0286] In some forms of the present technology, the waveform determination algorithm 4322 is applied to a discrete two-value phase of inspiration (Φ=0 revolutions) or exhalation (Φ=0.5 revolutions), and the waveform determination algorithm calculates a "running" waveform template Π as a function of the discrete phase Φ and the time t measured since the most recent triggering moment. In one such form, the waveform determination algorithm 4322 calculates the waveform template Π(Φ, t) in both parts (inspiration and exhalation) as follows:

[0287]

[0288] where Π i (t) and Π e (t) is the inspiratory and expiratory portion of the waveform template Π(Φ,t). In one such form, the inspiratory portion of the waveform template Π i (t) is a smooth rise from 0 to 1 parameterized by the rise time, and the exhalation part of the waveform template Π e (t) is a smooth decline from 1 to 0 parameterized by the decline time.

[0289] 5.4.3.2.3 Ventilation determination

[0290] In one form of the present technology, a ventilation determination algorithm 4323 receives an input of respiratory flow Qr and determines a measurement value Vent indicative of current patient ventilation.

[0291] In some implementations, the ventilation determination algorithm 4323 determines a measured value Vent of ventilation that is an estimate of the actual patient ventilation. One such implementation takes half the absolute value of the respiratory flow Qr, optionally filtered by a low-pass filter (such as a second-order Bessel low-pass filter with a corner frequency of 0.11 Hz).

[0292] In other implementations, the ventilation determination algorithm 4323 determines a measured value Vent of ventilation that is approximately proportional to the actual patient ventilation. One such implementation estimates the peak respiratory flow Qpeak on the inspiratory portion of the cycle. If the flow waveform shape does not vary much (here, two breaths are considered to have similar shapes when the flow waveforms of the breaths are normalized in time and amplitude), then this process of sampling the respiratory flow Qr and many other processes result in measured values that are approximately proportional to ventilation. Some simple examples include the median positive respiratory flow, the median of the absolute value of the respiratory flow, and the standard deviation of the flow. Any linear combination of any order statistic of the absolute value of the respiratory flow using positive coefficients, or even some using both positive and negative coefficients, is approximately proportional to ventilation. Another example is the average of the respiratory flow in the middle K proportion (by time) of the inspiratory portion, where 0 < K < 1. If the flow shape is constant, there are any number of measured values that are exactly proportional to ventilation.

[0293] 5.4.3.2.4 Determination of Inspiratory Flow Limitation

[0294] In one form of the present technique, the central controller 4230 executes an inspiratory flow limitation determination algorithm 4324 to determine the degree of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0295] In one form, the inspiratory flow limitation determination algorithm 4324 receives the respiratory flow signal Qr as an input and provides as an output a measure of the degree to which the inspiratory portion of the breath exhibits inspiratory flow limitation.

[0296] In one form of the present technique, the inspiratory portion of each breath is identified by a zero-crossing detector. A plurality of uniformly spaced points (e.g., sixty-five) representing time points are interpolated along the inspiratory flow-time curve of each breath by an interpolator. The curve described by the points is then scaled by a scalar to have unit length (duration / cycle) and unit area to remove the effects of changing respiratory rate and depth. The scaled breath is then compared in a comparator to a pre-stored template representing a normal unobstructed breath, similar to Fig. 6AThe inspiratory portion of the breath shown. Breaths that deviate from this template by more than a specified threshold (typically 1 scaled unit) at any time during inspiration, such as those determined by the test element, such as those caused by coughing, signs, swallowing, and snoring, are rejected. For data that is not rejected, a moving average of the first such scaled point is calculated by the central controller 4230 for the previous number of inspiratory events. This is repeated on the same inspiratory event for the second such point, and so on. Thus, for example, sixty-five scaled data points are generated by the central controller 4230, and the sixty-five scaled data points represent a moving average of the previous number of inspiratory events (e.g., three events). The moving average of the continuously updated values ​​of these (e.g., sixty-five) points is hereinafter referred to as the "scaled flow", designated as Qs(t). Alternatively, a single inspiratory event may be used instead of a moving average.

[0297] From the scaled flow, two shape factors relevant to the determination of partial obstruction can be calculated.

[0298] Shape Factor 1 is the ratio of the average of the middle (e.g., thirty-two) scaled flow points to the overall average (e.g., sixty-five) scaled flow points. In the event that this ratio exceeds one, the breathing will be considered normal. When the ratio is one or less, the breathing will be obstructed. A ratio of about 1.17 is considered the threshold between partially obstructed and unobstructed breathing and is equivalent to the degree of obstruction that allows adequate oxygenation to be maintained in a typical patient.

[0299] Shape Factor 2 is calculated as the RMS deviation of unit scaled flow taken from the middle (e.g., thirty-two) points. An RMS deviation of about 0.2 units is considered normal. An RMS deviation of 0 is taken as a completely flow-restricted breath. The closer the RMS deviation is to zero, the more flow-restricted the breath is.

[0300] Shape factors 1 and 2 may be used as an alternative or in combination. In other forms of the present technology, the number of sampling points, breaths, and midpoints may be different from those described above. Furthermore, the thresholds may be different from those described.

[0301] 5.4.3.2.5 Determination of apnea and hypopnea

[0302] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 executes an apnea / hypopnea determination algorithm 4325 for determining the presence of apnea and / or hypopnea.

[0303] In one form, the apnea / hypopnea determination algorithm 4325 receives as input the respiratory flow signal Qr and provides as output a flag indicating that an apnea or hypopnea has been detected.

[0304] In one form, when the function of respiratory flow Qr falls below a flow threshold for a predetermined period of time, apnea will be considered to have been detected. The function may determine a peak flow, a relatively short-term average flow, or a flow between a relatively short-term average and peak flow, such as an RMS flow. The flow threshold may be a relatively long-term measure of flow.

[0305] In one form, when the function of respiratory flow Qr falls below a second flow rate threshold for a predetermined period of time, hypopnea will be considered to have been detected. The function can determine peak flow, a relatively short-term average flow, or a flow between a relatively short-term average and peak flow, such as RMS flow. The second flow threshold can be a relatively long-term measure of flow. The second flow threshold is greater than a flow threshold for detecting apnea.

[0306] 5.4.3.2.6 Snoring Determination

[0307] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 executes one or more snoring determination algorithms 4326 for determining the level of snoring.

[0308] In one form, the snoring determination algorithm 4326 receives as input the respiratory flow signal Qr and provides as output a measure of the degree to which snoring is present.

[0309] The snore determination algorithm 4326 may include a step of determining the strength of the flow signal in the range of 30-300 Hz. In addition, the snore determination algorithm 4326 may include a step of filtering the respiratory flow signal Qr to reduce background noise (eg, the sound of airflow in the system from a blower).

[0310] 5.4.3.2.7 Determination of airway patency

[0311] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 executes one or more airway patency determination algorithms 4327 for determining airway patency.

[0312] In one form, the airway patency determination algorithm 4327 receives the respiratory flow signal Qr as input and determines the signal power in the frequency range of about 0.75 Hz and about 3 Hz. The presence of a peak in this frequency range is used to indicate an open airway. The absence of a peak is considered an indication of a closed airway.

[0313] In one form, the frequency range in which the peak is sought is the frequency of a small forced oscillation in the process pressure Pt. In one implementation, the frequency of the forced oscillation is 2 Hz and the amplitude is approximately 1 cm H2O.

[0314] In one form, the airway patency determination algorithm 4327 receives as input the respiratory flow signal Qr and determines the presence or absence of a cardiogenic signal. The absence of a cardiogenic signal is considered indicative of a closed airway.

[0315] 5.4.3.2.8 Determination of target ventilation

[0316] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 takes as input a measure of current ventilation Vent and executes one or more target ventilation determination algorithms 4328 for determining a target value Vtgt for the ventilation measure.

[0317] In some forms of the present technology, there is no target ventilation determination algorithm 4328 and the target value Vtgt is predetermined, for example by hard coding during configuration of the RPT device 4000 or by manual entry via the input device 4220.

[0318] In other forms of the present technology, such as adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV), the target ventilation determination algorithm 4328 calculates the target value Vtgt from a value Vtyp indicative of the patient's typical recent ventilation.

[0319] In some forms of adaptive servo-ventilation, the target ventilation volume Vtgt is calculated as a high proportion of the typical recent ventilation Vtyp but less than this value. This form of high proportion can be in the range of (80%, 100%), or (85%, 95%), or (87%, 92%).

[0320] In other forms of adaptive servo-ventilation, the target ventilation Vtgt is calculated to be slightly greater than an integer multiple of the typical most recent ventilation Vtyp.

[0321] The typical recent ventilation Vtyp is a value around which the distribution of the measured values ​​of the current ventilation Vent at multiple moments on a predetermined time scale tends to cluster, that is, a measure of the central tendency of the measured values ​​of the current ventilation in the recent history. In one implementation of the target ventilation determination algorithm 4328, the recent history is of the order of minutes, but in any case should be longer than the time scale of the Cheyne-Stokes waxing and falling cycle. The target ventilation determination algorithm 4328 can use any of a variety of well-known central tendency measures to determine the typical recent ventilation Vtyp based on the measured value of the current ventilation Vent. One such measure is to output a low pass filter for the measured value of the current ventilation Vent, with a time constant equal to one hundred seconds.

[0322] 5.4.3.2.9 Determination of treatment parameters

[0323] In some forms of the present technology, the central controller 4230 executes one or more treatment parameter determination algorithms 4329 for determining one or more treatment parameters using values ​​returned by one or more other algorithms in the treatment engine module 4320.

[0324] In one form of the present technology, the treatment parameter is the instantaneous treatment pressure Pt. In one implementation of this form, the treatment parameter determination algorithm 4329 determines the treatment pressure Pt using the equation

[0325] Pt=AΠ(Φ,t)+P0 (1)

[0326] in:

[0327] A is the amplitude,

[0328] Π(Φ,t) is the waveform template value Φ (in the range 0 to 1) at the current value of phase and time t, and

[0329] P0 is the base pressure.

[0330] If the waveform determination algorithm 4322 provides a waveform template Π(Φ,t) as a lookup table of values ​​Π indexed by phase Φ, the treatment parameter determination algorithm 4329 applies equation (1) by locating the nearest lookup table entry to the current value Φ of the phase returned by the phase determination algorithm 4321, or by interpolating between two entries that span the current value Φ of the phase.

[0331] The values ​​of amplitude A and basal pressure P0 may be set by therapy parameter determination algorithm 4329 in the manner described below according to the selected respiratory pressure therapy mode.

[0332] 5.4.3.3 Treatment Control Module

[0333] The therapy control module 4330 according to one aspect of the present technology receives as input therapy parameters from the therapy parameter determination algorithm 4329 of the therapy engine module 4320 and controls the pressure generator 4140 to deliver air flow according to the therapy parameters.

[0334] In one form of the present technology, the therapy parameter is a therapy pressure Pt, and the therapy control module 4330 controls the pressure generator 4140 to deliver an air flow at a mask pressure Pm at the patient interface 3000 equal to the therapy pressure Pt.

[0335] 5.4.3.4 Detecting Fault Conditions

[0336] In one form of the present technology, the central controller 4230 executes one or more methods 4340 for detecting a fault condition. The fault condition detected by the one or more methods 4340 may include at least one of the following:

[0337] Power failure (no power or insufficient power)

[0338] Transducer fault detection

[0339] Unable to detect the presence of parts

[0340] Operating parameters outside the recommended range (e.g., pressure, flow, temperature, PaO2)

[0341] The test alarm fails to generate a detectable alarm signal.

[0342] When a fault condition is detected, the corresponding algorithm 4340 signals the presence of the fault by one or more of the following:

[0343] Activate audible, visual and / or dynamic (e.g., vibration) alarms

[0344] Send messages to external devices

[0345] Event logging

[0346] 5.5 Air circuit

[0347] The air circuit 4170 according to one aspect of the present technology is a conduit or tube that, when in use, is constructed and arranged to allow air flow to travel between two components, such as the RPT device 4000 and the patient interface 3000 .

[0348] Specifically, the air circuit 4170 can be fluidly connected to the outlet of the pneumatic block 4020 and the patient interface. The air circuit can be referred to as an air delivery tube. In some cases, there can be separate branches for the inspiratory and expiratory circuits. In other cases, a single branch is used.

[0349] In some forms, the air circuit 4170 may include one or more heating elements configured to heat the air in the air circuit, for example to maintain or increase the temperature of the air. The heating element may be in the form of a heating wire loop and may include one or more transducers, such as a temperature sensor. In one form, the heating wire loop may be helically wound around the axis of the air circuit 4170. The heating element may be in communication with a controller such as a central controller 4230. An example of an air circuit 4170 including a heating wire loop is described in U.S. Patent 8,733,349, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0350] 5.5.1 Oxygen delivery

[0351] In one form of the present technology, supplemental oxygen 4180 is delivered to one or more points in the pneumatic pathway, such as upstream of the pneumatic block 4020 , the air circuit 4170 , and / or the patient interface 3000 .

[0352] 5.6 Humidifier

[0353] 5.6.1 Overview of Humidifiers

[0354] In one form of the present technology, a humidifier 5000 (e.g., Figure 5A ) to change the absolute humidity of the air or gas for delivery to the patient relative to the ambient air. Typically, the humidifier 5000 is used to increase the absolute humidity of the air flow and increase the temperature of the air flow (relative to the ambient air) before delivery to the patient's airway.

[0355] The humidifier 5000 may include a humidifier reservoir 5110, a humidifier inlet 5002 for receiving an air flow, and a humidifier outlet 5004 for delivering a humidified air flow. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the inlet and outlet of the humidifier reservoir 5110 can be a humidifier inlet 5002 and a humidifier outlet 5004, respectively. The humidifier 5000 can also include a humidifier base 5006, which can be adapted to receive the humidifier reservoir 5110 and include a heating element 5240.

[0356] 5.6.2 Humidifier components

[0357] 5.6.2.1 Water storage tank

[0358] According to one arrangement, the humidifier 5000 may include a water reservoir 5110 configured to hold or retain a liquid (e.g., water) volume to be evaporated for humidifying the air flow. The water reservoir 5110 may be configured to hold a predetermined maximum water volume so as to provide adequate humidification for at least the duration of a respiratory therapy session, such as one night of sleep. Typically, the reservoir 5110 is configured to hold several hundred milliliters of water, for example, 300 milliliters (ml), 325 ml, 350 ml, or 400 ml. In other forms, the humidifier 5000 may be configured to receive a water supply from an external water source such as a building's water supply system.

[0359] According to one aspect, water reservoir 5110 is configured to add humidity to the air flow from RPT device 4000 as the air flow travels therethrough. In one form, water reservoir 5110 may be configured to encourage the air flow to travel in a tortuous path through reservoir 5110 while in contact with the volume of water therein.

[0360] According to one form, the reservoir 5110 may be arranged, for example, along a Figure 5A and Figure 5B The sideways orientation is shown removed from the humidifier 5000.

[0361] The reservoir 5110 may also be configured to prevent liquid from flowing out of it, such as through any orifices and / or between its subcomponents, such as when the reservoir 5110 is displaced and / or rotated from its normal operating orientation. Since the air flow to be humidified by the humidifier 5000 is generally pressurized, the reservoir 5110 may also be configured to avoid loss of pneumatic pressure through leakage and / or flow resistance.

[0362] 5.6.2.2 Conductive part

[0363] According to one arrangement, the reservoir 5110 includes a conductive portion 5120 configured to allow efficient transfer of heat from the heating element 5240 to the liquid content in the reservoir 5110. In one form, the conductive portion 5120 may be arranged as a plate, but other shapes may also be equally suitable. All or a portion of the conductive portion 5120 may be made of a thermally conductive material, such as aluminum (e.g., having a thickness of approximately 2 mm, such as 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2.5 mm, or 3 mm), another thermally conductive metal, or some plastics. In some cases, a material with a suitable geometry having a lower conductivity may be used to achieve appropriate thermal conductivity.

[0364] 5.6.2.3 Humidifier reservoir dock

[0365] In one form, the humidifier 5000 may include a humidifier reservoir base 5130 (eg, Figure 5B ), which is configured to receive the humidifier reservoir 5110. In some arrangements, the humidifier reservoir base 5130 may include a locking structure, such as a locking rod 5135 configured to hold the reservoir 5110 in the humidifier reservoir base 5130.

[0366] 5.6.2.4 Water level indicator

[0367] The humidifier reservoir 5110 may include Figure 5A-5B 5150. In some forms, the water level indicator 5150 may provide a user (such as the patient 1000 or a caregiver) with one or more indications regarding the amount of water volume in the humidifier reservoir 5110. The one or more indications provided by the water level indicator 5150 may include an indication of a maximum predetermined volume of water, any portion thereof, such as 25%, 50%, 75%, or a volume such as 200 ml, 300 ml, or 400 ml.

[0368] 5.6.2.5 Humidifier transducer

[0369] The humidifier 5000 may include one or more humidifier transducers (sensors) 5210 instead of or in addition to the transducers 4270 described above. Figure 5C As shown, the humidifier transducer 5210 may include one or more of an air pressure sensor 5212, an air flow transducer 5214, a temperature sensor 5216, or a humidity sensor 5218. The humidifier transducer 5210 may generate one or more output signals that may be communicated to a controller, such as the central controller 4230 and / or the humidifier controller 5250. In some forms, the humidifier transducer may be provided externally to the humidifier 5000 (such as in the air circuit 4170) when communicating the output signal to the controller.

[0370] 5.6.2.5.1 Pressure transducer

[0371] One or more pressure transducers 5212 may be provided to the humidifier 5000 in lieu of or in addition to the pressure sensor 4272 provided in the RPT device 4000 .

[0372] 5.6.2.5.2 Flow transducer

[0373] One or more flow transducers 5214 may be provided to the humidifier 5000 in lieu of or in addition to the flow sensor 4274 provided in the RPT device 4000 .

[0374] 5.6.2.5.3 Temperature transducer

[0375] The humidifier 5000 may include one or more temperature transducers 5216. The one or more temperature transducers 5216 may be configured to measure one or more temperatures, such as the temperature of the heating element 5240 and / or the air flow downstream of the humidifier outlet 5004. In some forms, the humidifier 5000 may further include a temperature sensor 5216 for detecting the ambient air temperature.

[0376] 5.6.2.5.4 Humidity transducer

[0377] In some forms, the humidifier 5000 may include one or more humidity sensors 5218 that detect the humidity of a gas (such as ambient air). In some forms, the humidity sensor 5218 may be positioned toward the humidifier outlet 5004 to measure the humidity of the gas delivered from the humidifier 5000. The humidity sensor may be an absolute humidity sensor or a relative humidity sensor.

[0378] 5.6.2.6 Heating elements

[0379] In some cases, a heating element 5240 can be provided to the humidifier 5000 to provide heat input to one or more of the water volumes in the humidifier reservoir 5110 and / or to the air flow. The heating element 5240 can include a heat generating component, such as a resistive electric heating rail. A suitable example of a heating element 5240 is a layered heating element, such as the layered heating element described in PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 2012 / 171072, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0380] In some forms, the heating element 5240 may be disposed in the humidifier base 5006, such as Figure 5B As shown in , heat can be provided to the humidifier reservoir 5110 primarily by conduction.

[0381] 5.6.2.7 Humidifier controller

[0382] According to one arrangement of the present technology, Figure 5C The humidifier 5000 shown in FIG. 5 may include a humidifier controller 5250. In one form, the humidifier controller 5250 may be part of the central controller 4230. In another form, the humidifier controller 5250 may be a separate controller that may communicate with the central controller 4230.

[0383] In one form, the humidifier controller 5250 may receive as input, for example, measurements of characteristics of air flow, water flow (such as temperature, humidity, pressure and / or flow) in the reservoir 5110 and / or the humidifier 5000. The humidifier controller 5250 may also be configured to execute or implement a humidifier algorithm and / or deliver one or more output signals.

[0384] like Figure 5C As shown in , the humidifier controller 5250 may include one or more controllers, such as a central humidifier controller 5251, a heated air circuit controller 5254 configured to control the temperature of the heated air circuit 4171, and / or a heating element controller 5252 configured to control the temperature of the heating element 5240.

[0385] 5.7 Active Power Management

[0386] As described above, the power source 4210 may not have sufficient power to power both the RPT device 4000 and the subsystem device. Although the RPT device 4000 may include a power source 4210 with sufficient power, power sources with higher power ratings are more expensive, take up more space, and / or are heavier. It is desirable to minimize the cost, space, and / or weight of the RPT device 4000, particularly a portable RPT device 4000.

[0387] As an example, the RPT device 4000 can utilize a compact design that necessitates the use of a compact power source 4210 (e.g., an external power source). The compact power source 4210 can have a smaller power rating than a conventional power source. The RPT device 4000 can employ specific power management measures to work with the compact power source 2410 without compromising performance. The RPT device 4000 can fully utilize the power source 4210 by dynamically managing the power requirements of the subsystems of the RPT device 4000 (e.g., a blower, a humidifier, and / or functional circuits).

[0388] Implementations of the present technology provide active power management of a power supply that does not have sufficient power to simultaneously power the RPT device 4000 and one or more subsystem devices. The active power management may include software and / or hardware configured to control the operation of the RPT device 4000 and subsystem devices in a manner that avoids triggering overcurrent protection of the power supply 4210 (e.g., overcurrent protection provided by the protection circuit 4250) while still providing treatment of a respiratory condition utilizing the RPT device 4000 and subsystem devices. Hardware-based implementations of power management are reliable, but have the added cost of additional components. Software-based implementations of power management are cheaper to implement, but increase software complexity. In some embodiments, software-based implementations may require additional memory to store instructions, but may use existing processing systems to execute instructions without the need for additional processing components. A hybrid of hardware and software implementations of power management may reduce overall software complexity, provide better control than a purely software-based approach, and be less expensive than a purely hardware solution. Hardware-implemented actions may also be faster. Including hardware components may increase processing speed. Hardware-based implementations may be much faster than software-based implementations.

[0389] Figure 5D An exemplary architecture of a device using power provided by power supply 4210 is shown. Figure 5D , the power supply can be rated to provide 65W of power. The controller 4230 and other components (e.g., output devices, input devices, and / or sensors) included in the RPT device 4000 can use a maximum specified amount (e.g., 5W) during operation. The blower 4142 can use a maximum of 40W during operation. The heater 5020 (e.g., a heating plate) in the humidifier 5000 can use approximately 67.8. In operation, the heat pipe 4172, which includes one or more heating elements and forms at least a portion of the air circuit 4170, can use approximately 57.7W. If operated simultaneously, the Figure 5DThe total power consumed by the apparatus shown in 4210 exceeds the rated power of the power supply 4210. The blower 4142, the heating plate 5020, and the heat pipe 4172 can be controlled to use only a portion of the power (e.g., at a lower setting) and / or operate only during certain portions of the breathing cycle.

[0390] The RPT device 4000 may include a Figure 5D The measured current may include: I representing the current supplied by power supply 4210 电源 , represents the current I drawn by the system other than the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 FG , represents the current I drawn by the heating plate 5020 板 , and / or I representing the current drawn by the heat pipe 4172 管 Active power management includes controlling the operation of the blower 4142, the heating plate 5020, and / or the heat pipe 4172 based on one or more of these current measurements. In some implementations of the present technology, the current drawn by the blower 4142 may be measured alone and used to control the operation of the blower and / or other devices.

[0391] During operation, the treatment therapy is performed and the conditions sensed by one or more sensors are used to determine how to control the blower 4142. The blower 4142 takes precedence over the power provided by the power supply 4210. When the blower does not need all the power available from the power supply, the excess power can be used to control subsystem devices (e.g., heating plate 5020 and / or heat pipe 4172). The power used for the blower can be changed based on the patient's breathing cycle, and during the inspiratory rise of the breathing cycle and during the expiratory portion of the breathing cycle, the blower may not use all the available power. In some cases, the power of the blower may change suddenly due to the patient adjusting the mask or removing the mask.

[0392] Figure 5E An exemplary architecture is shown for controlling the operation of multiple devices using power provided by power source 4210. Central controller 4230 may control the operation of RPT device 4000 and one or more subsystem devices based on user input, sensor data, available power and / or rated power of power source 4210, and / or operating characteristics of RPT device 4000 and one or more subsystem devices (e.g., blowers, heating plates, heat pipes, or other components such as communication modules).

[0393] The central controller 4230 may perform this control based on current measurements received from one or more current sensing circuits. Figure 5EAs shown, the central controller 4230 receives current measurements from one or more current sensing circuits 5302-5308. The current sensing circuit 5302 can be configured to measure the current provided by the power supply 4210. The current sensing circuit 5304 can be configured to measure the current drawn by the blower 4142 and other subsystem devices (such as controllers, sensors, and / or input devices). In some embodiments, the current sensing circuit 5304 can be configured to measure only the current drawn by the blower 4142. The current sensing circuit 5306 can be configured to measure the current drawn by the heating plate 5020 (e.g., the first heating element). The current sensing circuit 5308 can be configured to measure the current drawn by the heat pipe 4172 (e.g., the second heating element). The central controller 4230 receives the current measurements and determines which devices (e.g., blowers, heating plates, and / or heat pipes) should be powered and how much power should be provided to each of these devices without tripping the overcurrent protection of the power supply.

[0394] The current sensing circuits 5302-5308 allow real-time monitoring of the current in different parts of the system so that the devices can be effectively controlled without triggering over-current protection of the power supply in response to changes in the operating conditions of the devices. The current sensing circuits 5302-5308 can provide a more accurate estimate of the power used by the device than estimating power consumption based on predicted breathing cycles.

[0395] One or more current sensing circuits may include an ADC driver configured to read a current channel at predetermined intervals (e.g., every 28 μs). The current sensing circuit may receive an analog signal representing the current and convert the analog signal into a digital signal for use by the central controller 4230. Implementations of the present technology may use various current sensing circuits known to those of ordinary skill in the art to obtain current at different locations of the system. In some implementations, a digital current sensing IC may be used. The digital current sensing IC may be configured to separate out serial peripheral interface data.

[0396] The central controller 4230 can control the operation of the blower 4142 based on the selected respiratory pressure therapy mode. The blower is given priority over the power from the power supply 4210 compared to other devices (e.g., the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172). The central controller 4230 limits the current of the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 to maintain the overall power consumption within the power range of the power supply 4210. In some implementations, the power range can be limited to avoid over-protection of the tripped power supply. In some implementations, the power range can include the power before the over-protection is triggered within a very short time range, and the controller can average it. The current of the heating plate and / or heat pipe is controlled quickly enough to avoid triggering the power supply over-current protection in the case of a rapid rate of change of the blower current (e.g., due to a patient disconnection or a sudden change in the patient's breathing). The execution of the active power management loop is faster than the execution of the blower controller loop. In one implementation of the present technology, active power management can be executed twice as fast (0.5ms) as the blower current closed loop (e.g., 1ms).

[0397] The central controller 4230 can control the blower 4142, the heating plate 5020, and the heat pipe 4172 via the blower controller 5310, the heating plate controller 5312, and the heat pipe controller 5314, respectively. The central controller 4230 can determine the current setting of these devices and send the set current to the corresponding controller. One or more of the controllers 5310-5314 can include a feedback control circuit that is configured to receive the current set for the corresponding device from the central controller 4230 and adjust the operation of the device until the measured current matches the current set for the device. In one implementation of the present technology, the controller for a particular device can modify the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation control signal provided to the device until the measured current matches the current set for the device.

[0398] In some implementations, one or more of the controllers 5310-5314 may be implemented with a proportional-derivative controller (PID), a proportional-integral controller (PI), or a proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID). These controllers may calculate and transmit updated control output signals to the control device at each sampling. These settings determined by active power management of one or more PI controllers may be determined based on measured current that is faster (e.g., twice as fast) than the PI controller of the blower 4142. The controllers 5310-5314 may be embedded in a central processing unit (e.g., a microprocessor).

[0399] Determining the settings of one or more of the controllers 5310-5314 can include using a climate control algorithm to determine a set point (e.g., a duty cycle) for the device and adjusting the set point based on one or more measured currents. In one example, the duty cycle set point for the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 can be determined using a climate control algorithm and then adjusted based on the measured current draw of the blower 4142. The duty cycle set point for the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 can be reduced to avoid triggering power supply overcurrent protection, or can be increased to use the additional available power to provide additional heat through the heating plate 5020 and / or the heat pipe 4172.

[0400] The additional heat generated when power is available can compensate for the lack of heat provided during time periods when the blower requires additional power and power is limited to the heating plate 5020 and heat pipe 4172.

[0401] In some implementations, the corresponding controllers 5310-5314 may include or receive measurements of current from correspondingly coupled current sensing circuits 5304-5308. The controllers 5310-5314 may use the measured current and the set current to control the operation of the corresponding device (e.g., the duty cycle of a pulse width modulation control signal).

[0402] In some implementations of the present technology, the heater plate controller 5312 can receive a budget current for the heater plate 5020 and adjust the pulse width modulation control signal based on the current measured by the sensing circuit 5306 and the budget current so that all of the budget current for the heater plate is used by the heater plate 5020. The heat pipe controller 5314 can receive a budget current for the heat pipe 4172 and adjust the pulse width modulation control signal based on the budget current and the current measured by the sensing circuit 5308 so that all of the budget current for the heat pipe is used by the heat pipe 4172.

[0403] In some implementations of the present technology, pulse width modulated signals for the blower, heating plate, and / or heat pipe can be offset from each other. In some embodiments, the pulse width modulated signals can be offset as a function of a detected patient breathing cycle. An embodiment of a peak power operation of an offset device is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,844,522 "Power Management in Respiratory Therapy Devices".

[0404] Dynamic Power Management Implementation

[0405] To meet the treatment requirements, the power demand of the blower should be guaranteed at all times without being compromised. This forms the basis for dynamic power management. The humidifier and the remaining circuits may have a temporarily impaired power allocation. The humidifier can use as much power as it can absorb from the remaining power not used by the blower. If the power supply has a 65W capacity and the blower consumes 5W during treatment, the humidifier can be allowed to consume up to 60W without being limited to a predefined figure. The three power management concepts can be implemented in the RPT device 4000 using hardware methods, software methods, or a combination of software and hardware methods.

[0406] Power management may be performed based on measurements of power consumed by components of the RPT device 4000 . Fig. 5F and 5G Exemplary power measurements of components in the RPT device 4000 are shown. The RPT device 4000 may include current sensing and amplification circuits for the blower 4142, the heating plate 5020, and / or the heat pipe 4172. Waveforms may be measured at the output of the amplifier during operation of the RPT device 4000. During operation of the RPT device 4000, the operation of the heating plate 5020 and / or the heat pipe 4172 may be controlled to operate at their maximum levels.

[0407] Waveform 6010 represents the total current consumed by the RPT device 4000 (e.g., on a 24V line). Waveform 6020 represents the blower 4142 current sense voltage (e.g., with reverse polarity). Waveform 6030 represents the heater plate 5020 current sense voltage. Waveform 6040 represents the heat pipe 4172 current sense voltage.

[0408] Figure 5G Shows Fig. 5F An enlarged view of a portion of the waveform shown. Figure 5G As shown in , the heat pipe 4172 and the heating plate 5020 share power usage, which means that the heating elements for the humidifier plate and the heat pipe are turned on alternately. When the humidifier PWM (represented by waveform 6030) is turned on, the heat pipe PWM (represented by waveform 6040) is turned off. Similarly, when the heat pipe PWM (represented by waveform 6040) is turned on, the humidifier PWM (represented by waveform 6030) is turned off. In some embodiments, the PWM signals for the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 will not be turned on at the same time, but they can be turned off at any time. In some embodiments, one of the PWM signals for the heating plate 5020 or the heat pipe 4172 can be turned on, while the other can remain off for multiple cycles. As Figure 5G As shown, during a portion of the time, the PWM signals for the heating plate 5020 and the heat pipe 4172 can be turned off to ensure that the two PWM signals do not consume power at the same time.

[0409] Figure 5H An example circuit that can be used to measure the power used by the RPT device 4000 is shown. Figure 5H Specific circuit components are shown in FIG. 1 , but they are not limited thereto and may be replaced by one or more other components that provide similar functionality.

[0410] The circuit includes sensing, summing, and filtering circuits. The sensing circuit can be configured to measure the current drawn by the blower 4142 and the subsystem device (e.g., heat pipe 4172 and / or heating plate 5020). The summing circuit can be configured to output a voltage proportional to the current drawn by the blower 4142 and the subsystem device (e.g., heat pipe 4172 and / or heating plate 5020). The filtering circuit can be configured to filter out high frequency signals to provide an average total power consumption.

[0411] exist Figure 5H In FIG. 6 , the blower current sense signal can be buffered and amplified by an operational amplifier (Op-amp) 6050. The output of the operational amplifier 6050 is coupled to the operational amplifier 6052 via a resistor. Figure 5H Not shown, but current sensing signals from one or more subsystem devices (e.g., plates and tubes) may also be buffered and amplified. Operational amplifier 6052 may receive voltages representing blower current and heating current (including humidifiers and heat pipes) and provide an output representing the summed voltage. By carefully selecting the input resistors, the output voltage of operational amplifier 6052 will be proportional to the total power consumption. The voltage may then pass through a low pass filter (LPF) comprising operational amplifier 6054, capacitor 6066, and resistor 6068. The output V_ctrl of the LPF represents the average total power consumption (power-IF). The polarity of V_ctrl may be reversed, which means that the higher the V_ctrl, the lower the total power consumption it represents. In an alternative form of the present technology, the polarity of V_ctrl may not be reversed, which means that the lower the V_ctrl, the more power available for consumption.

[0412] Fig.5I Shows Figure 5H Exemplary signal waveforms for the circuit shown. Waveforms Motor-I, Plate-I, and Tube-I show voltage values ​​representing the current drawn by the RPT device 4000 over time. The blower may draw a higher current during patient inhalation and a lesser current during exhalation. The heating of the heat plate and heat tube is controlled by a PWM signal. As described above, in one form of the present technology, the heating PWM signals for the plates and tubes are controlled so that only one heating element is on at any time.

[0413] Sum-I represents the sum of the voltages representing the blower current and the heating current (including the humidifier and the heat pipe) and is proportional to the total power consumption. The filtered power average represents the low pass filtered Sum-I signal. The filtered power average can be used as a control signal V_ctrl for controlling the operation of the heating element.

[0414] Figure 5J One form of power control circuit according to the present technology is shown which may be used to control the operation of a heating element based on a control signal representing the power consumption of the RPT device 4000. Figure 5J Specific circuit components are shown in FIG. 1 , but they are not limited thereto and may be replaced by one or more other components that provide similar functionality.

[0415] The power control circuit is configured to receive a control signal V_ctrl and one or more PWM signals for controlling the operation of a subsystem device (e.g., heat pipe 4172 and / or heating plate 5020). In one form of the present technology, the control signal V_ctrl may be Figure 5H The circuit shown provides a power control circuit that can be configured to modify one or more of the PWM signals based on a control signal V_ctrl.

[0416] In one form of the present technology, when the control signal V_ctrl reaches a predetermined threshold representing a control limit, one or more PWM signals are modified. When the total power (represented by V_ctrl) is below the control limit, the power control circuit may provide the PWM signal to the subsystem device without modifying the received PWM signal. When the total power (represented by V_ctrl) reaches or exceeds the control limit, the power control circuit may modify the one or more PWM signals.

[0417] exist Figure 5J In the embodiment, the voltage controlled PWM circuit 6070 receives the control signal V_ctrl and outputs a gate PWM signal for controlling the hot plate input signal (hot plate-PWM-in) and / or the heat pipe input signal (heat pipe-PWM-in). The duty cycle of the output signal (gate-PWM) is controlled by the control signal V_ctrl. In some embodiments, the output (gate-PWM) can be provided at a current frequency (e.g., 100 Hz). One or more resistors, capacitors, and / or a voltage source (e.g., VCC) can be used to control the operating parameters of the voltage controlled PWM circuit 6070.

[0418] In one embodiment, the voltage control PWM circuit 607 can be configured to increase the duty cycle of the output signal gate PWM when the control signal V_ctrl is high (low power consumption), and reduce the duty cycle of the output signal gate PWM when the control signal V_ctrl is low (high power consumption). AND gate 6072 can receive the output signal gate-PWM and the hot plate input signal (hot plate-PWM-in), and output a gated output signal (hot plate-PWM-out) for the heating element in the heating plate 5020. AND gate 6074 can receive the output signal gate-PWM and the heat pipe input signal (heat pipe-PWM-in), and output a gated output signal (heat pipe-PWM-out) for the heating element in the heat pipe 4172. A decrease or increase in the duty cycle of the output signal gate PWM will generate a decrease or increase in the power provided to the heating element.

[0419] The voltage controlled PWM circuit 6070 may be configured to include one or more thresholds for controlling how the control signal V_ctrl changes the duty cycle of the output signal gate PWM. Figure 5K An output signal gate-PWM duty cycle proportional to the control signal V_ctrl is shown in accordance with one form of the present technique. Figure 5K The waveforms in depict heating power control by using a low frequency (100 Hz) gate PWM signal whose duty cycle is controlled by V_ctrl (inversely proportional to the total power consumption).

[0420] The first threshold V1 can be set so that when the control signal V_ctrl is above the threshold (less than the rated power of the PSU), the output signal gate PWM will be at 100% duty cycle, which means no power limitation for the heating circuit. When the control signal V_ctrl is below the threshold V1, the duty cycle of the output signal gate PWM can be reduced, thereby reducing the power used by the heating circuit. Figure 5K It is shown that the threshold is set so that when the control signal V_ctrl is low (high power consumption), the output signal gate PWM duty cycle is low, and less heating PWM signal passes through the gate, so less average heating power. When the control signal V_ctrl is high (low power consumption), the output signal gate PWM duty cycle is high, so a greater average heating power is obtained.

[0421] The second threshold V2 can be set so that when the control signal V_ctrl is between the first threshold V1 and the second threshold V2, the output signal PWM duty cycle is set to a first value (less than 100%, and when the control signal V_ctrl is lower than the second threshold V2, the output signal gate PWM duty cycle is further reduced (e.g., a second value less than the first value).

[0422] In one form of the present technology, when the control signal V_ctrl is between a first threshold V1 and a second threshold V2, the duty cycle can be proportionally reduced to a value below 100% of the control signal V_ctrl, and when the control signal V_ctrl is below the second threshold V2, the output signal gate PWM duty cycle is further reduced (e.g., to 0, thereby not providing heating power to the heating element).

[0423] Figure 5L FIG. 2 shows the relationship between the output signal gate-PWM input to the AND gate and the gated PWM output signal of the humidifier output by the AND gate according to one form of the present technology. Figure 5L As shown in , when the value of the PWM gate signal is zero, the gated PWM output signal of the humidifier is zero, reducing the power consumed by the heating element. When the value of the PWM gate signal is not zero, the received PWM gated humidifier signal is provided to the heating element.

[0424] In one form of the present technology, dynamic power management may be implemented entirely in software. Figure 5M A method for performing adaptive power management in one form of the present technology is shown. The dynamic power management method can be performed by executing instructions stored in a non-transitory memory. In one embodiment, the central controller 4230 and / or the humidifier controller 5250 can be configured to perform Figure 5M Although discussed with reference to a specific controller (e.g., central controller 4230 and / or humidifier controller 5250), Figure 5M , but the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto and may be performed by a single controller or additional controllers.

[0425] In step 5502, the central controller 4230 monitors the blower current in real time and calculates the average blower power consumption. The average blower power consumption can be calculated at a predetermined frequency. In one embodiment, the frequency can be 100 Hz. In other embodiments, the frequency can be higher or lower, depending on the workload of the humidifier controller. The frequency can be set lower as long as it does not cause the current over-protection of the power supply to be triggered.

[0426] In step 5504 , the central controller 4230 reports the average blower power usage to the humidifier controller 5250 .

[0427] In step 5506, the humidifier controller 5250 calculates the total average power consumption of the heater plates 5020 and / or heat pipes 4172. The combined average power consumption of the heater plates 5020 and / or heat pipes 4172 may be calculated at the same frequency (e.g., 100 Hz) as the central controller 4230 that performs the calculation of the average blower power usage.

[0428] In step 5508, the humidifier controller 5250 calculates the total average power consumption. The total average power consumption may include estimated power consumption of the RPT device and / or other circuits in the device coupled to the RPT device.

[0429] In step 5510, the total average power consumption is compared to the rated power capacity of the power supply unit. If the total average power exceeds the rated power capacity of the power supply (e.g., 65W) ("yes" in step 5510), the humidifier controller 5250 reduces the heating power to the humidifier circuit (step 5512). If the total average power is less than the rated power capacity of the power supply (no in step 5510), the humidifier controller 5250 can increase the heating power to the humidifier circuit. If it is necessary to generate increased heat in the heating plate 5020 and / or heat pipe 4172, the heating power to the humidifier circuit can be increased. The heating power to the humidifier circuit can be increased as long as the total power remains below the rated power capacity limit of the power supply.

[0430] In one form of the present technology, a software implementation may need to prioritize power calculations and control of the RPT device 4000 based on the following: the central controller 4230 calculates the blower power consumption at a predetermined frequency, the central controller 4230 sends the blower power calculation to the humidifier controller 5250, and the humidifier controller 5250 calculates the total power consumption and controls the heating power output.

[0431] The software implementation may need to respond quickly to total power changes. If the software implementation is not fast enough, the power supply unit may be temporarily overloaded and the power supply unit OCP may be triggered.

[0432] In one form of the present technology, hardware may be used to obtain the total power consumption (e.g., represented by V_ctrl), and software-based processing may be used to limit the power consumption. The power consumption signal V_ctrl may be connected to an A / D input of a humidifier controller 5250 (e.g., a microprocessor). Through this implementation, the humidifier controller 5250 may obtain the total power consumption without consuming too much of its computing capacity.

[0433] In this embodiment, the heating power control by the humidifier control can be similar to the above reference Figure 5M Operation discussed. The difference from the implementation using the central controller 4230 is that the central controller 4230 is not required to calculate the power usage and send the blower power consumption calculation to the humidifier controller 5250.

[0434] Figure 5NAnother form of the present technology is a method for performing adaptive power management. In one form of the present technology, the method can be performed by software and / or hardware. The method can be performed by a processing system including one or more processors. In one form of the present technology, the method can be performed at least in part by a central controller 4230.

[0435] The method includes receiving power usage data (step 5402). The power usage data may include data representing available power and / or power provided by the power supply and / or power used by the device or by a subsystem of the medical device. The power usage data may include current supplied by the power supply, current drawn by the medical device, and / or current drawn by one or more subsystem devices. In one form of the present technology, the power usage data may include current supplied by the power supply, current drawn by a medical device including a blower without a subsystem device, current drawn by one or more components of a humidifier, and / or current drawn by one or more components of a heat pipe.

[0436] The method includes determining whether the power used is greater than the maximum available power (step 5404). The determination may be made based on the rating of the power supply and / or the remaining charge of the power supply, the received power usage data, and / or the power settings applied to one or more subsystem devices. In one form of the present technology, the determination of whether the power used is greater than the maximum available power may include determining whether the current drawn by the medical device and the subsystem device is greater than the maximum current that can be consumed from the power supply (e.g., determined based on the rating of the power supply). In another form of the present technology, the determination of whether the power used is greater than the maximum available power may include determining whether the sum of the current drawn by the medical device and the target current setting of the subsystem device is greater than the maximum current that can be consumed from the power supply.

[0437] If the power used is greater than the maximum available power (yes in step 5404), the new power setting of one or more subsystem devices may be updated (step 5412) so that the total power used does not exceed the maximum power. If the power used is not greater than the maximum available power (no, in step 5404), the current power setting may be maintained or adjusted to use the excess available power. If standby is not enabled (no in step 5406), the power setting is sent to the device or device controller (step 5410) without being updated. If standby is enabled (yes in step 5406), the power setting of one or more subsystem devices may be updated to use the excess power available from the power supply.

[0438] Standby may include using excess power to control subsystem components so that their power consumption exceeds a previously determined power setting. Excess power may include power available before over-protection of the power supply is triggered. For a heating element, standby may include increasing power so that additional heat is generated during a time period when excess power is available to compensate for heat not generated during a time period when power is limited so that devices with higher priority can be powered. Standby may be enabled based on user control and / or the type of power source connected (e.g., when a power source with low power is connected).

[0439] When the power provided to a subsystem component is reduced because the total power used is greater than the maximum available power (yes in step 5405), a calculation can be performed to determine how much power is not provided due to power limitations and how much power should be increased when additional power is available. The amount of power "debited" to the subsystem component during the power reduction can be provided by the expected power minus the actual power provided. The expected power can represent the power that the system determines needs to be provided to the subsystem component. The actual power provided can represent the power provided to the subsystem component after the power provided to the subsystem component is reduced. When additional power is available (no in step 5404) and standby is enabled (yes in step 5406), the debited power can be added to the power already provided to the subsystem component.

[0440] In one example, when power is limited to the heating element, the duration of time during which no power is provided to the heating element may be accumulated, and when additional power is available, the duty cycle of the power signal provided to the heating element may be increased to provide the additional power for the accumulated duration.

[0441] The backup may be activated when there is a need to improve the stability of the heating control or its accuracy compared to a target performance.

[0442] Reserves can provide advantages in terms of the performance of heaters without feedback from the corresponding sensors. For example, if a subsystem for heating a plate to evaporate water does not have a downstream sensor indicating the amount of water evaporated, the evaporation rate is below target when heating is suppressed to a lower priority. Without feedback to the controller, there is no incentive to increase the overall average heating. Reserves provide this compensation to maintain the expected evaporation amount.

[0443] Backup can provide advantages when feedback from sensors is slow. For example, a subsystem for heating tubing receives feedback from a gas temperature sensor. When heating is suppressed as a lower priority, the gas temperature may drop from the target. When power is available, feedback from the sensor will motivate the controller to increase heating, with some lag in the response. Backup can speed up this response by predicting a drop in gas temperature before the sensor indicates it. Thus, backup reduces the variation in the temperature of the gas delivered to the patient.

[0444] Updating the power settings of one or more subsystem devices (step 5412) may include determining the current settings of the one or more subsystem devices. The PI controller may use the current settings to determine and update (based on the measured current) the duty cycle of the corresponding subsystem device. In one form of the present technology, updating the power settings may include determining the duty cycle of the corresponding subsystem device. If the power used is greater than the maximum available power, the current or duty cycle may be reduced. If additional power is available and standby is enabled, the current or duty cycle may be increased.

[0445] Fig.5O and 5P More detailed methods for performing adaptive power management according to various forms of the present technology are shown. In one form of the present technology, the methods may be performed by software and / or hardware. These methods may be performed by a processing system including one or more processors. In one form of the present technology, these methods may be performed at least in part by a central controller 4230. In some implementations of the present technology, Fig.5O and 5P The power management method shown in can be completely implemented by software.

[0446] Fig.5O Adaptive power management is shown for a subsystem device (e.g., heating plate 5020 and / or heat pipe 4172) based on measured current and set current. The ADC driver can be configured to measure the current channel of the medical device to calculate the current I representing the measured current drawn by the system other than one or more subsystem devices. FG M ; Current I 板M represents the current drawn by the first subsystem device (e.g., heating plate 5020), and / or the current I 管M Represents the current drawn by the second subsystem device (e.g., heat pipe 4172).

[0447] The method may include obtaining the maximum available current I 最大 I 最大 Can be based on the rated value of the power supply. In some exemplary implementations, I 最大It can be based on the over-protection value of the power supply. 最大 The power level may be stored in memory, determined by software and / or hardware based on a type of power source coupled to or included in the medical device, determined based on power stored in the power source, and / or received from the power source or another component in the medical device. 最大 Can be changed dynamically depending on which power supply (e.g., 65W and 90W) is connected to the flow generator. 最大 The power source may be a constant value (e.g., a pre-stored value for a given power source). The type of power source may be determined based on an indicator (e.g., a resistor and / or a chip) included in the power source. For example, different resistance values ​​may indicate different power sources or functions of the power source. A chip included in the power source may provide a code indicating different power sources or functions of the power source. As described above, the power source may include an AC / DC power pack, a DC / DC converter, and / or a portable battery pack. Although I 最大 The over-protection value of the power supply may not be considered, but in some implementations, the timing for controlling the current of the heating plate and / or heat pipe may be well below the OCP window before the protection circuit trips.

[0448] In some implementations, such as in a battery pack, I 最大 Performance may degrade due to low charge, environmental changes (e.g., temperature, pressure), number of cycles, and / or peak current. In some implementations, the power supply may be configured to dynamically determine I 最大 And provide a signal to indicate I 最大 In some implementations, the system may include a method for dynamically determining I 最大 The available charge and / or environmental conditions may be measured to determine I 最大 .

[0449] The method may include obtaining a current set for one or more subsystem devices (e.g., heater plate 5020 and / or heat pipe 4172). In one embodiment, setting the current includes setting a heater plate current set point I 板SP and the heat pipe current set point I 管SP The set current may be determined based on a duty cycle set point for controlling operation of the subsystem device.

[0450] The duty cycle set point may be set according to a climate control algorithm. The climate control algorithm disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 9,802,022, entitled “Humidification of Breathing Gases,” and the method for controlling the duty cycle disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 8,844,522, entitled “Power Management in a Respiratory Therapy Device,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference, may be used to set and control the duty cycle set point of a subsystem device (e.g., a heating plate 5020 and / or a heat pipe 4172). In some implementations of the present technology, the humidifier and heat pipe control algorithms disclosed in FIGS. 15-18 of U.S. Patent No. 9,802,022, entitled “Humidification of Breathing Gases,” may be used to control the operation of the heating plate and / or heat pipe.

[0451] In one embodiment, the duty cycle set point determined by the climate control algorithm for the heating plate 5020 can be converted to obtain the heating plate current set point I 板SP and the duty cycle set point determined by the climate control algorithm for heat pipe 4172 may be converted to obtain the heat pipe current set point I SP .

[0452] Fig.5O The method shown may include determining whether the current used exceeds the maximum available current I 最大 The current used can be determined by the current I FGM , Heating plate current setting point I 板SP and the heat pipe current set point I 管SP The sum of the current I FGM Represents the measured current drawn by the system excluding one or more subsystem devices. The advantage of using current set points instead of measured current for heating plates and heat pipes is that it can provide more accurate results. Using measured currents may provide incorrect results because the measured currents decrease in proportion to the duty cycle set by the controller, so they do not correspond to the controller's target.

[0453] If the current used exceeds the maximum available current I 最大 , a new heater plate and heat pipe current set point current can be calculated by reducing the power to be used by the heater plate and heat pipe. In some embodiments, the heat pipe can be prioritized over the heater plate (e.g., in a ratio of 60% to 40%). If the current used does not exceed the maximum available current of the power supply I 最大 If current reserve is enabled, the extra current can be used to adjust the settings of one or more subsystem devices. The extra current can be drawn from the maximum available current I 最大 Subtract the current I FGM , heating plate current setting point I 板SP and the heat pipe current set point I 管With the additional available current, new heater plate and heat pipe current set point currents can be calculated to use the additional available current. In some embodiments, the heat pipe can be prioritized over the heater plate (e.g., in a ratio of 60% to 40%).

[0454] New heating plate current set point I 板SP and the heat pipe current set point I 管SP Can be used to control the heating plate and heat pipe controller. In one embodiment, the heating plate and heat pipe controller can include a controller based on the measured current (e.g., I 板M and I 管M ) and the set current (for example, I 板SP and I 管SP ) is set. The PI controller for the heat pipe can be based on I 管SP and I 管M To set the heat pipe duty cycle. The PI controller for the heating plate can be based on I 板SP and I 板M The determined duty cycle can be applied to the corresponding subsystem device in real time (eg, within each cycle).

[0455] If the current used does not exceed the maximum available current I 最大 and the standby is not enabled, the existing current setting can be maintained. In this case, the existing heating plate current set point I 板SP and the heat pipe current set point I 管SP To control the heating plate and heat pipe controller.

[0456] The rate of the climate control cycle can be a relatively slow rate (e.g., every 1 s) to accommodate the slow thermal response of the heated subsystem. The rate of the active power management cycle (e.g., every 500 μs) is preferably faster than the fastest increase in current draw caused by high priority loads. For example, when the patient inhales, the FG current I FGM Can be raised quickly to speed up the blower to increase airflow.

[0457] In the above embodiments, heat pipe and plate heater current closed loops are used instead of duty cycles. While the current drawn by the tube (or plate) can be easily estimated based on the applied duty cycle, the disadvantage is that such calculations can be very inaccurate because the estimated current is highly dependent on the resistance tolerance and temperature of the components. For example, test results that rely on duty cycle show that the system may deliver less power to the plates and tubes than expected. This inaccuracy may cause active power management to cut off humidifier or heat pipe power prematurely. Using a faster current closed loop for the heating plate and / or heat pipe can improve the overall performance of humidification.

[0458] In one form of the present technology, the duty cycle range of the PWM for the heat pipe and / or heating plate may have a duty cycle range from 0% to 99%. In some embodiments, the hardware may not allow for a 100% duty cycle.

[0459] As described above, the heat pipe and / or the heating plate may use a PI controller. The PI controller may use the difference between the current set point and the measured current to calculate the duty cycle output of the heat pipe and / or the heating plate.

[0460] Because the output offset of the operational amplifiers used for current measurement can be quite high (~160mV), they may not allow current measurements below 200mA. Therefore, the PI controller may not be used at low duty cycles. When the current set point is below a preset value (e.g., 10% of the maximum current), a fixed duty cycle (e.g., 10%) may be applied and a false current measurement (e.g., 10% of the maximum current) may be calculated. In some embodiments, the current set point may be 283mA (=10% of 2.83A) for the plate and 240mA (=10% of 2.40A) for the tube.

[0461] Figure 5P Adaptive power management is shown for subsystem devices (e.g., heating plate 5020 and / or heat pipe 4172) based on measured current and set power. Figure 5P As discussed, some implementations of the present technology may include a power control closed loop whose settings may be used to calculate a set point current for a subsystem device. Figure 5P The operation shown is similar to Fig.5O The operations discussed above can be applied to Figure 5P The adaptive power management operation is shown.

[0462] The RPT device 4000 may include a power control closed loop, which may be embedded in a microcontroller. The power control closed loop may use the flow generator duty cycle output as a percentage of the power set point. Each percentage may have a range of 0 to 100% of the available power (e.g., a 60W power range). The duty cycle applied to the plate (or tube) may be calculated by the following formula: Duty Cycle = Power Set Point / (Measured Supply Voltage * Measured I 峰 ). If the duty cycle is low, this formula may not apply, as the current may not reach its peak value due to high board (or tube) inductance. In this case, I 峰 , but use the resistance of the plate (or tube) to calculate I 峰 :I = measured supply voltage / resistance. The resistance can be calculated using the temperature of the plate (or tube).

[0463] like Figure 5PAs shown, in some implementations of the present technology, a power set point can be output by the climate control algorithm at predetermined intervals (e.g., every second). The power set point is used to control the operation of the panel tube power. The current set point is determined using the power setting value of the pressure system and the measured power. In adaptive power management, the tube and panel current set points can be calculated by the following formula: Current set point = power set point / measured power supply voltage. The power supply voltage can be measured by the pressure system software every 10ms and used by the adaptive power management every 0.5ms. In this implementation, the system can accurately account for changes in the voltage source caused by the operation of the blower.

[0464] The existing PI current closed loop controller can output the tube sheet duty cycle.

[0465] Unlike other methods for controlling medical devices and subsystem devices, some implementations of adaptive power management according to the present technology do not predict when the patient will inhale, but instead use real-time power usage measurements and power settings to determine how to control the device. The present technology provides rapid detection of how various subsystems of the medical device are using power. For example, when inhalation begins, the operation of the blower is changed and detected by the sensing circuit. This change in operation can trigger a reduction in heater power so that the blower can obtain additional power. The blower does not have to wait for the heater to reduce power before it starts, as the delay may be felt by the patient. Power management provides a quick response because if the heater power is maintained for too long, the combined current draw may exceed the capacity of the power supply and trigger current over-protection.

[0466] 5.8 Respiratory waveform

[0467] Fig. 6A The following figure shows a typical breathing waveform of a model of a person during sleep. The horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is respiratory flow. While the parameter values ​​can vary, a typical breath can have the following approximate values: tidal volume Vt 0.5L, inspiratory time Ti 1.6s, peak inspiratory flow Qpeak 0.4L / s, expiratory time Te 2.4s, peak expiratory flow Qpeak-0.5L / s. The total duration of the breath Ttot is about 4s. A person usually breathes at a rate of about 15 breaths per minute (BPM) and a ventilation rate of Vent of about 7.5L / min. The typical duty cycle, the ratio of Ti to Ttot is about 40%.

[0468] Figure 6BSelected polysomnographic channels (pulse oximetry, flow, chest motion, and abdominal motion) are shown for a patient during non-REM sleep breathing that typically lasts about ninety seconds, about 34 breaths, treated with auto-PAP therapy, and a mask pressure of about 11 cm H2O. The top channel shows pulse oximetry (blood oxygen saturation or SpO2) with a scale ranging vertically from 90% to 99% saturation. The patient maintained about 95% saturation during the period shown. The second channel shows quantitative respiratory airflow with a scale ranging vertically from -1 to +1 LPS, with inspiration positive. Chest and abdominal motion are shown in the third and fourth channels.

[0469] Figure 6C The polysomnogram of the patient before treatment is shown. There are eleven signal channels from top to bottom, with a horizontal span of 6 minutes. The top two channels are EEG (electroencephalogram) from different scalp locations. The periodic spikes in the second EEG indicate cortical arousal and related activity. The third channel is the submental EMG (electromyogram). The increased activity during arousal indicates the recruitment of the genioglossus muscle. The fourth and fifth channels are EOG (electrooculogram). The sixth channel is an electrocardiogram. The seventh channel shows a pulse oximetry (SpO2) with repeated desaturation from about 90% to less than 70%. The eighth channel is a respiratory airflow using a nasal cannula connected to a differential pressure sensor. Repeated apneas of 25 to 35 seconds alternate with 10 to 15 seconds of recovery breathing bursts, consistent with EEG arousal and increased EMG activity. The ninth channel is chest movement, and the tenth channel is abdominal movement. The abdomen shows a gradual increase in movement over the entire length of the apnea, leading to arousal. Due to the whole body movement during the recovery of hyperpnea, both become uncomfortable during arousal. Therefore, the apnea is obstructive and the condition is severe. The lowest channel is posture, which shows no changes in this example.

[0470] Fig.6D Flow data for a patient is shown while the patient is experiencing a series of complete obstructive apneas. The duration of the recording is approximately 160 seconds. The flow range is approximately +1 L / s to approximately -1.5 L / s. Each apnea lasts approximately 10-15 seconds.

[0471] Fig. 6E The zoomed inspiratory portion of the breath is shown, where the patient is experiencing low frequency inspiratory snoring.

[0472] Fig. 6F An example of a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath is shown where the patient is experiencing flattened inspiratory flow limitation.

[0473] Figure 6G Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a "table top" type flat inspiratory flow limitation.

[0474] Figure 6H Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where a patient is experiencing an example of a "panda ear" type inspiratory flow limitation.

[0475] Fig.6I Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a "chair" type restriction.

[0476] Figure 6J Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of an "inverted chair" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0477] Figure 6K Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of an "M-shaped" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0478] Figure 6L Shown is a scaled inspiratory portion of a breath where the patient is experiencing an example of a deep "M-shaped" type of inspiratory flow limitation.

[0479] Figure 6M Patient data from a patient with Cheyne-Stokes breathing is shown. There are three channels: pulse oximetry (SpO2); a signal representing flow; and chest motion. The data spans six minutes. The signal representing flow is measured using a pressure sensor connected to a nasal cannula. The patient exhibited approximately 22 seconds of apnea and approximately 38 seconds of hyperpnea. The higher frequency, low amplitude oscillations during the apnea are of cardiogenic origin.

[0480] Figure 6N Shows the use of Figure 6M The same three channels in FIG. 1 are patient data from another embodiment of a patient with Cheyne-Stokes breathing. The data spans ten minutes. The patient exhibits approximately 30 seconds of hyperpnea and approximately 30 seconds of hypopnea.

[0481] 5.9 Glossary

[0482] For purposes of this technical disclosure, one or more of the following definitions may apply in certain forms of the technology. In other forms of the technology, alternative definitions may apply.

[0483] 5.9.1 General

[0484] Air: In some forms of the present technology, air may be considered to mean atmospheric air, and in other forms of the present technology, air may be considered to mean some other combination of breathable gases, such as atmospheric air enriched with oxygen.

[0485] Environment: In certain forms of the present technology, the term environment can have the meaning of (i) external to the treatment system or patient, and (ii) directly surrounding the treatment system or patient.

[0486] For example, the ambient humidity relative to the humidifier may be the humidity of the air directly surrounding the humidifier, such as the humidity within the room that the patient is sleeping in. This ambient humidity may be different from the humidity outside the room that the patient is sleeping in.

[0487] In another example, ambient pressure can be the pressure immediately surrounding or external to the body.

[0488] In some forms, ambient (e.g., acoustic) noise may be considered to be the background noise level in the room the patient is in, in addition to noise generated, for example, by the RPT device or from a mask or patient interface. Ambient noise may be generated by sound sources outside the room.

[0489] Automatic Positive Airway Pressure (APAP) Therapy: CPAP therapy in which the therapy pressure is automatically adjustable between a minimum and a maximum limit, e.g., with each breath, depending on whether there is an indication of an SBD event.

[0490] Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy: A breathing pressure therapy in which the therapy pressure can be approximately constant throughout the patient's breathing cycle. In some forms, the pressure at the airway entrance will be slightly higher during exhalation and slightly lower during inspiration. In some forms, the pressure will vary between different breathing cycles of the patient, for example, increasing in response to detecting an indication of partial upper airway obstruction, and decreasing in the absence of an indication of partial upper airway obstruction.

[0491] Flow: Volume (or mass) of air delivered per unit time. Flow may refer to an instantaneous quantity. In some cases, reference to flow will be to a scalar quantity, i.e. a quantity having only magnitude. In other cases, reference to flow will be to a vector quantity, i.e. a quantity having both magnitude and direction. Flow may be given by the symbol Q. 'Flow' is sometimes simply abbreviated to 'flow' or 'air flow'.

[0492] In the example of a patient breathing, the flow may be nominally positive for the inspiratory portion of the patient's breathing cycle, and therefore negative for the expiratory portion of the patient's breathing cycle. The total flow, Qt, is the flow of air leaving the RPT device. The ventilation flow, Qv, is the flow of air leaving the vent to allow for washout of exhaled gases. The leakage flow, Ql, is the leakage flow from the patient interface system or elsewhere. The respiratory flow, Qr, is the flow of air received into the patient's respiratory system.

[0493] Humidifier: The term humidifier will be deemed to refer to a humidifying device constructed and arranged or configured with a physical structure capable of providing a therapeutically beneficial amount of water (H2O) vapor to an air flow to improve a patient's medical respiratory condition.

[0494] Leakage: The word leakage is to be considered as undesired air flow. In one example, leakage may occur due to an incomplete seal between the mask and the patient's face. In another example, leakage may occur in the return bend to the surrounding environment.

[0495] Noise, conducted (acoustic): Conducted noise in this document refers to the noise brought to the patient through the pneumatic path (such as the air circuit and patient interface and the air therein). In one form, conducted noise can be quantified by measuring the sound pressure level at the end of the air circuit.

[0496] Noise, radiated (acoustic): Radiated noise in this document refers to the noise that is brought to the patient through the surrounding air. In one form, radiated noise can be quantified by measuring the sound power / pressure level of the object in question according to ISO 3744.

[0497] Noise, ventilatory (acoustic): Ventilatory noise in this document refers to the noise generated by the flow of air through any vent, such as the vent of a patient interface.

[0498] Patient: A person, whether or not they have a respiratory condition.

[0499] Pressure: Force per unit area. Pressure can be expressed in a range of units, including cmH2O, gf / cm 2 , hectopascal. 1cmH2O is equal to 1g-f / cm 2 And about 0.98 hectopascal. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the pressure is given in cmH2O.

[0500] The pressure in the patient interface is given the symbol Pm, while the therapy pressure is given the symbol Pt, which represents the target value to be achieved by the mask pressure Pm at the current moment.

[0501] Respiratory Pressure Therapy (RPT): The application of a supply of air to the airway entrance at a therapeutic pressure that is typically positive relative to atmosphere.

[0502] Ventilator: A mechanical device that provides pressure support to a patient to perform some or all of the work of breathing.

[0503] 5.9.1.1 Materials

[0504] Silicone or Silicone Elastomer: Synthetic rubber. In this specification, references to silicone refer to liquid silicone rubber (LSR) or compression molded silicone rubber (CMSR). One form of commercially available LSR is SILASTIC (included in the range of products sold under this trademark), which is manufactured by Dow Corning. Another manufacturer of LSR is Wacker. Unless otherwise specified to the contrary, exemplary forms of LSR have a Shore A (or Type A) indentation hardness in the range of about 35 to about 45 as measured using ASTM D2240.

[0505] Polycarbonate: A transparent thermoplastic polymer of bisphenol A carbonate.

[0506] 5.9.1.2 Mechanical properties

[0507] Resilience: The ability of a material to absorb energy when elastically deformed and release that energy when unloaded.

[0508] Elastic: Will release substantially all of its energy when unloaded. Includes, for example, certain silicones and thermoplastic elastomers.

[0509] Hardness: The ability of a material to resist deformation inherently (as described, for example, by Young's modulus or the indentation hardness scale measured on a standardized sample size).

[0510] "Soft" materials may include silicone or thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), and may deform easily, for example, under finger pressure.

[0511] "Hard" materials may include polycarbonate, polypropylene, steel or aluminum, and may not deform easily, for example, under finger pressure.

[0512] Stiffness (or rigidity) of a structure or component: The ability of a structure or component to resist deformation in response to an applied load. The load can be a force or a moment, such as compression, tension, bending, or torsion. The structure or component may offer different resistance in different directions.

[0513] Flexible structure or component: A structure or component that will change shape (eg, bend) when made to support its own weight for a relatively short period of time, such as within 1 second.

[0514] Rigid structure or component: A structure or component that does not substantially change shape when subjected to loads normally encountered in use. An example of such use may be to place and maintain a patient interface in sealing relationship with the entrance to a patient's airway, for example at a pressure of about 20 to 30 cmH2O.

[0515] As an example, an I-beam may include a different bending stiffness (resistance to bending loads) in a first direction than in a second orthogonal direction. In another example, a structure or component may be flexible in a first direction and rigid in a second direction.

[0516] 5.9.2 Breathing cycle

[0517] Apnea: According to some definitions, an apnea is considered to occur when flow drops below a predetermined threshold for a sustained period of time (e.g., 10 seconds). Obstructive apnea is considered to occur when some obstruction of the airway does not allow air to flow despite the patient's efforts. Central apnea is considered to occur when apnea is detected due to a decrease or absence of respiratory effort despite a patent airway. Mixed apnea is considered to occur when a decrease or absence of respiratory effort occurs simultaneously with an obstructed airway.

[0518] Respiratory Rate: The rate at which a patient breathes spontaneously, usually measured in breaths per minute.

[0519] Duty cycle: the ratio of inspiratory time Ti to total breathing time Ttot.

[0520] Effort (breathing): The work done by a spontaneous breather in an attempt to breathe.

[0521] Expiratory portion of the respiratory cycle: the period from the start of expiratory flow to the start of inspiratory flow.

[0522] Flow Limitation: Flow limitation is to be considered a state in the patient's breathing where an increase in the patient's effort does not result in a corresponding increase in flow. Where flow limitation occurs during the inspiratory portion of the breathing cycle, it may be described as inspiratory flow limitation. Where flow limitation occurs during the expiratory portion of the breathing cycle, it may be described as expiratory flow limitation.

[0523] Types of flow-limited inspiratory waveforms:

[0524] (i) Flattened: Having a rise followed by a relatively flat portion and then a fall.

[0525] (ii) M-shape: has two local peaks, one at the leading edge and one at the trailing edge, with a relatively flat portion between the two peaks.

[0526] (iii) Chair shape: has a single local peak at the leading edge followed by a relatively flat section.

[0527] (iv) Reverse chair shape: has a relatively flat section followed by a single local peak located at the trailing edge.

[0528] Hypopnea: According to some definitions, hypopnea is considered a decrease in flow rather than a cessation of flow. In one form, hypopnea is considered to occur when flow decreases below a threshold for a sustained period of time. Central hypopnea is considered to occur when hypopnea is detected due to a decrease in respiratory effort. In one form in adults, any of the following may be considered hypopnea:

[0529] (i) The patient's respiration decreases by 30% for at least 10 seconds with an associated 4% desaturation; or

[0530] (ii) The patient has a decrease in breathing (but less than 50%) lasting at least 10 seconds with an associated desaturation or arousal of at least 3%.

[0531] Hyperpnea: Increased air flow to above normal levels.

[0532] Inspiratory portion of the respiratory cycle: The period from the start of inspiratory flow to the start of expiratory flow is considered the inspiratory portion of the respiratory cycle.

[0533]

[00136] Patency (airway): The degree to which an airway is open or the degree to which an airway is open. An open airway is open. Airway patency can be quantified, for example with a value (1) for open, and a value of zero (0) for closed (obstructed).

[0534] Positive End Expiratory Pressure (PEEP): The pressure above atmospheric pressure that exists in the lungs at the end of exhalation.

[0535] Peak Flow (Q Peak): The maximum value of the flow during the inspiratory portion of the respiratory flow waveform.

[0536] Respiratory flow, patient air flow, respiratory air flow (Qr): These synonymous terms may be understood to refer to the RPT device's estimate of respiratory flow, as opposed to "true respiratory flow" or "real respiratory flow", which is the actual respiratory flow experienced by the patient, usually expressed in liters per minute.

[0537] Tidal volume (Vt): The volume of air inhaled or exhaled during normal breathing when no additional effort is exerted. In principle, the inspiratory volume Vi (the volume of air inhaled) is equal to the expiratory volume Ve (the volume of air exhaled), so a single tidal volume Vt can be defined to be equal to either volume. In practice, the tidal volume Vt is estimated as some combination of the inspiratory volume Vi and the expiratory volume Ve, such as an average.

[0538] (Inspiratory) Time (Ti): Duration of the inspiratory portion of the respiratory flow waveform.

[0539] (Expiratory) Time (Te): Duration of the expiratory portion of the respiratory flow waveform.

[0540] (Total) Time (Ttot): The total duration between the start of the inspiratory portion of one respiratory flow waveform and the start of the inspiratory portion of the subsequent respiratory flow waveform.

[0541] Typical Recent Ventilation: The ventilation value around which recent values ​​of ventilation Vent tend to cluster over some predetermined time scale, ie a measure of the central tendency of recent values ​​of ventilation.

[0542] Upper airway obstruction (UAO): includes partial and total upper airway obstruction. This may be associated with a state of flow limitation, where flow increases only slightly, or even decreases, as the pressure difference across the upper airway increases (Starling impedance behavior).

[0543] Ventilation (Vent): A measure of the rate of gas exchanged by a patient's respiratory system. Measurements of ventilation may include one or both of inspiratory and expiratory flow (per unit time). When expressed as volume per minute, this quantity is often referred to as "minute ventilation". Minute ventilation is sometimes given simply as volume, and is understood to be the volume per minute.

[0544] 5.9.3 Ventilation

[0545] Adaptive servo ventilator (ASV): A servo ventilator with a variable rather than fixed target ventilation. The variable target ventilation may be derived from some characteristics of the patient, such as the patient's breathing characteristics.

[0546] Backup Rate: A parameter of a ventilator that determines the minimum rate of breaths (usually measured in breaths per minute) that the ventilator will deliver to the patient if not triggered by a spontaneous respiratory effort.

[0547] Cyclic: The termination of the inspiratory phase of a ventilator. When a ventilator is delivering a breath to a spontaneously breathing patient, at the end of the inspiratory portion of the respiratory cycle, the ventilator is considered to cycle to stop delivering a breath.

[0548] Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure (EPAP): The base pressure to which the intra-breath varying pressures are added to produce the desired mask pressure that the ventilator will attempt to achieve at a given time.

[0549] End-expiratory pressure (EEP): The desired mask pressure that the ventilator attempts to achieve at the end of the expiratory portion. If the pressure waveform template Π(Φ) is zero at the end of exhalation, that is, Π(Φ) = 0, when Φ = 1, then EEP is equal to EPAP.

[0550] Inspiratory Positive Airway Pressure (IPAP): The maximum desired mask pressure that the ventilator attempts to achieve during the inspiratory portion of a breath.

[0551] Pressure Support: A number that indicates the increase in pressure during ventilator inspiration over the pressure during ventilator expiration, and usually means the difference in pressure between the maximum during inspiration and the base pressure (e.g., PS = IPAP - EPAP). In some cases, pressure support means the difference that the ventilator aims to achieve, rather than the difference that is actually achieved.

[0552] Servomotor: A ventilator that measures patient ventilation, has a target ventilation and adjusts the level of pressure support to bring the patient's ventilation to the target ventilation.

[0553] Spontaneous / Timed (S / T): A mode of a ventilator or other device that attempts to detect the onset of a breath in a spontaneously breathing patient. However, if the device cannot detect a breath within a predetermined period of time, the device will automatically initiate the delivery of a breath.

[0554] Swing: A term equivalent to pressure support.

[0555] Triggered: When the ventilator delivers breathed air to a spontaneously breathing patient, it is considered to be triggered at the beginning of the breath portion of the breathing cycle through the patient's effort.

[0556] 5.10 Other notes

[0557] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

[0558] Unless the context clearly indicates and provides a numerical range, it should be understood that each intervening value between the upper and lower limits of the range, to one-tenth of the unit of the lower limit, and any other stated or intermediate values ​​in the stated range are broadly included in the present technology. The upper and lower limits of these intermediate ranges may be independently included in the intermediate ranges and are also included in the present technology, but are subject to any explicitly excluded limits in the stated ranges. In the case where the range includes one or both of the limits, the present technology also includes ranges excluding either or both of those included limits.

[0559] Furthermore, where a value or values ​​are described herein for implementation as part of the present technology, it should be understood that such values ​​may be approximate unless otherwise indicated and that such values ​​may be used to any appropriate number of significant digits as permitted or required by practical technical implementation.

[0560] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also be used in the practice or testing of the present technology, a limited number of exemplary methods and materials are described herein.

[0561] When a particular material is identified as being used to construct a component, obvious alternative materials having similar properties may be used as substitutes. In addition, unless otherwise specified, any and all components described herein are understood to be capable of being manufactured and thus may be manufactured together or separately.

[0562] It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural equivalents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0563] All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to disclose and describe methods and / or materials as the subject matter of those publications. Publications discussed herein are provided solely for their disclosures prior to the filing date of the present application. This article should not be construed as admitting that the present technology is not entitled to be earlier than such disclosures due to prior inventions. In addition, the publication date provided may be different from the actual publication date, which may require independent confirmation.

[0564] The terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be understood to refer to each element, component or step in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the marked elements, components or steps may be present or utilized, or in combination with other elements, components or steps that are not marked.

[0565] The subject headings used in the detailed description are for the convenience of the reader and should not be used to limit the subject matter that can be found in the entire disclosure or claims. The subject headings should not be used to interpret the scope of the claims or claim limitations.

[0566] Although the technology herein has been described with reference to specific examples, it should be understood that these examples only illustrate the principles and applications of the technology. In some cases, the terms and symbols may imply specific details that are not required for practicing the technology. For example, although the terms "first" and "second" may be used, unless otherwise specified, they are not intended to represent any order, but can be used to distinguish different elements. In addition, although the process steps in the method can be described or illustrated in order, such order is not necessary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such an order can be modified and / or its aspects can be performed simultaneously or even synchronously.

[0567] It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative examples and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology.

[0568] 5.11 Reference Symbols List

[0569]

[0570]

[0571]

Claims

1. A respiratory therapy device comprising: power supply a pressure generator configured to generate an air flow; a heating element configured to heat the generated air flow; one or more sensors configured to generate a sensor signal representative of a characteristic of the air flow; and A processing system configured to: receiving a sensor signal; determining a control signal for controlling the heating element based on the received sensor signal; receiving a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator; receiving a signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element; generating a new control signal for controlling the heating element based on (1) the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the pressure generator, (2) the signal corresponding to the current drawn by the heating element, (3) the determined control signal for the heating element, and (4) the power of the power supply; and The operation of the heating element is controlled using the new control signal for controlling the heating element.

2. A device for treating a respiratory disorder in a patient, the device comprising: power supply a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating a respiratory disorder; a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas and comprising a first heating element configured to heat the supply of water; a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to the patient; a transducer configured to generate a flow signal representative of a characteristic of the flow of breathable gas; A controller configured to: determining, based on the flow signal, a first control signal for controlling the first heating element and a second control signal for controlling the second heating element; determining whether power to be used by the device exceeds a peak power of the power supply based on (1) a measured current drawn by the pressure generator during operation of the pressure generator, (2) the first control signal, and (3) the second control signal; if it is determined that the power to be used by the device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying the first control signal and / or the second control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; and If it is determined that the power to be used by the device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, the first control signal and / or the second control signal are modified to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

3. A respiratory therapy device comprising: a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; Includes accessory equipment for tubular heaters and humidifying heaters; Power and a controller coupled to the flow generator, the accessory device, and the power supply, the controller configured to: controlling the operation of the flow generator, the delivery tube heater, and the humidification heater; determining a first pulse width modulation control signal for controlling the delivery tube heater and a second pulse width modulation control signal for controlling the humidification heater; and upon determining that the rated current of said power supply does not exceed the current that will be drawn by: said flow generator; and upon determining that said first pulse width modulated control signal will be applied to said duct heater, said duct heater; And when the determined second pulse width modulation control signal is to be applied to the humidifying heater, the heating humidifier increases the duty ratio of the first pulse width modulation control signal and the second pulse width modulation control signal.

4. A method of operating a respiratory therapy device for generating a flow of breathable gas to treat a respiratory disorder, the method comprising: measuring a characteristic of the air flow using a transducer; determining, by a controller and based on the measured characteristic, a first control signal for controlling a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating a respiratory disorder, a second control signal for controlling a first heating element disposed in a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas, and a third control signal for controlling a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient; determining, by the controller and based on (1) a measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal, if the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of a power source used to power the respiratory therapy device; if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying, by the controller, the second control signal and / or the third control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; and If it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, the second control signal and / or the third control signal are modified by the controller to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

5. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for controlling the operation of a respiratory therapy device configured to generate a flow of breathable gas to treat a respiratory disorder, the program when executed causing the respiratory therapy device to: receiving a characteristic of the flow of breathable gas from a transducer; determining, based on a characteristic of the flow of breathable gas, a first control signal for controlling a pressure generator configured to generate the flow of breathable gas, a second control signal for controlling a first heating element disposed in a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas, and a third control signal for controlling a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient; determining, based on (1) a measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal, if the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of a power source used to power the respiratory therapy device; if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory therapy device exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying the second control signal and / or the third control signal to reduce the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element; and If it is determined that the power to be used by the device does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, the second control signal and / or the third control signal are modified to increase the power used by the first heating element and / or the second heating element.

6. A respiratory therapy device comprising: power supply a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; one or more heating elements; a processing system comprising at least one processor, the processing system configured to determine a heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements and a flow control signal for controlling the flow generator; and The hardware circuit is configured as follows: receiving a heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements; determining a power consumption signal indicative of total power consumption based on operation of the flow generator and the one or more heating elements; and Based on the power consumption signal, a modified heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements is output.

7. The respiratory therapy apparatus of claim 6, wherein: The hardware circuit is configured to output the received heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements without modification when the power consumption signal is higher than a predetermined value, and to output the modified heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements when the power consumption signal is lower than the predetermined value.

8. A respiratory therapy device comprising: power supply a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient; one or more heating elements; a hardware circuit configured to: receive a flow generator current signal representative of current drawn by the flow generator and one or more heating element current signals representative of current drawn by the one or more heating elements, and determine the power consumption signal by summing a voltage representative of the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representative of the received one or more heating element current signals; and A processing system comprising at least one processor, the processing system being configured to: receiving the power consumption signal from the hardware circuit; determining a flow control signal for controlling the flow generator; and Based on the power consumption signal, a heating control signal for controlling the one or more heating elements is determined.

9. The respiratory therapy apparatus of claim 8, wherein: Determining the heating control signal includes: determining a pulse width modulation control signal for each of the heating elements; transmitting the determined pulse width modulation control signal to each corresponding heating element when the received power consumption signal is above a predetermined limit; and When the received power consumption signal is below the predetermined limit, each of the determined pulse width modulation control signals is modified and the modified pulse width modulation control signal is sent to each corresponding heating element.

10. A respiratory therapy device as described in claim 8, wherein the hardware circuit is configured to buffer and amplify the received flow generator current signal; for one or more heating elements, the power consumption signal is a low-pass filtered sum of a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and a voltage representing the received current signal.

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