187 results about "Breathing pattern" patented technology

A method and apparatus for treating a breathing disorder and, more particularly, a method and apparatus for providing a pressurized air flow to an airway of a patient to treat congestive heart failure in combination with Cheyne-Stokes respiration and / or sleep apnea or other breathing disorders. A positive airway pressure ventilator is utilized in combination with an algorithm that adjusts IPAP and EPAP in order to counter a Cheyne-Stokes breathing pattern. Cheyne-Stokes respiration is detected by monitoring a peak flow of the patient.

A respiratory analysis system for monitoring a respiratory variable for a patient. The system comprises a sensor array for accommodating a patient to be in contact therewith and a processing means. Then array has a plurality of independent like sensors for measuring respiratory movement at different locations on the patient to generate a set of independent respiratory movement signals. The processing means receives and processes the movement signals to derive a classification of individual breaths using, for each breath, the respective phase and / or amplitude of each movement sensor signal within the set for that breath.

Apparatus and methods are provided for use with a subject who is undergoing respiration. A motion sensor senses motion of a subject. A breathing pattern analysis unit analyzes components of the sensed motion that result from the subject's respiration. The breathing pattern analysis unit includes double-movement-respiration-cycle-pattern-identification functionality that designates respiration cycles as being double-movement-respiration-cycles (DMRC's) by determining that the cycles define two subcycles. Double-movement-respiration-cycle-event-identification functionality of the breathing pattern analysis unit identifies a DMRC event by detecting that the subject has undergone a plurality of DMRC's. An output is generated that is indicative of the subject having used accessory muscles in breathing, in response to identification of the double-movement-respiration-cycle event. Other embodiments are also described.

A system is provided for delivering a flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system includes a pressurizing flow module that generates a pressurized flow of breathing gas and a patient circuit coupled to the pressurizing flow module configured to communicate the flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system includes a sensor for monitoring a characteristic of a breathing pattern of the patient a controller that communicates with the sensor configured to increase a fraction of inspired carbon dioxide if the characteristic exceeds an upper threshold value and to provide servo-ventilation if the characteristic is less than a lower threshold value. The upper threshold value and the lower threshold value are changed based on the monitored characteristic of the breathing pattern of the patient.

A system is provided for delivering a flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system includes a pressurizing flow module that generates a pressurized flow of breathing gas and a patient circuit coupled to the pressurizing flow module configured to communicate the flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. The system includes a sensor for monitoring a characteristic of a breathing pattern of the patient a controller that communicates with the sensor configured to increase a fraction of inspired carbon dioxide if the characteristic exceeds an upper threshold value and to provide servo-ventilation if the characteristic is less than a lower threshold value. The upper threshold value and the lower threshold value are changed based on the monitored characteristic of the breathing pattern of the patient.

Method, system and device useful with conventional personal computers respond automatically to an identified alarm sound by sending a notification signal via the Internet only when a special sound monitoring program is active. Additionally, bedside detection of acoustic alarms is combined with enhanced waking devices to insure the waking of a child or hearing impaired person in response to an emergency. Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor audible safety and security alarms and send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. A health monitoring method and system utilizes the bedside device to monitor breathing patterns and other health measuring signals and communicate these patterns and signals to a medical monitoring station.

A biofeedback training method and apparatus to increase and reinforce the respiratory sinus arrhythmia as an outcome of a breath training technique, said apparatus comprising a physiological monitoring device that provides raw physiological data to a computer having a software program that receives and utilizes the heartbeat interbeat interval information supplied by the physiological sensors, calculates such intervals after every heartbeat, computes RSA parameters from the interbeat intervals, displays raw signal instantaneous heart rate values, calculates RSA parameters in the form of graphs, compares current values of the RSA training score with currently set threshold level to generate training feedback, provides continuous audiovisual feedback to the user to reward training attempts based on results of threshold comparisons, displays a breath pacer to induce an appropriate breathing pattern, recommended by selected breathing technique, saves interbeat intervals along with the RSA parameters into a built-in database for further review of training sessions, and permits the user to make several adjustments.

A method and apparatus for treating a breathing disorder and, more particularly, a method and apparatus for providing a pressurized air flow to an airway of a patient to treat congestive heart failure in combination with Cheyne-Stokes respiration and / or sleep apnea or other breathing disorders. A positive airway pressure ventilator is utilized in combination with an algorithm that adjusts IPAP and EPAP in order to counter a Cheyne-Stokes breathing pattern. Cheyne-Stokes respiration is detected by monitoring a peak flow of the patient.

Method, system and device useful with conventional personal computers respond automatically to an identified alarm sound by sending a notification signal via the Internet only when a special sound monitoring program is active. Additionally, bedside detection of acoustic alarms is combined with enhanced waking devices to insure the waking of a child or hearing impaired person in response to an emergency. Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor audible safety and security alarms and send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. A health monitoring method and system utilizes the bedside device to monitor breathing patterns and other health measuring signals and communicate these patterns and signals to a medical monitoring station.

Easy to use, cost-effective methods and devices for evaluating and treating stress and thereby disorders caused or exacerbated by stress are provided. More particularly methods and devices for identifying RSA waves during respiration which provide a subject with near real-time RSA wave information are provided. This information can be used in biofeedback settings to assist subjects in reducing levels of stress by achieving rhythmic breathing patterns.

A method is provided for analyzing respiration of a subject (20). Using a non-contact microphone (22), a raw signal indicative of airflow sounds of the respiration is generated. The raw signal is analyzed to determine a first set of one or more parameters of the respiration. An algorithm is applied to the first set of parameters to derive a second set of one or more estimated parameters of the respiration that are not generally directly measurable in the raw signal. Other embodiments are also described.

There is disclosed a system and method for treating obstructive sleep apnea by terminating an obstructive sleep apnea event before the cessation of breathing occurs. The system comprises one or more microphones capable of detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person. The microphones generate signals representative of the breathing sounds and send the signals to a controller. The controller uses digital signal processing to identify at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of the person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event. When the controller detects a signal pattern that indicates the onset of an obstructive apnea event, the controller sends an alarm signal to a stimulus generator. The stimulus generator creates a stimulus (an electric current, a sound, a vibrator, a flashing light, etc.) to cause the sleeping person to move in a manner to terminate the obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs. The obstructive sleep apnea event is terminated without waking the sleeping person and without causing the sleeping person physiological stress associated with cessation of breathing.

A system for delivering therapeutic breathing gas to patients is provided to deliver a variable bolus volume in response to the patient's breathing pattern. The system includes a gas source, a conserver between the gas source and the patient, a sensor which detects breaths by the patient and a controller which receives signals from the sensor and triggers delivery of gas boluses in accordance with predefined triggering parameters, with the controller determining the time elapsed since the last bolus was triggered and altering the triggering parameters as a function of the elapsed time.

A training method and device to suppress sounds caused by sleep and breathing disorders, such as, snoring and sleep apnea. The system records the actual snoring of the subject, modifies it, by time delay and perhaps other sound modifying techniques, and broadcasts it to the subject by a speaker or earphone. This trains the person to attend to his / her own snoring, so that he / she might stop it by moving parts of his / her body or changing breathing patterns. The method and device may include the combination and / or integration of hearing aid functionality and means for detection of snoring sounds.

A system for delivering therapeutic breathing gas to patients is provided to deliver a variable bolus volume in response to the patient's breathing pattern. The system includes a gas source, a conserver between the gas source and the patient, a sensor which detects breaths by the patient and a controller which receives signals from the sensor and triggers delivery of gas boluses in accordance with predefined triggering parameters, with the controller determining the time elapsed since the last bolus was triggered and altering the triggering parameters as a function of the elapsed time.

A signal representative of a patient's respiration is split into equal length epochs. A primary feature is extracted from each epoch that acts as a compressed representation of the signal events. Statistics are applied to the primary feature to produce one or more secondary features that represent the entire epoch. Each secondary feature is grouped with one or more other features that are extracted from the entire epoch rather than selected epoch events. This grouping is the epoch pattern. The pattern is manipulated with suitable classifier algorithm to produce a probability for each class within the algorithm, that the signal may be representative of a disease state (Cheyne-Stokes, OSA etc). The epoch is assigned to the class with the highest probability. Also defined are methods of detecting Cheyne-Stokes breathing by analysing a signal to detect one or regions of hyperpnoea and if the length of a hyperpnoea exceeds a parameter, Cheyne-Stokes is present.

There is disclosed a system and method for treating obstructive sleep apnea by terminating an obstructive sleep apnea event before the cessation of breathing occurs. The system comprises one or more microphones capable of detecting breathing sounds within an airway of a person. The microphones generate signals representative of the breathing sounds and send the signals to a controller. The controller uses digital signal processing to identify at least one signal pattern that is associated with a breathing pattern of the person that occurs at the onset of an obstructive sleep apnea event. When the controller detects a signal pattern that indicates the onset of an obstructive apnea event, the controller sends an alarm signal to a stimulus generator. The stimulus generator creates a stimulus (an electric current, a sound, a vibrator, a flashing light, etc.) to cause the sleeping person to move in a manner to terminate the obstructive sleep apnea event before cessation of breathing occurs. The obstructive sleep apnea event is terminated without waking the sleeping person and without causing the sleeping person physiological stress associated with cessation of breathing.

A system for detecting, tracking, displaying and identifying repetitive movement, including a sensor configured to sense movement, and in particular static acceleration, along at least a first horizontal axis, and ideally about a second horizontal axis, with respect to a vertical axis and a processor to generate output signals therefrom for audible and visual display of information that can include movement identification, movement patterns, and to further include elapsed time, start and stop times, breathing patterns, and variations thereof from a reference.

A system for providing ventilation support to a patient may include a ventilator, a control unit, a gas delivery circuit with a proximal end in fluid communication with the ventilator and a distal end in fluid communication with a nasal interface, and a nasal interface. The nasal interface may include at least one jet nozzle at the distal end of the gas delivery circuit; and at least one spontaneous respiration sensor for detecting respiration in communication with the control unit. The system may be open to ambient. The control unit may receive signals from the at least one spontaneous respiration sensor and determine gas delivery requirements. The ventilator may deliver gas at a velocity to entrain ambient air and increase lung volume or lung pressure above spontaneously breathing levels to assist in work of breathing, and deliver ventilation gas in a cyclical delivery pattern synchronized with a spontaneous breathing pattern.

A non-contact mechanism for encouraging and facilitating incentive spirometry, ensuring that it is performed adequately, in a timely manner, and for a sufficient duration is discussed. The embodiments also quantitatively and qualitatively keep a record of the incentive spirometry activity, including recording the performance in an electronic medical record. A non-contact monitoring system is used to generate a breathing waveform for a subject that may be compared to target waveforms. Visual and non-visual cues may then be provided to the subject to help guide the subject towards the desired breathing pattern.

Detection of apnea / hypopnea events to calculate an apnea / hypopnea index is obtained by analysis of breathing pattern of a patient from breathing and snore sounds and a finger probe recording the SaO2 signal. A detector analyzes microphone signals to detect breath, snore and noise sounds in response to a detected drop in the SaO2 level greater than 2% and to extract and analyze the breathing sounds from a limited time period starting prior to the drop of the SaO2 signal and ending at least at the end of each drop. Separated time periods are divided phases with snore sounds and those with breathing sounds and an estimated breathing volume adjacent to a snore phase is used to estimate the airflow of the snore phase. The relative and absolute energy and duration of the sound periods is used to classify the sound periods into the three groups of breath, snore and noise.

Method, system and device useful with conventional personal computers respond automatically to an identified alarm sound by sending a notification signal via the Internet only when a special sound monitoring program is active. Additionally, bedside detection of acoustic alarms is combined with enhanced waking devices to insure the waking of a child or hearing impaired person in response to, an emergency. Home safety and security are provided using a bedside unit to monitor audible safety and security alarms and send notification signals to the appropriate communication site. A health monitoring method and system utilizes the bedside device to monitor breathing patterns and other health measuring signals and communicate these patterns and signals to a medical monitoring station.

A method is provided for predicting an onset of a clinical episode, the method including sensing breathing of a subject, determining at least one breathing pattern of the subject responsively to the sensed breathing, comparing the breathing pattern with a baseline breathing pattern, and predicting the onset of the episode at least in part responsively to the comparison. Other embodiments are also described.

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program for detecting breathing pattern changes and controlling a mechanical ventilator in accordance to changes of breathing air flow thus reducing the work of breathing for the patient.

Apparatus and methods are provided for use with a subject who is undergoing respiration. A motion sensor senses motion of a subject. A breathing pattern analysis unit analyzes components of the sensed motion that result from the subject's respiration. The breathing pattern analysis unit includes double-movement-respiration-cycle-pattern-identification functionality that designates respiration cycles as being double-movement-respiration-cycles (DMRC's) by determining that the cycles define two subcycles. Double-movement-respiration-cycle-event-identification functionality of the breathing pattern analysis unit identifies a DMRC event by detecting that the subject has undergone a plurality of DMRC's. An output is generated that is indicative of the subject having used accessory muscles in breathing, in response to identification of the double-movement-respiration-cycle event. Other embodiments are also described.

A breathing sequence may define a suggested breathing pattern. Based on signal data collected by a user device, an initial breathing pattern that includes a cyclic pattern may be estimated. A first period of the breathing sequence may be initiated by generating a breathing sequence element based on a synchronization of the cyclic pattern with the breathing sequence. The breathing sequence element may fluctuate during a second period of the breathing sequence in accordance with a breathing profile associated with the suggested breathing pattern.