APAP Pressure Control Using Wearable Physiological Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) devices inadequately detect and respond to direct physiological parameters during sleep disordered breathing (SDB) events, leading to insufficient therapeutic benefits and potential exacerbation of health issues such as atrial fibrillation and snoring.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating direct physiological parameter sensors, such as blood oxygen, heart rate, and blood pressure sensors, to monitor and adjust air pressure/flow-rate in response to detected parameters, enhancing the APAP's ability to predict and alleviate SDB, AF, and snoring episodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If APAP devices use only indirect airway patency sensing (airflow/pressure sensors), then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of physiological parameters deteriorates leading to insufficient detection of SDB events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines indirect airway patency sensing (airflow/pressure sensors in the mask) with direct physiological parameter sensing (blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure sensors worn by the user) to create a comprehensive monitoring system. This merging allows the device to maintain relatively simple structure while achieving high measurement precision through multiple sensing modalities working together.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication interface as an intermediary that enables data exchange between the PAP device and external physiological parameter sensors. This intermediary allows the integration of direct physiological measurements without requiring complex internal sensor integration, thus maintaining device simplicity while improving measurement precision.
2Reliability
If APAP devices incorporate direct physiological parameter sensors, then the therapeutic efficacy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sensing system into two independent parts: indirect sensing components integrated into the PAP device (airflow/pressure sensors) and direct sensing components as separate wearable devices (blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure sensors). This segmentation allows the PAP device to maintain its core functionality while incorporating enhanced sensing capabilities through external devices, thus improving therapeutic efficacy without significantly increasing the complexity of the main PAP device.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication interface is designed with universal compatibility to work with various types of physiological parameter sensors (blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure). This multi-functionality allows the same PAP device to benefit from different sensor types without requiring device-specific modifications, improving therapeutic efficacy while keeping the system design relatively simple and flexible.
3Adaptability or versatility
If APAP devices respond to multiple physiological parameters, then the adaptability to different SDB conditions is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring parameters increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dedicated physiological parameter sensors that automatically detect and measure their respective parameters (blood oxygen sensors measure SpO2, heart rate sensors measure HR, blood pressure sensors measure BP) without requiring complex processing or intervention from the PAP device. Each sensor performs its measurement function independently, reducing the difficulty of detection and measurement while enabling the system to adapt to multiple different SDB conditions through the combination of these self-service sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A positive airway pressure (PAP) device including an air pump for blowing air into a mask worn by a user, a sensor for detecting air pressure or air flow-rate produced by the air pump, a communication interface for communicating with a physiological parameter sensor worn by the user for detecting a physiological parameter of the user, and a processor. The processor is configured to control the air pump to blow the air into the mask according to the air pressure or air flow-rate sensed by the sensor to achieve a prescribed air pressure or air flow-rate, and control the air pump to adjust the prescribed air pressure or air flow-rate in response to the detected physiological parameter.