Paced-Breathing Positive Pressure Control for Comfortable Slow Breathing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current therapies for hypertension, cardiac failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fail to effectively lower blood pressure and improve sympathovagal balance through sustained slow breathing, often causing discomfort and side effects like obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory effort-related arousal.
Innovation Solution
A paced-breathing system using positive pressure therapy adjusts a variable pressure waveform to synchronize with the patient's breathing rate, gradually lengthening breath duration by increasing pressure when the rate is too fast and reducing it when slowing, promoting a target breath rate of 6 breaths per minute or lower, even during sleep.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current medications are used for hypertension and cardiac failure, then blood pressure control is attempted, but they cannot always effectively lower blood pressure and improve sympathovagal balance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces pharmacological intervention with a mechanical breathing intervention system. The system uses a device that delivers controlled breaths to the patient through a mask or interface, mechanically inducing slow breathing patterns (e.g., 6 breaths per minute) to improve sympathovagal balance and lower blood pressure, substituting mechanical respiratory control for medication-based management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the breathing rate parameter from the patient's spontaneous faster rate to a controlled slower rate (e.g., 6 breaths per minute). By controlling the breathing rate parameter, the system activates the baroreflex and improves sympathovagal balance, thereby effectively lowering blood pressure and reducing harmful sympathetic tone.
2Reliability
If slowed breathing therapy is applied to improve sympathovagal balance, then cardiovascular health is enhanced, but patient comfort and compliance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor the patient's breathing rate and adjust the delivered breaths accordingly. The device detects the patient's spontaneous breathing rate and uses this feedback to synchronize and control the pacing of delivered breaths, ensuring the therapy remains comfortable and compliant while achieving the target slow breathing rate for cardiovascular benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to the patient's needs by adjusting the breathing rate and pattern in real-time. Rather than forcing a fixed breathing pattern, the device dynamically modifies the delivery parameters based on patient response, maintaining comfort and compliance while achieving therapeutic goals for cardiovascular health.
3Speed
If positive pressure therapy is used to slow breathing rate, then target breath rate is achieved, but obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory effort-related arousal may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies positive pressure therapy at a partial or moderate level rather than full maximal pressure. By delivering controlled breaths at optimized pressure levels, the system achieves the target slow breathing rate while avoiding excessive pressure that could cause obstructive sleep apnea or respiratory effort-related arousal, thus preventing harmful side effects.
4Reliability
If sustained slow breathing therapy is delivered, then blood pressure is lowered and sympathovagal balance is improved, but therapy duration and supervision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to operate with minimal supervision by incorporating automatic monitoring and adjustment capabilities. The device can autonomously monitor the patient's breathing rate, adjust the therapy parameters, and maintain the target slow breathing rate throughout the session, reducing the need for continuous professional supervision and enabling sustained therapy delivery over extended periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems slow breathing with positive pressure therapy. In embodiments, a current interim breathing rate target is set, and periodically magnitude of a variable pressure waveform scaled to the current interim breathing rate target is increased if breathing rate is greater than the interim rate target to lengthen breath duration. The magnitude of the pressure increase may be a function of the difference between the interim rate target and the breathing rate. The interim rate target may be reduced in response to slowing breathing rate. The waveform cycles, inhalation to exhalation, when airflow decreases to a cycle threshold. Different interim rate targets have different cycle threshold functions that allow easier cycling as the interim rate targets decrease. Similarly, the waveform triggers, exhalation to inhalation, when airflow increases to a trigger threshold. Different interim rate targets have different trigger threshold functions that allow easier triggering as the interim rate targets decrease.