Respiratory Pressure Controller Sleep Onset Bridging

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current respiratory disorder treatment devices often fail to provide optimal comfort, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, particularly in managing sleep-disordered breathing events, as they do not adapt pressure settings dynamically with sleep onset detection.

Innovation Solution

A medical device comprising a pressure controller with a processor that initiates treatment with a pre-sleep pressure profile, transitions to a bridging profile upon sleep onset detection, and adjusts pressure to a therapeutic level, ensuring comfortable and effective treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If therapeutic pressure is applied immediately upon initiation of treatment, then treatment efficacy is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates making it difficult to fall asleep

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment efficacyVSAvoidpatient comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device applies a pre-sleep pressure profile that delivers lower pressure support during the initial phase before sleep onset. This preliminary action allows the patient to fall asleep comfortably without the discomfort of full therapeutic pressure, while still providing some respiratory support. Once sleep is detected, the device transitions to the full therapeutic pressure profile.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If pressure is reduced during initial phase to improve comfort, then patient comfort is improved, but treatment efficacy may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient comfortVSAvoidtreatment efficacy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The device dynamically adjusts pressure support based on the patient's sleep state. During the pre-sleep phase, lower pressure is applied for comfort. Upon detection of sleep onset through analysis of respiratory patterns, the device automatically transitions to the full therapeutic pressure profile, ensuring treatment efficacy is achieved during the period when it is most needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The device continuously monitors respiratory parameters to detect sleep onset. This feedback mechanism allows the device to determine when the patient has fallen asleep and automatically switch from the pre-sleep pressure profile to the therapeutic pressure profile, ensuring treatment efficacy is maintained at the appropriate time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If device monitors respiratory parameters to detect sleep onset, then treatment precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesleep onset detection accuracyVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device uses the patient's own respiratory parameters, already being monitored for therapy delivery, to detect sleep onset. By analyzing existing data on respiratory rate, tidal volume, and breathing patterns, the device determines sleep state without requiring additional dedicated sensors or complex external monitoring equipment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4209239A1Method and apparatus for treatment of respiratory disorders
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 RESMED PTY LTD
  • EP4209239A1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP4209239A1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP4209239A1 patent drawingFigure 1c

AI summary

The invention relates to an apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder comprising a pressure device, and a controller, including at least one processor, configured to control the pressure device to: supply, upon initiation of treatment in a pre-sleep mode, a flow of pressurised air to the airway of a patient at a treatment pressure that commences at a pre-sleep pressure and varies according to occurrences of sleep disordered breathing events; when a timer reaches a timer limit in the pre-sleep mode, transition from the pre-sleep mode to a bridging period, and, during the bridging period, increase the treatment pressure to a predetermined therapeutic pressure according to a bridging profile of pressure versus time, wherein the bridging profile comprises a linear increase to the predetermined therapeutic pressure; and supply, in a therapy mode following the bridging period, the flow of pressurised.