Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F5/00—Orthopaedic methods or devices for non-surgical treatment of bones or joints; Nursing devices; Anti-rape devices
  • A61F5/56—Devices for preventing snoring
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
  • A61M16/00—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes
  • A61M16/021—Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes operated by electrical means
  • A61M16/022—Control means therefor
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
  • F02B—INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL
  • F02B1/00—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression
  • F02B1/02—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with positive ignition
  • F02B1/04—Engines characterised by fuel-air mixture compression with positive ignition with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder

Definitions

• the present invention refers to a device for temporary _ breathing assistance at snore problems during sleep and curing of obstructive sleep apnea by means of a source of pressurized air connected to the air passages of the slee ⁇ ping person via a breathing mask.
• the CPAP apparatus which consists 5 of a continously operating radial fan, which is driven by a 100 electric motor, and a reduction valve, is set on an individual pressure level for respective patient, gives via a tube and a nose mask a continous positive pressure of about 10 mbar, in the breathing passages, which is often 0 satisfactory.
• the CPAP- system which means a continous static air pressu ⁇ re, does not work at the often occuring centrally conditio ⁇ ned apnea contributions in OSAS ( Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome) .
• the static pressure holds the breathing paths open but can not accomplish pulsing breathing activity,
• CPAP implies, in addition to said drawbacks that air is pressed into the stomach / intestinal tract at swallowing reflexes, which are provoked by the continous positive pressure, which leads to discomfort. It has also been dis ⁇ covered an increase of the pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid which can have not yet defined consequencies, eg. balance disorder. A risk of otitis also is present, which might cause a hearing loss.
• the device according to said EP 88761 has been developed further, in WO 88/10108, according to which the nose mask is connected to a microphone, the output signal of which via a prcessor unit controls the speed of the motor which drives a fan wheel. In relation to arising to snoring sounds the speed of the motor is increased, and thereby the pressure and the output amount of air.
• the continously output amount of air kan be kept on a lower level, whereby the expiration resistance can be kept smaller and thereby also less troublesome.
• the tendency of drying up of the mucous membranes is still very troublesome, as well as the increased risk for infection in the sinus and the circum ⁇ stance that the apparatus cannot be used at common colds.
• the object of the invention is to provid a device which: a) supervises every breath; _ b) controls the breathing activity from falling asleep to waking up; c) gives a substantially less drying up of the mucous mem ⁇ branes; d) is useful even at nasal congestion, eg. common colds; e) effectively cures breath stop; f) makes possible a counter pressure free expiration; g) substantially reduces medical after-effects; h) does not require an individual pressure setting; i) is not activated by sound impulses; ) simple, reliable design; k) low energy consumption; 1) low manufacturing cost;
• a sensor arranged inside 0 or at the breathing mask which sensor is designed to con ⁇ nect said pressurized air source, by way of a control appa ⁇ ratus during a controllable period of time, eg. correspon ⁇ ding to some breaths, which pressurized air source is pro ⁇ vided to emit a certain amount of air with a settable respi- 5 ratory positive pressure, which can cure the sleeping apnea.
• Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the device according to the invention partly in section.
• Fig. 2 shows a modified embodiment of the device according to fig. 1 equally partly in section. 5
• the device according to the invention consists of a brea ⁇ thing apparatus 20, which contains a cylinder 21 with a connection pipe 22,23 in both ends. Inside the cylinder 21 is provided a displaceable piston 24, which is a part of an 5_ expiration valve 25, and which is kept by a spring 38 in one of its end positions, in which it closes at least one ope ⁇ ning 26 bored in the cylinder.
• the piston is provided such that the expiration air versus the action of the spring 25 is pressed into mthe cylinder 21, so that the openings 26
• the piston 24 in the piston bottom provided with a nonreturn valve 27 in the form of openings 28, which are covered by a valve washer 29, eg a metal foil.
• a valve washer 29 eg a metal foil.
• the breathing apparatus 20 with one of its connection pipes 22 is connected to a breathing mask 32, which is formed to
• connection pipe 23 is by way of a pipe 33 connected to a source of pressurized air 34, which can be a piston or bellows pump, but also an air accumulator which can be supplied by a fan or the like.
• the source of air pressure 34 has to be dimen-
• the sensor 30 by means of a cable 35 connected to an electrical control apparatus 36 and at the rate of the reciprocating motion emits pulses to the control apparatus 36, which is designed
• the amount of air emit ⁇ ted by the source of pressurized air flows in the form of a light pressure impact against the piston 24 and passes
• the inhalation takes place by way of nonreturn valves 37 provided in the breathing mask 32, which open at every breath intake, but closes at the expiration.
• the sleeping patient When the breathing, which normally occurs with intervals of _ five seconds, stops, the sleeping patient recieves an air pulse of about 1, 5 litres with an initial pressure which exceeds the apnea threshold of the person and there by opens the airways.
• the volume of the supplied air pulse is cal ⁇ culated to compensate at least 2 missing breaths of 0, 5 litres each. If the natural breathing activity is not started after the cure of the apnea, the procedure is repea ⁇ ted after 10 - 15 seconds until a natural breathing is initiated.
• the volume of the auxiliary air pulse of 1,5 litres is less than a half of the total lung volume of an adult, but gives compensation for 2-3 lost breaths at rest (during sleep).
• the assembly may assist the breat ⁇ hing during the total sleeping period thereby prevent that a lack of oxygen results to any appreciable extent.
• the energy consumption is less than 40 W or about 3 Ah at 12 5 Volts during a sleeping period of 7 hours, which makes it possible to operate with rechargeable or standard batteries during at least one sleeping period at maximum operation.
• a so called heavy apnea patient has up to 500 breathing stops per night and som tens of apneas are not unusual. In such 0 cases the battery capacity lasts for one week or more, before a recharge or exchange is necessary.
• Supervision of the breathing activity is carried out by means of the inductive sensor 30 placed at the breathing 5 apparatus 20 in the face mask 32.
• the sensor 30 emits an electric pulse to the control apparatus 36.
• the relay can have several closing and breaking functions. This supervisory system reacts rapidly and reliable even on one missing breath and breathing assistance is then engaged before lack of oxygen in blood occurs.
• the air pulse which is required to open the airways at sleep apnea according to the invention can be generated by a folded belows 40 - fig. 2 -, which through a valve system 41 can be filled and emptied on a certain air volume by mecha ⁇ nical actuation.
• the mainly linear movement is provided by a parallell arm 42, which is lifted by an electric pendulum motor 43, and is lowered by a weight 44 or by means of spring force, which gives the suitable specific pressure and the flow velocity for apnea curing and breathing assistance.
• the lifting effect can also be provided by electric or pneumatic control apparatus, arranged such that only the lifting movement is forced, while the sinking movement takes 5 place freely, only actuated by gravitational or spring force, which has been preset. This arrangement prevents that a pressure higher than the preset can be established in the airways, at the same time as the flow velocity is adapted to the breathing rhythm of the patient.
• the expiring func ⁇ tion of the breathing apparatus has to be blocked during the time period the blowing in takes place.
• This can be carried 5 out by an electromagnet which is placed close to the valve membrane, whereby the electromagnet locks the valve membrane to the seat of the valve, during the blowing period, about 2 sec, by the magnet recieving current from the control apparatus during corresponding time.
• the expiration valve 25 alternatively can be blocked by the positive pressure of the discharge air, as is shown in fig. 1.
• a blocking of the expiration valve 20 during the discharge is to prefer to a contracted outlet without a valve, since this degrades the intended effect, at the same time as an expiration resistance is formed at normal breathing activity.
• the stated system and the apparatus fbr breathing assistance at sleeping apnea can be used alternatively for blowing in through nose or mouth since the relatively small air quan ⁇ tities which are used do not have any appreciable drying up effect on the mucous membranes.
• This increases the utility of the system substantially, eg. general colds, which has ben mentioned earlier.
• a so called halv mask of the type similar to that used in the industry and which covers both nose and mouth the risk for so called feedback is eliminated.
• This is of particular importance in connection to the intermittent system which is comprised by the in ⁇ vention if this shall have an optimal function, since here is used an adapted amount of air for every curing of apnea.
• the advantage to be able to breathe through the nose alter- 5 natively the mouth, as has been mentioned above, of course is applicable in this case.
• the patient fixes the breathing mask 32 against the face by means of attachment bands, and switches 0 on the starting switch of the assembly.
• the breathing goes on unimpededly through the valve system of the mask during the falling asleep, with a breath of 0,5 liters per second an pulses are simultaneously from the sensor 30 to the control apparatus 34. If this is set on eg. 10 seconds and 5 if no pulse arrives because the breathing has stopped, the relay is actuated which closes a current circuit to the electric motor 43 of the pressure source.
• Its pendulum arm 44 then performs a movement directed downwards and releases a weight loaded parallel arm 42, which comprimates the bellows 34 with a pressure defined by gravitational force of the weight 45.
• the pendulum arm 42 Since the pendulum arm 42, actuated by a _ switch 46, has parked at its lower turning point, the en ⁇ closed air volume of the bellows, about 1,5 litres, can be delivered by way of the tube 33 to the breathing mask 32 of the patient the pressure of the mask being balanced for curing of the apnea and a preset flow velocity under a regressive fall of pressure.
• the current circuit to the pendulum motor is closed through a shifting function in a rely (not shown), whereby the pendulum arm 44 and the parallel arm 42 returns to the upper stand by position, where the current circuit is broken by a switch 47.
• the weight 45 is lifted the bellows 40 expands and is filled with air via a nonreturn valve 41 and a suction filter 48. This procedure is repeated within about 10 seconds if the apnea is not cured after the previous air pulse, and thus no electric pulses from the sensor are emitted to the control unit. In adition to thwe pulse frequency the pressure, volume and blowing time can be adjusted to the most suitable values for effective curing of apnea and not to disturb the sleep of 5 the patient unnecessarily.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Pulmonology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Emergency Medicine (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Orthopedic Medicine & Surgery (AREA)
• Anesthesiology (AREA)
• Hematology (AREA)
• Otolaryngology (AREA)
• Nursing (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
• Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (9)

Families Citing this family (35)

Citations (4)

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• 1989
  • 1989-06-27 SE SE8902313A patent/SE466941B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1990
  • 1990-06-27 AU AU59389/90A patent/AU5938990A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1990-06-27 AT AT90917822T patent/ATE131026T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1990-06-27 DE DE69024063T patent/DE69024063T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1990-06-27 JP JP2509492A patent/JPH04505722A/ja active Pending
  • 1990-06-27 US US08/028,769 patent/US5301689A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1990-06-27 WO PCT/SE1990/000464 patent/WO1991000075A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1990-06-27 EP EP90917822A patent/EP0591155B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (4)

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