The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1992
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1990
Roger A Gruenke, Overland Park, KS (US);
Russell L Trimble, Overland Park, KS (US);
Christopher D Lasnier, Olathe, KS (US);
Steven W Loethen, Independence, MO (US);
Jiri G Orlt, Shawnee, KS (US);
James A Snook, Overland Park, KS (US);
Marilyn S Wyble, Lenexa, KS (US);
Puritan-Bennett Corporation, Lenexa, KS (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for facilitating the respiration of a patient are disclosed which are particularly useful in treating mixed and obstructive sleep apnea and certain cardiovascular conditions, among others, by increasing nasal air pressure delivered to the patient's respiratory passages just prior to inhalation and by subsequently decreasing the pressure to ease exhalation effort. The preferred apparatus includes a patient-coupled gas delivery device for pressurizing the patient's nasal passages at a controllable pressure, and a controller coupled with the delivery device having a pressure transducer for monitoring the nasal pressure and a microcontroller for selectively controlling the nasal pressure. In operation, the controller determines a point in the patient breathing cycle just prior to inhalation and initiates an increase in nasal pressure at that point in order to stimulate normal inhalation, and subsequently lowers the nasal pressure to ease exhalation efforts.