Method and Apparatus for Delivering a Dose of a Gaseous Drug to a Patient

Abstract

A method and device that can vary the dose of a gaseous drug provided to a patient based on a comparison of the normal resting breath rate for each individual patient and the current breath rate of the patient so that the patient does not become desaturated.

1 . A method for providing a dose of a gaseous drug to a patient that has a respiratory disorder comprising:
 a. determining a normal resting breath rate for the patient at a particular time;   b. monitoring the current breath rate of the patient;   c. comparing the current breath rate with the normal resting breath rate; and   d. providing a dose of the gaseous drug based on the comparison of the current breath rate with the normal breath rate.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the dose is delivered during a first two-thirds of an inhalation cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1  including:
 a. determining a standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time during a breath for a patient; 
 b. monitoring the current ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time; 
 c. comparing the current ratio with the standard ratio; and 
 d. adjusting the dose of the gaseous drug provided based on a change in the ratio of inhalation and exhalation. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  including varying the flow of the dose delivered to the patient so that less flow will be used when the patient is close to normal resting breath rate. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the normal resting breath rate for the patient is determined by a control circuit that is connected to a vacuum sensor that senses a patient's inhalation. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5  wherein the current breath rate is monitored by the vacuum sensor and provided to the control circuit. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 6  wherein the normal breath rate is compared with current breath rate by the control circuit. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7  wherein the comparison of the current breath rate with the normal resting breath rate is done by the control circuit and based on the comparison, the control circuit determines the dose of the gaseous drug to fit the need of the patient. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein the dose is provided by the control circuit adjusting a valve to deliver an appropriate dose to the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 8  wherein the dose is provided by the control circuit choosing from a low flow valve, a high flow valve, a combination of the low flow and high flow valve to deliver an appropriate dose to the patient. 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing a dose of a gaseous drug to a patient that has a respiratory disorder comprising:
 a. determining a standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time during a breath for a patient;   b. monitoring the current ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time;   c. comparing the current ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time with the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time; and   d. providing the dose of the gaseous drug based on the comparison of the current ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time with the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the dose is delivered during a first two-thirds of an inhalation cycle. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 11  including varying the flow of the dose delivered to the patient so that less flow will be used when the patient is close to the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time is determined by a control circuit that is connected to a vacuum sensor that senses a patient's inhalation time and exhalation time. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time is monitored by the vacuum sensor and provided to the control circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15  wherein the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time during a breath for a patient is compared with the current ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time by the control circuit. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 16  wherein the comparison of the current breath rate with the standard ratio of inhalation time to exhalation time is done by the control circuit and based on the comparison, the control circuit determines the dose of the gaseous drug to fit the need of the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the dose is provided by the control circuit adjusting a valve to deliver an appropriate dose to the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 17  wherein the does is provided by the control circuit choosing from a low flow valve, a high flow valve, a combination of the low flow and high flow valves or a continuous flow switch to deliver an appropriate dose to the patient. 
     
     
         20 . A method for providing a dose of a gaseous drug to a patient that has a respiratory disorder comprising:
 a. determining an inhalation window;   b. determining an amount of the dose of the gaseous drug based on a duration of the inhalation window; and   c. delivering the dose of the gaseous drug within a second inhalation window.   
     
     
         21 . The method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the dose is delivered during a first two-thirds of the second inhalation cycle. 
     
     
         22 . The method as recited in  claim 20  wherein the inhalation window for the patient is determined by predetermining a fixed value. 
     
     
         23 . The method as recited in  claim 22  wherein the inhalation window for the patient is determined by a control circuit that is connected to a vacuum sensor that senses a patient's inhalation. 
     
     
         24 . The method as recited in  claim 23  wherein the second inhalation window is determined by the vacuum sensor and provided to the control circuit. 
     
     
         25 . The method as recited in  claim 24  wherein determining the amount of the dose based on the duration of the inhalation window is determined by the control circuit. 
     
     
         26 . The method as recited in  claim 25  wherein the dose is provided by the control circuit adjusting a valve to deliver an appropriate dose to the patient. 
     
     
         27 . The method as recited in  claim 26  wherein the dose is provided by the control circuit choosing from a low flow valve, a high flow valve, a combination of the low flow and high flow valves or a continuous flow switch. 
     
     
         28 . A dosing apparatus for providing a dose of a gaseous drug to a patient that has a respiratory disorder comprising:
 a. a control circuit;   b. a vacuum pressure sensor that is connected to a patient to sense patient inhalation and transmits the patient inhalation information to the control circuit;   c. a connection port for connection to a gaseous drug supply;   d. a gaseous drug delivery device that allows the volume of the gaseous drug delivered to the patient to be varied; and   e. a power supply that provides power to the apparatus.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 28  wherein the gaseous drug delivery device comprises:
 a. a low flow valve controlled by the control circuit; and 
 b. a high flow valve controlled by the control circuit. 
 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 29  including a continuous flow valve controlled by the control circuit. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus as recited  28  wherein the gaseous drug delivery device comprises a variable flow valve. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 28  wherein the gaseous drug supply is a liquid oxygen reservoir. 
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the normal resting breath rate is smoothed value calculated by an algorithm. 
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 33  wherein in the algorithm is the following: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 Normal 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 resting 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 breath 
                  
                 
                     
                 
                  
                 rate 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       BR 
                       Cur 
                     
                      
                     
                       ( 
                       x 
                       ) 
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       BR 
                       curnorm 
                     
                      
                     
                       ( 
                       y 
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
                 100 
               
             
           
         
         Where x=1-99 
         and y=100−x. 
       
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 4  wherein x is 0-25. 
     
     
         36 . The method as recited in  claim 35  wherein Normal resting breath rate is calculate on every breath except if BR Cu +2 or more greater than BR curnorm  then the Normal resting breath rate remains the same and the calculation of does not start again until the BR Cu  is within 2 of BR curnorm . 
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  claim 35  wherein the calculation does not start again until 2 minutes after the BR Cu  is within 2 of BR curnorm . 
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 35  wherein Normal resting breath rate is calculate on every breath except if BR Cu +3 or more greater than BR curnorm  then the Normal resting breath rate remains the same and the calculation of does not start again until the BR Cu  is within 3 of BR curnorm . 
     
     
         39 . The method as recited in  claim 35  wherein the calculation of does not start again until 2 minutes after the BR Cu  is within 3 of BR curnorm .