Method and apparatus for non-invasive monitoring of respiratory parameters in sleep disordered breathing

Abstract

An air delivery system includes a controllable flow generator operable to generate a supply of pressurized breathable gas to be provided to a patient for treatment and a pulse oximeter configured to determine a measure of patient effort during a treatment period and provide a patient effort signal for input to control operation of the flow generator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air delivery system, comprising:
 a controllable flow generator operable to generate a supply of pressurized breathable gas to be provided to a patient for treatment; and   a pulse oximeter configured to determine a measure of patient effort during a treatment period and provide a patient effort signal for input to control operation of the flow generator.   
     
     
         2 . The air delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the measure of patient effort is derived from a pulse oximeter signal. 
     
     
         3 . The air delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the patient effort signal is used to at least one of discriminate between open-closed apnea, determine high airway resistance, determine relative work of breathing, augment control algorithms for the flow generator, determine overventilation, and determine sleep state. 
     
     
         4 . The air delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein the patient effort signal is used in conjunction with an airflow signal to distinguish between open and closed airway apneas. 
     
     
         5 . The air delivery system according to  claim 1 , wherein pressure support is reduced when the measure of patient effort increases, and pressure support is increased when the measure of patient effort decreases. 
     
     
         6 . A method for treating sleep disordered breathing, comprising:
 providing a supply of pressurized breathable gas to a patient for treatment;   using a pulse oximeter to determine a measure of patient effort during a treatment period and provide a patient effort signal; and   controlling the supply of pressurized breathable gas based on input from the patient effort signal.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising deriving the measure of patient effort from a pulse oximeter signal. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising using the patient effort signal to at least one of discriminate between open-closed apnea, determine high airway resistance, determine relative work of breathing, augment control algorithms for the flow generator, determine overventilation, and determine sleep state. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising using the patient effort signal in conjunction with an airflow signal to distinguish between open and closed airway apneas. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising reducing pressure support when the measure of patient effort increases, and increasing pressure support when the measure of patient effort decreases. 
     
     
         11 . A respiratory effort monitoring apparatus, comprising:
 a pulse oximeter configured to derive a pulse oximeter signal; and   a signal processor configured to receive the pulse oximeter signal and generate a patient effort signal indicative of respiratory rate.   
     
     
         12 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the patient effort signal is used as input to control operation of a controllable flow generator operable to generate a supply of pressurized breathable gas to be provided to a patient for treatment.