Autotitrating method and apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method of controlling the delivery of therapeutic gas delivered to a patient undergoing positive airway pressure therapy is described. The method includes providing a flow of gas to a patient's airway at a pressure, obtaining information from the range of 0 to 25 Hz of the frequency domain of the flow, and adjusting the pressure based on the information. The apparatus includes a blower for providing a flow of gas to a patient's airway at a pressure, a sensor to measure a characteristic of the flow, a controller to obtain information from the range of 0 to 25 Hz of the frequency domain of the characteristic, and a pressure regulator for adjusting the pressure based on the information.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A positive airway pressure therapy apparatus comprising:
 a blower configured to provide a flow of gas to an airway of a patient at a pressure; and   a controller configured to adjust the pressure of the flow of gas responsive to detection of a normal breathing event or a sleep disordered breathing event by:
 causing a decrease of the pressure responsive to detection of the normal breathing event; and 
 responsive to detection of the sleep disordered breathing event preceded by a pressure decrease:
 causing an increase of the pressure of the flow of gas by a preset pressure increase or a pressure increase determined based on a magnitude of the pressure decrease, 
 wherein a determination of whether to increase the pressure by the preset pressure increase or the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease is based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
 
   
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the preset pressure increase is based on a type of the sleep disordered breathing event, and wherein the type of the sleep disordered breathing event comprises a partial airway obstruction, apnea, or hypopnea. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein an amount of the pressure increase is further determined based on a current pressure level. 
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease comprises one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein an amount of the pressure increase is the greater of the preset pressure increase or the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus of  claim 54 , wherein the controller is configured to set as an amount of the pressure increase the preset pressure increase or one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease responsive to comparing the pressure decrease to a pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein the controller is configured to set the amount of the pressure increase to the preset pressure increase responsive to determining that the pressure decrease does not satisfy the pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein the controller is configured to set the amount of the pressure increase to one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease responsive to determining that the pressure decrease satisfies the pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the controller is further configured to not cause a further increase of the pressure during a threshold period of time following the increase of the pressure. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus of  claim 59 , wherein the threshold period of time is determined based on a type of sleep disordered breathing event. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the magnitude of the pressure decrease comprises a sum of a plurality of preceding pressure decreases. 
     
     
         62 . A method of controlling positive airway pressure therapy, comprising:
 providing a flow of gas to an airway of a patient at a pressure; and   adjusting the pressure of the flow of gas responsive to detection of a normal breathing event or a sleep disordered breathing event by:
 decreasing the pressure of the flow of gas responsive to detecting the normal breathing event; and 
 responsive to detecting the sleep disordered breathing event preceded by a pressure decrease:
 increasing the pressure of the flow of gas by a preset pressure increase or a pressure increase determined based on a magnitude of the pressure decrease, 
 wherein determining whether to increase the pressure by the preset pressure increase or the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease is based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
 
   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the preset pressure increase is based on a type of the sleep disordered breathing event, and wherein the type of the sleep disordered breathing event comprises a partial airway obstruction, apnea, or hypopnea. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein an amount of the pressure increase is further determined based on a current pressure level. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease comprises one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein an amount of the pressure increase is the greater of the preset pressure increase or the pressure increase determined based on the magnitude of the pressure decrease. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the method comprises setting as an amount of the pressure increase the preset pressure increase or one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease responsive to comparing the pressure decrease to a pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the method comprises setting the amount of the pressure increase to the preset pressure increase responsive to determining that the pressure decrease does not satisfy the pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the method comprises setting the amount of the pressure increase to one-half of the magnitude of the pressure decrease responsive to determining that the pressure decrease satisfies the pressure decrease threshold. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the method comprises not further increasing the pressure during a threshold period of time following the increase of the pressure. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the threshold period of time is determined based on a type of sleep disordered breathing event. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein the magnitude of the pressure decrease comprises a sum of a plurality of preceding pressure decreases.