Methods and apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder

Abstract

An oxygen concentrator 100 apparatus and a method thereof implement operations control to efficiently release oxygen enriched gas to reduce potential waste. The control methodology may include generating a profile such as a minimum inhalation flow profile of the user. The profile may be based on a size parameter of the user. The method may determine one or more control parameters characterizing a bolus of oxygen enriched gas based on the generated flow profile. The control methodology may then generate a bolus release control signal, such as for a supply valve, according to the determined one or more control parameters. The oxygen concentrator may then, with the control signal, release and deliver a bolus of oxygen enriched gas for a user such as for reducing waste.

1 . An oxygen concentrator apparatus comprising:
 at least two canisters;   gas separation adsorbent disposed in the at least two canisters, wherein the gas separation adsorbent separates at least some nitrogen from air in the at least two canisters to produce oxygen enriched gas;   a compression system, the compression system comprising:   a compressor coupled to at least one of the canisters, wherein the compressor compresses air during operation; and   a motor coupled to the compressor, wherein the motor drives operation of the compressor;   an accumulator coupled to one or more of the canisters, wherein oxygen enriched gas produced in one or more of the canisters is passed into the accumulator during use; and a controller, including one or more processors, and a set of valves coupled to the controller, the controller configured to control operation of the set of valves to (a) produce oxygen enriched gas into the accumulator and (b) release the produced oxygen enriched gas from the accumulator, the controller further configured to:
 determine one or more control parameters characterizing a deliverable bolus of oxygen enriched gas; 
 generate a bolus release control signal for controlling release of a bolus of oxygen enriched gas according to the determined one or more control parameters; 
 receive a boost signal from an input interface of the oxygen concentrator apparatus; and 
 in response to the boost signal, control one or more further bolus release control signals for controlling release of one or more boost boluses, wherein a total volume of oxygen enriched gas of a released bolus of the one or more boost boluses includes: (1) an equivalent volume that satisfies a continuous-flow-rate setting of the oxygen concentrator apparatus as set at the input interface plus (2) an additional volume quantity of oxygen enriched gas. 
   
     
     
         2 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to discontinue release of the additional volume quantity of oxygen enriched gas after a predetermined time or in response to receiving a further signal from the input interface of the oxygen concentrator apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further configured to:
 derive a delivery envelope of parameters of a potential bolus of oxygen enriched gas; and 
 determine the one or more control parameters characterizing the deliverable bolus of oxygen enriched gas so that the one or more parameters are constrained within the delivery envelope. 
 
     
     
         4 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to derive the delivery envelope of parameters of the potential bolus of oxygen enriched gas using a size parameter of a user. 
     
     
         5 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the size parameter of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a control panel coupled to the controller and configured to receive the size parameter of the user via manual entry. 
     
     
         7 . The oxygen concentrator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen concentrator apparatus comprises a control panel coupled to the controller, and wherein the input interface of the oxygen concentrator apparatus comprises the control panel. 
     
     
         8 . A method of controlling oxygen enriched gas release with a controller of an oxygen concentrator in pulsed oxygen delivery mode, the method comprising:
 determining one or more control parameters characterizing a deliverable bolus of oxygen enriched gas;   generating, with the controller, a bolus release control signal for controlling release of a bolus of oxygen enriched gas according to the determined one or more control parameters;   receiving, in the controller, a boost signal from an input interface of the oxygen concentrator; and   in response to the boost signal, controlling one or more further bolus release control signals for controlling release of one or more boost boluses, wherein a total volume of oxygen enriched gas of a released bolus of the one or more boost boluses includes: (1) an equivalent volume that satisfies a continuous-flow-rate setting of the oxygen concentrator as set at the input interface plus (2) an additional volume quantity of oxygen enriched gas.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising discontinuing, by the controller, release of the additional volume quantity of oxygen enriched gas after a predetermined time or in response to receiving, in the controller, a further signal from the input interface of the oxygen concentrator. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 deriving a delivery envelope of parameters of a potential bolus of oxygen enriched gas; and 
 determining the one or more control parameters characterizing the deliverable bolus of oxygen enriched gas so that the one or more parameters are constrained within the delivery envelope. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising deriving the delivery envelope of parameters of the potential bolus of oxygen enriched gas using a size parameter of a user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, receiving, in the controller, the size parameter of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving the size parameter of the user via manual entry on a control panel coupled to the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the input interface of the oxygen concentrator comprises a control panel coupled to the controller. 
     
     
         15 . An oxygen concentrator comprising a carrier medium having processor control instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a controller of the oxygen concentrator, cause the oxygen concentrator to perform the method of  claim 8 .