Monitoring device and method
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing information relating to disturbances and/or disease pattern based on a patient's breathing parameters. Preferably, the apparatus has multiple functionalities and provides information relating to different disturbances and/or disease patterns. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for identifying different indications of a patient, the apparatus comprising a sensor, for sensing signals indicative of a patient's breathing, a processing unit, for processing and/or analyzing the signals, and display means for displaying the outcome of the processing and/or analysis. The corresponding method for identifying different indications of a patient comprises the steps of sensing signals indicative of a patient's breathing, processing and/or analyzing the signals, and displaying the outcome of the processing and/or analysis.
1. An apparatus for identifying different indications of a patient, the apparatus comprising
a sensor configured to sense signals indicative of a patient's breathing;
a processing unit configured to process and/or analyze the signals by generating flow and snore channel signals;
a snore detection module configured to calculate a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;
an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module configured to calculate an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;
a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module configured to calculate a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and
a display configured to display data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display is further configured to display data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules as logical YES or NO indicators, the logical YES or NO indicators corresponding the presence or absence of patient snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS, respectively.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the indicators comprise LEDs.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a closed unit.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a handheld and/or pocket size device.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an energy source.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the energy source is an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one A/D converter.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the filter has a lower frequency cutoff of about 10 Hz.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the filter has an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a single-use apparatus.
13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising first and second A/D converters, the first A/D converter being usable in the generation of the flow channel signal and the second A/D converter being usable in the generation of the snore channel signal.
14. A portable handheld diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
a sensor configured to sense signals indicative of a patient's breathing;
a processing unit configured to generate flow and snore channel signals based on the signals sensed by the sensor;
a snore detection module configured to calculate a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;
an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module configured to calculate an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;
a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module configured to calculate a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and
a display comprising a plurality of logical YES/NO indicators, the YES/NO indicators being actuatable in dependence on calculations from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising first and second A/D converters, the first A/D converter being usable in the generation of the flow channel signal and the second A/D converter being usable in the generation of the snore channel signal.
16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator, the filter having a lower frequency cutoff about 10 Hz and an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.
17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module is configured to calculate a periodic breathing index based on rising and falling gradients.
18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a nasal cannula.
19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module is configured to calculate both a periodic breathing index and/or a CS index in dependence on the patient's breathing.
20. A method for identifying different indications of a patient via an apparatus usable by the patient, the method comprising
sensing signals indicative of a patient's breathing using a sensor connected to the apparatus;
processing and/or analyzing the signals by generating flow and snore channel signals using a processor of the apparatus;
calculating a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals via a snore detection module;
calculating an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal via an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module;
calculating a periodic breathing index and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module via a periodic breathing and/or CS detection module; and
displaying data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.
21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising displaying data related to output from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules as logical YES or NO indicators, the logical YES or NO indicators corresponding the presence or absence of patient snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS, respectively.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the indicators comprise LEDs.
23. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is a closed unit.
24. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is a handheld and/or pocket size device.
25. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus comprises an energy source.
26. The method according to claim 25 , wherein the energy source is an accumulator or a rechargeable battery.
27. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one A/D converter.
28. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator.
29. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the filter has a lower frequency cutoff of about 10 Hz.
30. The method according to claim 29 , wherein the filter has an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.
31. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is a single-use apparatus.
32. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising:
generating the flow channel signal via a first A/D converter of the apparatus; and
generating the snore channel signal via a second A/D converter of the apparatus.
33. A method of diagnosing a patient using a portable handheld diagnostic apparatus, the method comprising:
sensing, via a sensor of the apparatus, signals indicative of the patient's breathing;
generating, via a processor, flow and snore channel signals based on the signals sensed by the sensor;
calculating, via a snore detection module, a snoring index based on the flow and snore channel signals;
calculating, via an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) detection module, an apnea/hypopnea index based on the flow channel signal;
calculating, via a periodic breathing and/or Cheyne-Stokes (CS) detection module, a periodic breathing index and/or CS index based on the flow channel signal and output from the OSA detection module; and
selectively actuating a plurality of logical YES/NO indicators provided to the apparatus, in dependence on calculations from the snore, OSA, and periodic breathing and/or CS detection modules.
34. The method according to claim 33 ,
generating the flow channel signal via a first A/D converter of the apparatus; and
generating the snore channel signal via a second A/D converter of the apparatus.
35. The method according to claim 33 , wherein the snore detection module includes a filter and an envelope generator, the filter having a lower frequency cutoff about 10 Hz and an upper frequency cutoff of about 50-100 Hz.
36. The method according to claim 33 , further comprising calculating, via the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module, the periodic breathing index based on rising and falling gradients.
37. The method according to claim 33 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a nasal cannula.
38. The method according to claim 33 , further comprising calculating, via the periodic breathing and/or CS detection module, both the periodic breathing index and/or the CS index in dependence on the patient's breathing.