SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND/OR APPARATUSES FOR NON-INVASIVE MONITORING OF RESPIRATORY PARAMETERS IN SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING
In certain example embodiments, 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. In certain example embodiments, the pulse oximeter is configured to determine, for example, a measure of patient effort during a treatment period and provide a patient effort signal for input to control operation of the flow generator. Oximeter plethysmogram data may be used, for example, to determine estimated breath phase; sleep structure information; autonomic improvement in response to therapy; information relating to relative breathing effort, breathing frequency, and/or breathing phase; vasoconstrictive response, etc. Such data may be useful in diagnostic systems.
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;
a pulse oximeter; and
a controller configured to determine sleep structure information for the patient and track the sleep structure information to indicate a therapy's effectiveness based at least in part on output from the pulse oximeter.
2 . The air delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sleep structure information includes information about the patient's start, finish, and/or REM sleep states.
3 . The air delivery system of claim 2 , wherein information about the patient's sleep state is extrapolated via heart period analysis.
4 . The air delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the controllable flow generator is adapted to provide Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).
5 . The air delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by performing statistical or fractal analysis of pulse interval data.
6 . The air delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by analyzing heart-rate variability indices to indicate sleep onset.
7 . A method for diagnosing sleep disordered breathing, said method comprising:
deriving a pulse oximeter signal from a patient;
processing the pulse oximeter signal to generate a patient effort signal indicative of respiratory rate; and
tracking sleep structure information for the patient to indicate a therapy's effectiveness.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sleep structure information includes information about the patient's start, finish, and/or REM sleep states
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein information about the patient's sleep state is extrapolated via heart period analysis.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by performing statistical or fractal analysis of pulse interval data.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by analyzing heart-rate variability indices to indicate sleep onset.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the patient effort signal is based upon an arterial blood pressure waveform variation in peak-to-peak amplitude.
13 . 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;
wherein the signal processor is configured to track sleep structure information for the patient to indicate a therapy's effectiveness.
14 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sleep structure information includes information about the patient's start, finish, and/or REM sleep states.
15 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 14 , wherein information about the patient's sleep state is extrapolated via heart period analysis.
16 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the signal processor is configured to trend sleep structure information for the patient to indicate a therapy's effectiveness over a period of time.
17 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by performing statistical or fractal analysis of pulse interval data.
18 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sleep structure information is tracked by analyzing heart-rate variability indices to indicate sleep onset.
19 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the patient effort signal is based upon an arterial blood pressure waveform variation in peak-to-peak amplitude.
20 . The respiratory effort monitoring apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a filter adapted to filter heart rate out of the pulse oximeter signal.