Cpap apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020316329-A1
Application number	US-202016904718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A CPAP apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a hose whose one end communicates with a connection portion, a fan configured to expel air flowing in from an intake port, from another end of the hose, a motor and a motor driving unit configured to rotationally drive the fan, a control unit configured to control the motor driving unit, and a flow rate sensor. The control unit includes a command generation unit configured to generate a command value of a rotation number of the fan such that a pressure to be expelled from the other end of the hose becomes a target pressure, and a command correction unit configured to correct the command value based on a flow rate value obtained by the flow rate sensor.

First claim

1 . A CPAP apparatus comprising:
a housing comprising an intake inlet and an exhaust outlet; an air passage comprising a first end connected to the exhaust outlet; a fan configured to expel air from a second end of the air passage, the air flowing into the CPAP apparatus at the intake outlet; a fan driver configured to rotationally drive the fan according to a rotational parameter; a processor configured to control the fan driver; and a flow rate sensor configured to measure an air flow rate between the fan and a second end of the air passage, wherein the processor is configured to: generate a command value corresponding to the rotational parameter of the fan at which a pressure of air expelled from the exhaust outlet is equal to a target pressure, and correct the command value based on a measured flow rate obtained by the flow rate sensor.

2 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the command value based on a pressure of air generated by rotationally driving the fan.

3 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the command value is output as a signal from the controller and is input to the fan driver, and the fan driver is configured to drive the fan at the rotational parameter based on the command value.

4 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of air between the fan and the second end of the air passage, wherein the processor is configured to correct the command value based on the measured pressure.

5 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a change in a pressure of air delivered to the air passage based on a change in the measured air flow rate, and is configured to correct the command value such that the pressure of air delivered to the air passage equals the target pressure.

6 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a pressure difference between the measured pressure and the target pressure, and is configured to correct the command value based on the pressure difference.

7 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
memory configured to store information indicative of a relationship between a pressure of air and a flow rate of air generated by the fan.

8 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein:
the stored information further relates the pressure of air and the flow rate of air generated by the fan to a corresponding rotational parameter, when the rotational parameter of the fan when the measured air flow rate is less than the rotational parameter of the fan stored in memory and related to the measured air flow rate at the target pressure, the controller is configured to correct the command value such that the rotational parameter of the fan increases, and when the rotational parameter of the fan when the measured air flow rate is greater than the rotational parameter of the fan stored in memory and related to the measured air flow rate at the target pressure, the controller is configured to correct the command value such that the rotational parameter of the fan decreases.

9 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:
when the measured pressure is less than the target pressure, the controller is configured to correct the command value such that the rotational parameter of the fan increases, and when the measured pressure is greater than the target pressure, the controller is configured to correct the command value such that the rotational parameter of the fan increases.

10 . The CPAP apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the target pressure is a constant value for exhalation and inhalation of a patient.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Tsuji Shigeru
• Hayashi Takanori
• Wada Hiroaki

Classifications

• A61M2205/52

  with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient · CPC title

• A61M2210/0618

  Nose · CPC title

• A61M2016/0033

  electrical · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• A61M16/06

  Respiratory or anaesthetic masks · CPC title