System and method for detecting sleep onset in a subject based on responsiveness to breathing cues

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724038-B2
Application number	US-201113697113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2011
Priority date	May 14, 2010
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A wake-to-sleep transition for a subject is detected based on responsiveness to breathing cues provided to the subject. A pressurized flow of breathable gas to the airway of subject having one or more gas parameters that are adjusted to provide breathing cues to the subject. Based on a detected conformance of the respiration of the subject to the breathing cues, a determination is made as to whether the subject is awake or asleep.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system configured to provide sleep-triggered pressure-based airway support therapy for a subject via pressure-based breathing cues and breathing-cue based sleep detection, the system comprising:
one or more pressure generators configured to generate a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to the airway of the subject;
one or more sensors for placement at or near an airway of the subject to obtain and measure gas at or near the airway of the subject and configured to generate output sensor signals conveying information related to a gas parameter of the pressurized flow of breathable gas at or near the airway of the subject; and
one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to:
cause, via at least one of the one or more pressure generators, multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject;
determine conformance of respiration of the subject to the breathing cues provided by the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas, the conformation determination being based on the output sensor signals and the breathing cues, the conformance determination comprising determining a conformance metric that quantifies a synchronization difference between respiration of the subject and the breathing cues for a predetermined number of breaths, wherein the predetermined number of breaths is greater than one and adjusted based on a noise level in the conformance metric for the predetermined number of breaths;
determine a threshold level of conformance for the subject over a period of time;
detect that the subject is asleep based on the conformance metric breaching the threshold level of conformance; and
responsive to detecting that the subject is asleep, initiate a pressure support therapy to support the airway of the subject using at least one of the one or more pressure generators to increase pressure at or near the airway of the subject.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection that the subject is asleep is based on analysis of one or more of a breath to breath variability of one or more breathing parameters, an intrabreath variability in the one or more breathing parameters, a drop in the one or more breathing parameters, or a dynamic frequency interbreath variability.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured such that the conformance metric quantifies conformance on an individual breath basis for the predetermined number of breaths.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors are further configured such that the conformance metric comprises an average inspiration extension time or an average expiration extension time over the predetermined number of breaths.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors cause the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas by causing, via at least one of the one ore more pressure generators, multiple pressure adjustments or flow rate adjustments to the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject.

6. A method of detecting an awake-to-sleep transition in a subject, the method comprising:
generating, with one or more pressure generators, a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to the airway of the subject;
obtaining, with one or more sensors placed at or near the airway of the subject, output sensor signals conveying information related to a gas parameter of the pressurized flow of breathable gas;
causing, with one or more processors, via a pressure generator, multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject;
determining, with one or more processors, conformance of respiration of the subject to the breathings cues provided by the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas, the conformance determination being based on the output sensor signals and the breathing cues, the conformance determination comprising determining a conformance metric that quantifies a synchronization difference between respiration of the subject and the breathing cues for a predetermined number of breaths, wherein the predetermined number of breaths is greater than one and adjusted based on a noise level in the conformance metric for the predetermined number of breaths;
determining, with the one or more processors, a threshold level of conformance for the subject over a period of time;
detecting, with the one or more processors, that the subject is asleep based on the conformance metric breaching the threshold level of conformance; and
responsive to detecting that the subject is asleep, initiating, with the one or more processors, a pressure support therapy to support the airway of the subject using at least one of the one or more pressure generators to increase pressure at or near the airway of the subject.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the conformance metric quantifies conformance on an individual breath basis for the predetermined number of breaths.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein causing the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas comprises causing, via a pressure generator, multiple pressure adjustments or flow rate adjustments to the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject.

9. A system configured to detect an awake-to-sleep transition in a subject, the system comprising:
means for obtaining sensor information related to a gas parameter of the pressurized flow of breathable gas;
means for causing multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject;
means for determining conformance of respiration of the subject to the breathing cues provided by the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas, the conformance determination being based on the output sensor signals and the breathing cues, the conformance determination comprising determining a conformance metric that quantifies a synchronization difference between respiration of the subject and the breathing cues for a predetermined number of breaths, wherein the predetermined number of breaths is greater than one and adjusted based on a noise level in the conformance metric for the predetermined number of breaths;
means for determining a threshold level of conformance for the subject over a period of time;
means for detecting that the subject is asleep based on the conformance metric breaching the threshold level of conformance; and
means for, responsive to detecting that the subject is asleep, initiating a pressure support therapy to support the airway of the subject to increase pressure at or near the airway of the subject.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the conformance metric quantifies conformance on an individual breath basis for the predetermined number of breaths.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein causing the multiple adjustments of the pressurized flow of breathable gas comprises causing multiple pressure adjustments or flow rate adjustments to the pressurized flow of breathable gas over a period of time to provide breathing cues to the subject.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the breathing cues gradually change from breath to breath.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the gradually changing breathing cues comprises a gradual change in one or more of a breathing rate, inspiration time, expiration time, exhalation flow r

Assignees

• Baloa Welzien Leonardo Alberto
• Laura Lapoint Manuel
• Sibenaller Sara Marie
• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Baloa Welzien Leonardo Alberto
• Laura Lapoint Manuel
• Sibenaller Sara Marie

Classifications

• A61B5/08

  Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs · CPC title

• A61M2230/42

  Rate · CPC title

• A61B5/0816

  Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00) · CPC title

• A61B5/082

  Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M16/00

  Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. ventilators (iron lungs A61H31/02); Tracheal tubes · CPC title