Apparatuses and methods for medical monitoring physiological characteristics values such as blood glucose levels for the treatment of diabetes, are presented. The apparatuses and methods provide dynamic glucose monitoring functions that perform predictive analysis to anticipate harmful conditions, such as glucose crash and hyperglycemic incidents for a patient. The dynamic functions can also be used to maximize athletic performance and warn of inadequate nocturnal basal rate. Other aspects include advanced alarm and reminder functions, as well as advanced data presentation tools to further facilitate convenient and efficient management of various physiological conditions.

System for monitoring physiological characteristics

In the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a method and apparatus are disclosed for optimizing the controlled positive pressure to minimize the flow of air from a flow generator while still ensuring that flow limitation in the patient's airway does not occur. In particular, the invention relates to a breathing device and method of use to adjust a controlled positive pressure to the airway of a patient by detecting flow limitation from analysis of an inspiratory flow waveform. Once the presence of flow limitation has been analyzed, the system determines an action to take for adjustment of the controlled positive pressure. The pressure setting is raised, lowered or maintained depending on whether flow limitation has been detected and on the previous actions taken by the system. The preferred breathing apparatus consists of a flow generator, a flow sensor, an analog to digital converter, a microprocessor, and a pressure controller, a patient supply hose, a nasal fitting, and, optionally, a pressure transducer. Using the method of the present invention, the microprocessor adjusts the air pressure in the patient supply hose when flow limitation is detected in the airway of the patient.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the continuous positive airway pressure for treating obstructive sleep apnea

Methods and apparatuses for electrically connecting a medical glucose monitor to a glucose sensor set, as well as for testing the operation of the glucose monitor, monitor cable and glucose sensor set are provided. In one embodiment, an electric cable comprises a cable member, a first connector and a second connector. The cable member in turn comprises at least one insulated conductor, a conductive shielding layer disposed around the at least one insulated conductor; and an insulating layer disposed around the conductive shielding layer. A glucose monitoring system test plug provides for a releasable electrical connection with the electric cable. In one embodiment, the test plug comprises a housing and a fitting affixed thereto which is adapted to electrically couple the test plug with the electric cable. The test plug further includes an electrical circuit that produces a signal that is read by the glucose monitor to test the operational performance of the glucose monitor and the electric cable when the test plug is coupled to the electric cable and when the electric cable is coupled to the glucose monitor.

Test plug and cable for a glucose monitor

A method and device is provided for stimulation of an upper airway muscle of a patient to relieve an airway obstruction in which stimulation is synchronized with the inspiratory phase of the patient's respiratory cycle. A respiratory effort waveform of the patient is monitored for a changes in slope and amplitude of the respiratory effort waveform characteristic of the inspiratory phase. Stimulation is then commenced and concluded according to the detected inspiratory phase.

Method and apparatus for synchronized treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

A method for treating obstructive sleep apnea in a patient by electrical stimulation of muscles of the upper airway includes detecting an obstructive apnea and then stimulating muscles of the upper airway in response to the apnea. The apnea is detected by monitoring changes in a respiratory effort waveform of the patient for a parameter characteristic of the patient's level of respiratory effort which is averaged over successive respiratory cycles to provide a baseline average. A limit value is then generated from the baseline average and the value for the parameter is compared with the limit value. If the limit value is exceeded, an apnea event is detected. Electrical stimulation can then be applied to a muscle of the upper airway upon detection of the apnea at a level which restores patency to the airway.

Method and apparatus for detecting and treating obstructive sleep apnea

A plurality of flow sensors are fabricated on a single substrate. The substrate is laid out to provide the proper physical relationship of the individual sensors. The resulting multiple sensor structure may be effectively used as a respiration detector by positioning a different sensor element at each of the airflow orifices (i.e., two nostrils and mouth) of a patient. In the preferred embodiment, the sensors are thermoresistive elements, which are screened on the substrate using conductive ink. The change in temperature of the air flow in relation to the ambient at each orifice provides an indication of the flow and may be used to determine the extent of the flow. The substrate is packaged in a single piece adhesive strip which provides ease of proper attachment by the patient.

Flow sensor system

Method of making a respiration sensor

An apparatus for and method of monitoring respiration of a patient using impedance changes of the body to indicate respiration events. Cardiac related artifacts are suppressed by separately processing an EKG signal. Transient artifacts are accommodated by modifying the pass band of the respiration monitoring circuitry to selectively attenuate the signal within the frequency range of the transient artifact.

Medical monitor with input regulation

An apparatus for and method of monitoring respiration of a patient using impedance changes of the body to indicate respiration events The impedance changes are measured by applying a carrier signal across the thorax of the patient The carrier is periodically interrupted to produce a quiet period A first level detector assumes the presence of EMI if the signal present during the quiet period exceeds a predetermined threshold A second level detector senses the presence of substantial high frequency EMI At initial power up, a third level detector checks for presence of signal before the carrier drive is applied A fourth test circuit checks for the hang up of the differential amplification circuit

Medical monitor with failure protection

The stray effects, e.g. police-, taxi-, delivery services-, amateur- or citizen-band radio, can render the monitoring system inaccurate. The monitoring system is provided with a generator arrangement for producing a carrier signal. An applicator arrangement supplies the carrier signal to the thorax of the patient. The alterations of the carrier signal applied at the thorax of the patient are measured. The determination system is provided with a cut off arrangement for interrupting the applicator arrangement during a "mute" period; and a detector system for determining the presence of a significant signal during the "mute" period. USE/ADVANTAGE - Impedance alterations of body are used to indicate breathing operations. Four detectors are used to ensure accurate results eg HF stray electromagnetism, also protected against component failure.

Patient breathing monitoring equipment, e.g. for detecting apnea - has determination system working in conjunction with monitoring system for determining electromagnetic stray effects

Peter Stasz

Papers

Flow sensor system

Method of making a respiration sensor

Medical monitor with input regulation

Medical monitor with failure protection

Patient breathing monitoring equipment, e.g. for detecting apnea - has determination system working in conjunction with monitoring system for determining electromagnetic stray effects