Patent ID: 9227032
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: A61M

Claim Text:
1. A method of operating a continuous positive air pressure system (CPAP), the method comprising: providing continuous positive airway pressure from a flow generator that includes an impeller, the provided continuous positive airway pressure provided to a patient interface that communicates the continuous positive airway pressure to at least one upper airway of a patient where the continuous positive airway pressure provided to the at least one upper airway acts to splint open the at least one upper airway, the patient interface being a full-face interface or nasal interface configured to engage with the face of the patient, the provided continuous positive airway pressure controllably set, by the flow generator, for at least a first treatment pressure of between 4 and 20 cmH detecting, via a sensor, sounds output by the patient while the continuous positive airway pressure is provided to the patient from the flow generator at the first treatment pressure; generating a signal in response to the detected sounds output from the patient; distinguishing, via at least one processor, indications of sounds of speech that are from the patient attempting to speak from among other sounds that are represented in the generated signal; and reducing the continuous positive airway pressure by controllably setting, by the flow generator, to a second treatment pressure from the first treatment pressure in response to the distinguished indications from the patient to thereby facilitate speech by the patient while the flow generator is in use at the reduced second treatment pressure.