Patent ID: 6290654
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: A61B,A61M,G06K,G16H

Abstract:
Apparatus for detecting a breath pattern of a breathing patient having lungs and a nose and mouth in communication with the lungs and breathing through the nose and/or mouth and creating an airflow into and out of the lungs, comprising a first sensor adapted to be placed in close proximity to the patient for monitoring said airflow to provide a first channel of airflow information in an analog format, analog-to-digital conversion means for converting the first channel of airflow information in an analog format into a first channel of airflow information in a digital format, means filtering the airflow information in the digital format in the first channel of information to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal to provide filtered airflow information, means operating on the filtered airflow information for estimating the amount of air volume inhaled and exhaled by the patient to provide a signal representing the estimated volume of air, a wavelet transform feature extractor for providing a continuous-time wavelet transform of the estimated volume of air for ascertaining whether a breathing pattern has been recognized and providing a breathing pattern signal, a neural network pattern recognizer operating on the breathing pattern signal to ascertain when disordered breathing is occurring and providing a disordered breathing signal and means operating on the disordered breathing signal to separate the disordered breathing into apnea and hypopnea categories.