Patent ID: 6142950
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for evaluating a fully ambulatory subject for sleep apnea, comprising the steps of:locating on the subject's upper lip an airflow sensor that is connected with a miniature, recording unit, said unit having signal conditioning and filtering circuitry to yield required levels of airflow sensor signal fidelity, a programmable controller with an analog to digital converter, an integrated recorder and a data display means, wherein said programmable controller having firmware that analyzes said signal,using said unit to sample at prescribed time intervals sensor data that quantifies the temporal variation of the subject's airflow,time stamping and storing said sampled data in said integrated recorder,using said firmware to identify, count and record in said integrated recorder the number of occurrences of specifically defined apnea events, andusing said display means to visually communicate the number of apnea events identified by said firmware as occurring per a specified period of time.