Patent ID: 6401713
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A pressure support system comprising:a gas flow generating system adapted to generate a continuous flow of breathing gas at selectable pressures; a patient circuit having a first end coupled to an output of said gas flow generating system to communicate said continuous flow of breathing gas to a patient; a patient interface coupled to a second end of said patient circuit to communicate said continuous flow of breathing gas from said patient circuit to an airway of a patient; usage tracking means for monitoring usage of the pressure support system by a patient; a controller operatively coupled to said usage tracking means and said gas flow generating system, wherein said controller outputs a control signal to said gas flow generating system to control said gas flow generating system, wherein said controller determines whether such a patient has completed a therapy session based on an output of said usage tracking means, and wherein said controller causes said gas flow generating system to provide said continuous flow of breathing gas to such a patient at a first pressure P1 in an initial therapy session and increases said pressure of said continuous flow of breathing gas from said first pressure P1 to a final pressure P2 over a first predetermined number D of therapy sessions, so that a current pressure Pcurrent of said continuous flow of breathing gas provided to a patient in a current therapy session following said initial therapy session is greater than a pressure provided to such a patient in a previous therapy session.