Patent ID: 8011365

Claim:
In a CPAP apparatus having (i) a blower, (ii) a patient interface, (iii) an air delivery conduit for delivering air from the blower to the patient interface, (iv) a sensor adapted to generate a first signal determined from pressure in the patient interface, (v) a sensor adapted to generate a second signal determined from flow of air to the patient, (vi) a synchrony module programmed to determine transitions between inspiration and expiration of the patient's breathing cycle from at least one of said sensors, and (vii) a control mechanism programmed to provide a supply of air from said blower to the patient interface at positive pressure in accordance with a pressure-time template, a method of controlling the blower operation comprising the steps of: automatically determining from at least one of said first and second signals the presence of a first sleep disordered breathing event; said first sleep disordered breathing event being categorized as an apnea, a hypopnea, or a snore; and automatically determining from at least one of said first and second signals whether there is present a second sleep disordered breathing event; said second sleep disordered breathing event characterized by flow flattening, where said first and second events are determined from different characteristics of said first and second signals, automatically determining a first treatment pressure in accordance with the first sleep disordered breathing event and a second treatment pressure in accordance with the second sleep disordered breathing event, setting a pressure parameter of the pressure-time template to the first treatment pressure during the expiration phase of the patient's breathing cycle and setting a pressure parameter of the pressure-time template to the second treatment pressure during the inspiratory phase of the patient's breathing cycle, and controlling the blower to deliver a supply of air at positive pressure to the patient interface in accordance with the template and in synchrony with the patient's breathing cycles as determined by the synchrony module.