Patent ID: 8511307

Claim:
A method for the administration of CPAP treatment pressure comprising the steps of: supplying breathable gas to a patient's airway at an initial treatment pressure, and repeatedly: determining a measure of respiratory airflow; determining the occurrence of an apnea from a reduction in said measure of respiratory airflow below a threshold; determining the duration of said apnea; and increasing the treatment pressure by an amount which is an increasing function of the duration of said apnea, and a decreasing function of the treatment pressure immediately before said apnea, wherein no increase in pressure is made for apneas of less than approximately 10 seconds duration, or for apneas where the treatment pressure immediately prior to the apnea is more than approximately 10 cm H2O, but otherwise, the lower the treatment pressure immediately prior to the apnea, and the longer the apnea, the greater the increase in treatment pressure, up to a maximum of approximately 8 cm H2O per minute of apnea.