Patent ID: 8517017

Claim:
A system to aid respiration of an individual during a respiratory cycle having an inhalation phase and an exhalation phase comprising an air flow director sized and configured to be worn in or over the nose of the individual in communication with an upper airway, and an airflow regulation assembly sized and configured to be worn in its entirety by the individual in communication with the air flow director and operative in a first mode to regulate the supply of air to the air flow director during the inhalation phase of the respiratory cycle and in a second mode to regulate the exhaust of air from the air flow director during the exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle, the airflow regulation assembly including a source of positive pressure and a controller to intermittently operate the source of positive pressure to increase positive air pressure in the air flow director sufficient to resist tissue collapse in the upper airway during only a portion of the respiratory cycle less than the entire respiratory cycle, wherein the source of positive pressure includes a turbine, and wherein, during at least a portion of the second mode, the turbine rotates in response to exhalation airflow through the turbine to resist exhalation airflow.