CPAP machine
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a well recognized disorder which is one of the most common causes of excessive daytime somnolence. In the Sleep Apnea syndrome a person stops breathing during sleep. Cessation of airflow for more than 10 seconds is called an "apnea". Apneas lead to decreased blood oxygenation and thus to disruption of sleep. Apnea, hypopnea and heavy snoring are recognised as causes of sleep disruption and risk factors in certain types of heart disease. It has been found that increased upper airway resistance (Upper Airway Resistance syndrome) during sleep without snoring or sleep apnea also can cause sleep fragmentation and daytime sleepiness. It is possible there is an evolution from upper airway resistance syndrome to sleep apnea, accompanied by a worsening of clinical symptoms and damage to the cardiovascular system. The administration of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is common in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) syndrome and Upper Airway Resistance syndrome. CPAP treatment effectively acts as a pneumatic splint of a patient's upper airway by providing air or breathable gas at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure to the entrance of the patient's airway. CPAP treatment continuously provides pressurized air or other breathable gas to the entrance of a patient's airways via a patient mask at a pressure elevated above atmospheric pressure. CPAP treatment can act as a pneumatic splint of a patient's upper airway. In general, conventional CPAP systems include a bedside "generator" that operates off either wall current or a large external battery. This generator is a blower or pump that creates a supply of pressurized air. In all CPAP devices a mask (which may be nose mask, mouth mask, or face mask) is connected to a source of pressurized gas via a flexible tubing. The source of gas is typically a flow generator that uses a turbine or blower that is connected to an electrically powered motor. During operation, the mask is then worn by the patient and the flow generator is powered to produce a positive mask pressure. The positive applied pressure eliminates the negative pressure within the pharyngeal lumen thereby acting as a pneumatic splint to maintain the patient's airway patency. CPAP treatment can be in a number of forms, including the maintenance of a constant treatment pressure level, alternating between two different constant levels in synchronism with the inspiratory and expiratory phases of respiration (bi-level CPAP), and having an automatically adjustable and/or a computer controlled level in accordance with a patient's therapeutic needs.
Related products