摘要 |
An apparatus for assisting in ventilating the lungs of a patient comprises a respiratory gas source means (10); a breathing mask means (14); a conduit means (12) for fluidly connecting the respiratory gas source means (10) to the mask (14); a means for regulating the pressure (16) within the conduit means (12); a flow meter means (18) for detecting the flow rate of the respiratory gas; and a pressure sensor means (20) for detecting the pressure within the conduit adjacent to the breathing mask (14). The apparatus further comprises a means for calculating (32) the flow impedance parameter of the flow system downstream the pressure sensing means (20); a means for storing (28) the relationship between the operation of the pressure regulating means (16), the flow impedance parameter, and the pressure within the conduit means (12); a means for predicting the flow impedance parameter after a predetermined time interval; and a means for generating a target pressure to which the pressure regulating means (16) regulates the pressure within the conduit. The pressure regulating means (16) is controlled such that the pressure within the conduit (12) adjacent to the breathing mask (14) is substantially the target pressure based on the predicted flow impedance parameter and the data. <MATH> |