Continuous positive airway pressure device with user interface

Abstract

A ventilator device ( 10 ) includes a display screen ( 50, 101 ) to display a plurality of ventilator functions/modes (or menus) and a plurality of parameters (or sub-menus) associated with at least one of said ventilator functions/modes. A control member, e.g., in the form of a multifunction finger-operable dial ( 55, 102 ) is provided to select from the plurality of ventilator functions/modes and/or parameters, the dial being manipulatable in a first manner (e.g., rotation) to scroll between said parameters, and being manipulatable in a second manner (e.g., touching, pressing and/or depressing) to select one of the ventilator functions/modes and/or parameters.

1 . A ventilator device comprising:
 a display screen to display a plurality of ventilator functions/modes and a plurality of parameters associated with at least one of said ventilator functions/modes; and   a finger-operable dial to select from the plurality of ventilator functions/modes and parameters, the dial being manipulatable in a first manner to scroll between said parameters, and being manipulatable in a second manner to select one of the parameters.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first manner of manipulation of the dial includes rotation of the dial. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second manner of manipulation of the dial includes touching, pressing, and/or depression of the dial. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dial is scrollable to a desired ventilator function/mode, at which time the dial is depressed whereupon the display screen is caused to display the parameters associated with the desired ventilator function/mode. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dial is scrollable in the second manner to scroll to a desired parameter after which the dial is depressed whereupon the parameter associated with the desired ventilator function/mode is selected. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dial is structured to provide tactile and/or visual feedback to the user when a setting has been altered. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ventilator functions/modes relate to one of more of the following: humidification settings, including climate control level, heated tube temperature and/or humidity; and/or flow generator settings including pressure, ramp time, ventilation type, patient type, patient weight and/or treatment mode. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the parameters associated with ventilation type include invasive and non-invasive. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the parameters associated with patient type include adult and child. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the parameters associated with treatment mode include PSV, ASV and PACV. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ventilator device includes a housing and the dial is operable in a first configuration in which the dial is retracted either partially or fully in the housing, and a second configuration in which the dial protrudes outward from a surface of the housing. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the dial has multiple extension levels in the second configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ventilator device is locked when the dial is in the first configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dial is associated with a biasing mechanism to bias the dial in an extended position. 
     
     
         15 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the biasing mechanism includes a spring. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a blower to deliver pressurized gas in the range of 2-30 cm H 2 O. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilator device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the blower is contained within a housing having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being configured to be connected to a gas delivery tube that delivers the pressurized gas to the patient via a patient interface. 
     
     
         18 . A method to control a ventilator device comprising:
 displaying a plurality of ventilator functions/modes and a plurality of parameters associated with at least one of said ventilator functions/modes; and   using a single finger-operable dial, selecting from the plurality of ventilator functions/modes and parameters, the dial being manipulated in a first manner to scroll between said parameters, and being manipulated in a second manner to select one of the parameters.   
     
     
         19 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the first manner of manipulation of the dial includes rotation of the dial. 
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the second manner of manipulation of the dial includes touching, pressing and/or depression of the dial.