01-08-2013 дата публикации
Номер: US20130197321A1
Methods and systems for monitoring, preventing and/or treating upper airway disorders such as apnea, dysphagia, reflux and/or snoring are described. The methods and systems monitor the upper airway disorders by processing one or more neural signals obtained from one or more upper airway afferents. Upper airway disorders are prevented and/or treated by delivering one or more stimulations to one or more reflex-related afferents, efferents, muscles, and sensory receptors to manipulate the threshold and/or trigger an upper airway reflex including, but not limited to a swallow reflex and/or a negative-pressure reflex. 1. A method for monitoring a condition in a subject , the method comprising:obtaining one or more neural signals from one or more upper airway afferents of the subject;processing each of the one or more neural signals to obtain at least one neural activity profile, each neural activity profile characterized by at least one of: a neural signal timing, a neural signal amplitude, a neural signal phase, a neural signal position, a neural signal conduction velocity, and any combination thereof;comparing each of the at least one neural activity profiles to one or more activity criteria to associate each neural activity profile with an associated activity type chosen from a respiratory activity type, a deglutition activity type, a vibration activity type, a reflux activity type, and any combination thereof; a respiratory state comprising respiratory timing, respiratory amplitude, respiratory phase, respiratory location, and any combination thereof;', 'a deglutition state comprising solid contact, fluid contact, contact velocity, contact timing, contact amplitude, contact pressure, contact texture, contact temperature, a presence of a unswallowed bolus, and any combination thereof;', 'a vibration state comprising vibration timing, vibration amplitude, vibration phase, vibration location, vibration pattern, and any combination thereof; and', 'a reflux state ...
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