Prior art

The following analysis identifies the most relevant prior art for US patent 11850424, "Stimulation for treating sleep disordered breathing," based on the citations within the patent. The focus is on patent citations rather than non-patent literature for the purpose of anticipating claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

US Patent 11850424 cites 328 other patents. To provide the "most relevant prior art," I will select a representative set of patents that directly align with the core aspects of the independent claims, as outlined in the "Obviousness" section. These patents are explicitly referenced within the text of US11850424 as foundational or related technologies.

Key Cited Prior Art and Potential Anticipation:

1. US 2011-0264164 (Christopherson):

   • Full Citation: US 2011-0264164 A1, "METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING," published October 27, 2011.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 27, 2011.
   • Brief Description: This patent application describes methods for automatically adjusting the level of stimulation therapy based on the severity of sleep-disordered respiratory behavior. [cite: The full patent text states: "at least some examples of automatic adjustment of a level of stimulation therapy is described in at least Christopherson, METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP DISORDERED BREATHING, published on Oct. 27, 2011 as US 2011-0264164."]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This reference could potentially anticipate aspects of Independent Claim 12 by disclosing a system that automatically adjusts therapy based on apnea severity. Specifically, Claim 12 discusses a therapy manager that "initiates or terminates nerve stimulation based on whether the patient is likely to be experiencing or is experiencing apneas." The concept of automatically responding to the severity of sleep-disordered breathing with adjustments to stimulation therapy is present in Christopherson.

2. PCT Publication WO/2010/059839:

   • Full Citation: WO/2010/059839 A1, "A METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA," published May 27, 2010.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 27, 2010.
   • Brief Description: This publication outlines methods for treating sleep apnea, particularly focusing on the recognition and detection of features and patterns associated with respiratory effort and flow limitations, including the beginning and end of inspiratory and expiratory phases. [cite: The full patent text states: "Some non-limiting examples of such devices and methods to recognize and detect the various features and patterns associated with respiratory effort and flow limitations include, but are not limited to: PCT Publication WO/2010/059839, titled A METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA, published on May 27, 2010"]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This reference could potentially anticipate elements of Independent Claim 1, Claim 12, Claim 13, and Claim 14 by providing the foundation for detecting respiratory cycle characteristics, such as the inspiratory and expiratory phases, and the occurrence of apneas. These detections are fundamental to defining the "reference respiratory cycle" in Claim 1, triggering stimulation in Claim 12, and assessing "sensor signal quality" and synchronizing stimulation in Claims 13 and 14.

3. US 5,944,680 (Christopherson):

   • Full Citation: US 5,944,680, "RESPIRATORY EFFORT DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS," issued August 31, 1999.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued: August 31, 1999.
   • Brief Description: This patent details a method and apparatus for detecting respiratory effort. This includes recognizing and detecting features and patterns related to respiratory effort and flow limitations, as well as identifying the beginning and end of inspiratory and expiratory phases of the respiratory cycle. [cite: The full patent text states: "Some non-limiting examples of such devices and methods to recognize and detect the various features and patterns associated with respiratory effort and flow limitations include, but are not limited to: PCT Publication WO/2010/059839, titled A METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA, published on May 27, 2010; Christopherson U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,680, titled RESPIRATORY EFFORT DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS; and Testerman U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,862, titled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA."]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: Similar to WO/2010/059839, this patent could anticipate elements across Independent Claims 1, 12, 13, and 14 by teaching the fundamental methods for detecting respiratory events, phases, and overall patterns. This information is crucial for establishing a "reference respiratory cycle" (Claim 1), detecting "apneas" (Claim 12), and evaluating "sensor signal quality" for synchronous stimulation (Claims 13, 14).

4. US 5,522,862 (Testerman):

   • Full Citation: US 5,522,862, "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA," issued June 4, 1996.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued: June 4, 1996.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for treating obstructive sleep apnea, including the recognition and detection of various features and patterns associated with respiratory effort and flow limitations. [cite: The full patent text states: "Some non-limiting examples of such devices and methods to recognize and detect the various features and patterns associated with respiratory effort and flow limitations include, but are not limited to: PCT Publication WO/2010/059839, titled A METHOD OF TREATING SLEEP APNEA, published on May 27, 2010; Christopherson U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,680, titled RESPIRATORY EFFORT DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS; and Testerman U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,862, titled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA."]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This reference, by teaching methods for detecting respiratory effort and flow limitations, could potentially anticipate aspects of Independent Claims 1, 12, 13, and 14, providing the underlying knowledge for determining respiratory cycle characteristics, identifying apneas, and evaluating respiratory waveform stability.

5. US 20110160827 (Bonde et al.):

   • Full Citation: US 20110160827 A1, "Neurostimulation lead for sleep apnea therapy," published June 30, 2011.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 30, 2011.
   • Brief Description: This publication describes a neurostimulation lead suitable for use in an implantable stimulation system, particularly for sleep apnea therapy. [cite: The full patent text states: "lead 32 in association with electrode 45, includes at least some of the features and attributes described in U.S. Patent Publication 20110160827 to Bonde et al."]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This reference could potentially anticipate aspects of Independent Claim 12 by disclosing hardware components of an implantable system, specifically the "stimulation lead" and "stimulation electrode portion" that delivers nerve stimulation. Claim 12 describes a "system for treating sleep disordered breathing" including an "implantable pulse generator... with a stimulation element and a communication element." While Bonde et al. focuses on the lead, it contributes to the known components of such systems.

6. US 6,572,543 (Christopherson et al.):

   • Full Citation: US 6,572,543 B2, "System and method for treating sleep apnea," issued June 3, 2003.
   • Publication/Filing Date: Issued: June 3, 2003.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes an implantable stimulation system for treating sleep apnea. [cite: The full patent text states: "In some examples, lead 32 includes features and attributes at least consistent for use in an implantable stimulation system as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,543 to Christopherson et al."]
   • Which claim(s) it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102: This patent could potentially anticipate aspects of Independent Claim 12 by disclosing a comprehensive "implantable stimulation system" for treating sleep apnea, which is a core component of Claim 12's system. It provides a broad teaching of the hardware context for such a therapeutic approach.

It is important to note that "potential anticipation" under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires that a single prior art reference discloses every element of a claim. While these references provide strong foundational elements, a detailed claim-by-claim analysis against each full prior art document would be necessary to definitively establish anticipation. This analysis highlights the most relevant cited patents and their direct connection to the independent claims of US11850424.