A U.S. Patent application has been published on a new, more rapid and effective method of using oxygen to abort a cluster headache. The method involves a specific sequence and rate of breathing combined with a readily available oxygen demand valve.  “Just using a demand valve” does not generate the same results without the specific method of breathing being employed. 

Based on pilot study data, the method can reduce abort times by as much as 50% versus traditional continuous flow methods at a flow rate of 15 lpm even at high headache pain levels and can significantly reduce re-attacks. 

This makes use of low cost oxygen an even more attractive alternative to relying on expensive sumatriptan injections.  Use of a demand valve eliminates the high volume of wasted oxygen and fire safety issues that a comparably high continuous flow rate delivery system would represent.

The inventors are 2 cluster headache suffers, Peter Batcheller and Michael Berger, and, Royce Fishman while a Director in the Business Development group at Linde Healthcare, The Linde Group. 

In order to provide information on this alternative method of oxygen therapy to sufferers, the full published US Patent application has been posted at the link below.  The content of the Patent application also presents to any knowledgeable reader in the medical industry some interesting additional opportunities to further improve the management of cluster headache.

The Patent application which includes over 60 references, is also an excellent background review of the medical literature as of Spring 2008 regarding oxygen as an abortive.

We hope that the information in this Patent application raises the interest of all oxygen suppliers and device manufacturers, about oxygen therapy and related potential new medical device opportunities that could be developed for managing cluster headache.

So if Batch gets the patent, I can't hyperventilate without his permission?

I cannot understand why someone would patent this...

Quote:

Or how one would enforce such a patent if it were granted.  The equipment is already patented by others.  Perhaps each time a Doctor prescribes high flow O2 they would have to pay Batch a fee.
Kinda like Harley trying to patent the "sound" of their engine.

Bob P wrote on Jan 8^th, 2010 at 7:29am:

I use my 60 lpm regulator so I can hyperventilate without permission 

Btw. excellent work!

Wanted to add to my comment above... it's not that I think it's a bad thing.  Anything that could help a clusterhead is a good thing.  I honestly just don't understand the need for a patent.  A patent just establishes ownership of certain intellectual property.  If I had some proven method for using off-the-shelf items to get relief, I don't think I'd patent it.  Maybe I'm missing something here.

Good work, none the less.  Seriously good stuff.

I know most of you are pulling Pete's chain, but I think this is a big breakthru for Clusters...

If you'll check you'll see that LInde holds the patent. Michael and Pete just did the inventing. Linde did R&D on it.

But it's made a big difference in the way I abort with O2 and I'm real glad the guys did all the work to come up with it. The old way just wasn't aborting my attacks as quick as this.

Anyhow that's my 2 cents on it. I"m for anything that helps us that suffer.

Hugs BD