Personal spirometer

• US 10,136,838 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PMD Healthcare, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PMD Healthcare, Inc.
• Inventors: Meng, Wayne, Straub, Glenn Allen, Roehner, William John, Crawn, Paul Meredith
• Primary Examiner(s): JANG, CHRISTIAN YONGKYUN
• Application Number:
  US14/356,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20140316296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,213 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/09 using an element rotated by the flow toys actuated by air current A63H33/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/103 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/125 with electric, electro-mechanical or electronic means

Abstract

A spirometer for correlating test results with other user date to indicate a relationship, said spirometer comprising: (a) a processor; (b) memory operatively connected to said processor and configured with instruction to instruct the processor to perform the following steps: (i) recording spirometer results of a user; (ii) correlating said results with user data, said user data comprising at least one of a medication log, a medical diary, a baseline performance for said user provided by a healthcare provider, or other results from other testing devices; and (iii) indicating a relationship between said results and said user data.

Claims

1. A hand-held spirometer for correlating test results with a medical condition, said spirometer comprising:

a portable housing having handles configured for said user to grip said handles to hold said housing during use;

a display on a surface of said housing;

an airflow tube through said housing;

one or more air flow sensors associated with said airflow tube;

a processor in said housing;

memory operatively connected to said processor and configured with instructions to instruct the processor to perform the following steps;

determining and recording sequential lung performance values based on data from said air flow sensors over a period;

recording user data during said period, said user data comprising at least medical compliance;

correlating said sequential lung performance values and said user data over said period; and

displaying a relationship between said sequential lung performance data and said medical compliance over said period on said display; and

wherein said relationship on said display comprises a plot of lung performance per increment of time during said period with an indication of medical compliance for each said increment of time during said period.

2. The spirometer of claim 1, further comprising correlating said sequential lung performance values with baseline performance for said user and indicating an alarm when said sequential lung performance values are a certain point below said baseline performance.

3. The spirometer of claim 2, wherein said alarm comprises a recommendation to seek medical attention or a recommendation to take certain medication.

4. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said memory also comprises instructions for said processor to determine if any medicines conflict in the medical log, and, if so, to alert said user to said conflict.

5. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said user data further comprises a medical diary and said relationship indicates the potential for a medical condition.

6. The spirometer of claim 5, wherein said medical diary involves a numerical scale of the user'"'"'s health.

7. The spirometer of claim 5, wherein said medical condition includes one of a seizure, an attack, a loss of consciousness, a fit, or an asthma attack.

8. The spirometer of claim 7, wherein said indication includes a warning to seek medical attention immediately or to take medication.

9. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said user data is entered by said user.

10. The spirometer of claim 9, wherein said user data is transmitted electronically from a separate device to said spirometer.

11. The spirometer of claim 10, wherein said user data is transmitted wirelessly.

12. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said user data further comprises data from other devices.

13. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said period is over a week.

14. The spirometer of claim 1, wherein said period is over a week and said time increment is a day.