Sidestream gas sampling system with detachable sample cell

• US 20030191405A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips RS North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Triunfo, John A. Jr., Rich, David R., Sandor, John L., Pierry, Anthony T., Fudge, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,341,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0833 Measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices

Abstract

A sidestream sampling system includes a sidestream gas measurement assembly and a sample cell configured to be assembled therewith. The sidestream gas measurement assembly includes a receptacle for removably receiving at least a portion of the sample cell. The sample cell is coupled to a sampling tube that is configured to communicate with an airway of an individual. When the sample cell is assembled with the sidestream gas measurement assembly, a window of the sample cell is oriented toward a corresponding source and/or detector of the sidestream gas measurement assembly to facilitate monitoring of an amount of at least one gas or vaporized material in an individual'"'"'s respiration.

Claims

1. A sample cell for use in sidestream respiratory gas monitoring, comprising:

a sample cell body;

an interconnection element associated with the sample cell body and configured to cooperate with a corresponding feature of a sidestream gas measurement assembly that is configured to at least partially receive the sample cell, wherein the interconnection element is adapted to maintain the sample cell body in an engaged relation with the sidestream gas measurement assembly;

a sample chamber defined in the sample cell body for receiving a respiratory sample from a patient; and

a first window defined in a first wall of the sample cell body and forming at least a portion of a boundary of the sample chamber, wherein the first window facilitates analysis of an amount of a gas or vaporized material disposed in the sample chamber responsive to the sample cell and the sidestream gas measurement assembly being placed in an assembled relationship.

2. The sample cell of claim 1, further comprising a sampling tube in fluid communication with the sample chamber.

3. The sample cell of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a length of the sampling tube comprises a dehumidifying material.

4. The sample cell of claim 2, further comprising a filter positioned along the length of the sampling tube.

5. The sample cell of claim 1, further comprising an output port in fluid communication with the sample chamber.

6. The sample cell of claim 5, further comprising a filter in fluid communication with the output port.

7. The sample cell of claim 1, further comprising a second window disposed in a second wall of the sample cell body at opposite sides of the sample chamber.

8. The sample cell of claim 1, wherein the sample cell body is configured to be removably received within a receptacle defined in the sidestream gas measurement assembly.

9. The sample cell of claim 1, wherein the interconnection element is a latching arm extending from the sample cell body.

10. The sample cell of claim 1, wherein the interconnection element comprises a receiving element defined in the sample cell body.

11. The sample cell of claim 1, further comprising an identification element associated with the sample cell body.

12. A sidestream gas sampling system, comprising:

(1) a sidestream gas measurement assembly, including,

(a) a housing,

(b) a radiation source disposed in the housing,

(c) a radiation detector also disposed in the housing, and

(d) a receptacle associated with the housing; and

(2) a sample cell, including;

(a) a sample cell body,

(b) a sample chamber defined in the sample cell body for receiving a respiratory sample from a patient, and

(c) a first window defined in a first wall of the body and forming at least a portion of a boundary of the sample chamber, wherein the first window is disposed at a location on the sample cell body such that the first window is in optical communication with the radiation source, the radiation detector, or both, responsive to the sample cell be disposed in the receptacle, and wherein the window is substantially transparent to at least one wavelength of radiation to be used in determining an amount of a gas or vaporized material disposed in the sample chamber.

13. The sidestream sampling system of claim 12, wherein the radiation source comprises a source of at least one wavelength of infrared radiation, and wherein the radiation detector is configured to detect at least one wavelength of infrared radiation.

14. The sidestream sampling system of claim 12, further comprising a second window disposed in a second wall of the sample cell body at opposite sides of the sample chamber.

15. The sidestream sampling system of claim 12, wherein the sidestream gas measurement assembly further includes a processor operatively coupled to the radiation source, the radiation detector, or both.

16. The sidestream sampling system of claim 12, wherein the sidestream gas measurement assembly further includes at least one communication link for establishing communication between (1) a component external to the sidestream gas measurement assembly and (2) the radiation source, the radiation detector, or both.

17. The sidestream sampling system of claim 12, further comprising at least one of a first filter positioned along the sampling tube, a second filter disposed in the sample cell, a third filter in fluid communication with an exhaust port that is in fluid communication with the sample chamber.

18. The sidestream sampling system of claim 17, further comprising means for maintaining an engaged relation between the receptacle and the sample cell body.

19. The sidestream sampling system of claim 18, wherein the means for maintaining an engaged relation includes a protrusion extending from the sample cell body and an opening defined in the receptacle adapted to receive the protrusion.

20. A method of sidestream respiratory analysis, comprising:

placing a sampling tube in fluid communication with an airway of a patient, wherein the sampling tube is in fluid communication with a sample cell;

attaching the sample cell with a sidestream gas measurement assembly configured to analyze at least one parameter of respiration of such a patient; and

analyzing the at least one parameter using the sidestream gas measurement assembly.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising removing the sample cell from the sidestream gas measurement assembly after completing the analyzing step.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein placing the sampling tube in fluid communication with an airway of a patient comprises at least one of:

placing a nasal cannula on such a patient in fluid communication with an airway of such a patient, wherein the nasal cannula communicates with the sampling tube; and

positioning an airway adapter along a breathing circuit operatively coupled to an airway of such a patient.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein assembling the sample cell with the sidestream gas measurement assembly comprises at least partially inserting the sample cell into a corresponding receptacle defined in a housing of the sidestream gas measurement assembly.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein analyzing the at least one parameter comprises analyzing at least one gas or vaporized material present in a gas in a respiration of such a patient.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein analyzing the at least one parameter comprises analyzing an amount of carbon dioxide present in the respiration of such a patient.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising reading identifying information from the sample cell responsive to the sample cell being assembled with the sidestream gas measurement assembly.