Apparatus for measuring carbon monoxide on a person's breath

• US 20050081601A1
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Micro Medical Ltd. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micro Medical Ltd. (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawson, Christopher Patrick
• Application Number:
  US10/966,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20050081601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.300
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 for CO, CO2
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Apparatus (2) for measuring carbon monoxide on a person'"'"'s breath, which apparatus (2) comprises measuring means (4) for measuring the carbon monoxide on the person'"'"'s breath, and message giving means (6) for giving a message which is in a language and which is appropriate to the amount of the carbon monoxide measured on the person'"'"'s breath.

Claims

1. Apparatus for measuring carbon monoxide on a person'"'"'s breath, which apparatus comprises measuring means for measuring the carbon monoxide on the person'"'"'s breath, and message giving means for giving a message which is in a language and which is appropriate to the amount of the carbon monoxide measured on the person'"'"'s breath.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the message giving means is an audio giving means for giving the message as an audio message.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the message giving means is a visual message giving means for giving the message as a visual message.

4. Apparatus acording to claim 1 in which the message giving means selects an appropriate message from a plurality of messages contained in the apparatus.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the plurality of messages are interpretive messages.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the plurality of interpretive messages are as follows:

(i) Non-smoker—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 0-6 ppm.

(ii) Light-smoker—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 7-10 ppm.

(iii) Heavy-smoker—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 11 or more ppm.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the plurality of messages are prescriptive messages.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which the plurality of prescriptive messages are as follows:

(i) No therapy required—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 0-6 ppm.

(ii) Low dosage nicotine replacement recommended—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 7-10 ppm.

(iii) High dosage nicotine replacement therapy recommended—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 11 or more ppm.

9. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the plurality of messages are disincentive messages.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the plurality of disincentive messages are as follows:

(i) Sweet breath—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 0-6 ppm.

(ii) Breath stinks, recommend you give up smoking—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 7-10 ppm.

(iii) Breath stinks really badly, recommend you give up smoking immediately—

this message being for a measured concentration of carbon monoxide of 11 or more ppm.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including result giving means for giving the result of the measured carbon monoxide on the person'"'"'s breath, the result giving means being such that it gives the result in a form which is not in a language, and which is in a form which is only as a visual display.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the result is given in a form which would not normally be understood by the person, and which would normally need to be explained to the person by another person who would be in charge of the measurement.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the result is given as a measured concentration of carbon monoxide in parts per million.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 in which the result giving means selects an appropriate result from a plurality of results contained in the apparatus, and lights up one of a plurality of different lights.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 in which the plurality of results and the plurality of different lights are as follows:

(i) Non-smoker—

green light

(ii) Light-smoker—

orange light

(iii) Heavy-smoker—

red light

16. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including a display panel for displaying visual messages.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the measuring means is an electrochemical fuel cell.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1 and which is portable.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 and which is hand holdable.

20. (canceled)