TECHNIQUE TO CHARACTERIZE PROXIMAL AND PERIPHERAL NITRIC OXIDE EXCHANGE USING CONSTANT FLOW EXHALATIONS AND AN AXIAL DIFFUSION MODEL
First Claim
1. A method to characterize nitric oxide (NO) gas exchange dynamics in a lung, comprising:
- performing a plurality of breathing maneuvers of substantially constant flow rates within a predetermined range;
measuring data relating to at least one of an NO concentration and an NO elimination rate as a function of exhaled volume or exhalation flow rate;
applying a lung model to the measured data; and
obtaining at least one parameter indicative of disease states of the lung based on the lung model and the measured data,wherein the lung model, when applied in the predetermined range, predicts a substantially linear relationship between the NO elimination rate and the exhalation flow rate.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method to characterize NO gas exchange dynamics in human lungs, including performing a plurality of breathing maneuvers of substantially constant flow rates within a predetermined range, measuring data relating to at least one of an NO concentration and an NO elimination rate as a function of exhaled volume or exhalation flow rate, applying a lung model to the measured data, and obtaining at least one parameter indicative of disease states of the lung based on the lung model and the measured data, wherein the lung model, when applied in the predetermined range, predicts a substantially linear relationship between the NO elimination rate and the exhalation flow rate.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method to characterize nitric oxide (NO) gas exchange dynamics in a lung, comprising:
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performing a plurality of breathing maneuvers of substantially constant flow rates within a predetermined range; measuring data relating to at least one of an NO concentration and an NO elimination rate as a function of exhaled volume or exhalation flow rate; applying a lung model to the measured data; and obtaining at least one parameter indicative of disease states of the lung based on the lung model and the measured data, wherein the lung model, when applied in the predetermined range, predicts a substantially linear relationship between the NO elimination rate and the exhalation flow rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for characterizing nitric oxide (NO) gas exchange dynamics in a lung to diagnose a disease state of the lung, comprising:
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means for performing a plurality of breathing maneuvers of substantially constant flow rates within a predetermined range; means for measuring data relating to NO concentration as a function of exhaled volume or exhalation flow rate; means for obtaining a linear relationship from the measured data based on a realistic lung model, the linear relationship reducing data analysis loads; and means for characterizing a proximal (airway) and a peripheral (alveolar) airway NO. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer readable medium containing instructions, the instructions comprising:
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obtaining data relating to NO concentration as a function of exhaled volume or exhalation flow rate over a predetermined range resulting from a plurality of substantially constant-flow breathing maneuvers; applying a lung model to the data; and obtaining at least one parameter indicative of disease states of the lung from a linear relationship among the data based on the lung model.
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Specification