Respiratory Volume/Flow Gating, Monitoring, and Spirometry System for Mri
First Claim
1. A respiratory volume/flow monitoring system, comprising:
- a pneumotach including a housing, at least one pair of optical fibers including a first fiber and a second fiber, each having an input end portion and an output end portion, the input end portion of said first fiber being connectable to a source of light and the output end portion of said second fiber being connectable to a light intensity measuring unit;
a sensor head, including said input end portion of said second optical fiber and said output end portion of said first optical fiber affixedly located at least in proximity to each other;
a membrane that reflects light emerging from the output end portion of said first fiber to said input end portion of said second optical fiber, said second optical fiber measuring the reflected light as a light measurement and forwarding the light measurement via a fiber optic cable to an electric box; and
an airway coupler communicating air having an air pressure to said pneumotach.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A respiratory volume/flow monitoring system, including a pneumotach that measures micromovements of a membrane in a MRI environment, gates (triggers) a MRI machine to start image acquisition at specific lung volumes or airflow rates during the breathing cycle or other breathing maneuvers of a patient. The system provides breathing motion artifact suppression for any imaging test susceptible to breathing motion artifact, allows respiratory monitoring of the subject during an MRI procedure, and provides the capability to perform spirometric testing while the subject is in the MRI environment. Embodiments of the invention are also applicable for patients undergoing CT imaging or any other imaging modality that allows external triggering.
42 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A respiratory volume/flow monitoring system, comprising:
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a pneumotach including a housing, at least one pair of optical fibers including a first fiber and a second fiber, each having an input end portion and an output end portion, the input end portion of said first fiber being connectable to a source of light and the output end portion of said second fiber being connectable to a light intensity measuring unit;
a sensor head, including said input end portion of said second optical fiber and said output end portion of said first optical fiber affixedly located at least in proximity to each other;
a membrane that reflects light emerging from the output end portion of said first fiber to said input end portion of said second optical fiber, said second optical fiber measuring the reflected light as a light measurement and forwarding the light measurement via a fiber optic cable to an electric box; and
an airway coupler communicating air having an air pressure to said pneumotach. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for monitoring a respiratory parameter including at least one of respiratory volume or respiratory flow, the system comprising:
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a sensor for remotely detecting respiratory air having an air pressure, the sensor comprising;
a pressure chamber configured to remotely receive the respiratory air, a membrane in the pressure chamber, the membrane movable responsive to the received air in the pressure chamber, and an optical system configured to optically detect movement of the membrane and to optically transmit the detected movement; and
an electro-optic system for receiving the detected movement and converting the detected movement to an electrical movement measurement signal, wherein the respiratory parameter is determined based on the movement measurement signal. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for monitoring a respiratory parameter including at least one of respiratory volume or respiratory flow, the method comprising:
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remotely receiving respiratory air having an air pressure in a pressure chamber including a membrane, the membrane moving responsive to the received air;
optically detecting movement of the membrane according to light reflected by the membrane;
optically transmitting the optically detected movement to a remote location;
receiving and converting the optically detected movement to an electrical movement measurement signal at the remote location; and
determining the respiratory parameter based on the electrical movement measurement signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification