METABOLIC ANALYZER TRANSDUCER
First Claim
1. A unitary lightweight transducer comprising, in combination:
- (a) a housing having a tubular socket with a central lumen;
(b) an oxygen sensor mounted to the housing and exposed to the lumen for producing a first electrical signal proportional to inspired and expired oxygen;
(c) a diatomic gas sensor contained in the housing including an arcuate, open channel having a concave wall with a reflective surface thereon and first and second ends, the first end aligned with an IR source and the second end aligned with an IR detector for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the concentration of a predetermined gas in inspired and expired respiratory air flowing through the transducer;
(d) a flow sensor exposed to respiratory gas flow in the lumen for producing a third electrical signal proportional to the respiratory gas flow, the oxygen sensor, diatomic gas sensor and the flow sensor aligned with a mainstream respiratory gas flow path through the lumen;
(e) an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the first, second and third electrical signals; and
(f) a microcontroller circuit coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, said oxygen sensor, diatomic gas sensor, flow sensors, analog-to-digital converter and microcontroller circuit being contained in a housing of a size and weight is adapted to be supported on the face of a subject whose oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production are to be measured.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact and wearable metabolic analyzer transducer comprising a housing containing a plurality of analog sensors, an A/D converter, a microcontroller, and a power source operatively coupled thereto where the microcontroller is programmed to compute minute ventilation, O2 uptake, and CO2 production of a subject. The transducer and its contents are of a size and weight that can either be easily supported from a facemask worn by a subject or incorporated in a respiratory circuit. The measured values can be wirelessly transmitted or transmitted, via a cable, to a remote personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or other display devices such as digital watches or image projectors.
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Citations
77 Claims
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1. A unitary lightweight transducer comprising, in combination:
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(a) a housing having a tubular socket with a central lumen; (b) an oxygen sensor mounted to the housing and exposed to the lumen for producing a first electrical signal proportional to inspired and expired oxygen; (c) a diatomic gas sensor contained in the housing including an arcuate, open channel having a concave wall with a reflective surface thereon and first and second ends, the first end aligned with an IR source and the second end aligned with an IR detector for producing a second electrical signal proportional to the concentration of a predetermined gas in inspired and expired respiratory air flowing through the transducer; (d) a flow sensor exposed to respiratory gas flow in the lumen for producing a third electrical signal proportional to the respiratory gas flow, the oxygen sensor, diatomic gas sensor and the flow sensor aligned with a mainstream respiratory gas flow path through the lumen; (e) an analog-to-digital converter connected to receive the first, second and third electrical signals; and (f) a microcontroller circuit coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, said oxygen sensor, diatomic gas sensor, flow sensors, analog-to-digital converter and microcontroller circuit being contained in a housing of a size and weight is adapted to be supported on the face of a subject whose oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production are to be measured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A lightweight respiratory gas concentration transducer comprising, in combination:
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(a) a tubular housing having a respiratory gas flow channel extending from a proximal end to a distal end of said housing; and (b) a diatomic gas detector module disposed in said housing in alignment with the gas flow channel, said detector module having an optical waveguide member with an arcuate, open groove with a concave wall, the concave wall having a reflective surface thereon and said groove having first and second ends, the first end aligned with an IR source and the second end aligned with an IR detector, the open groove adapted to receive samples of inspired and expired air from a subject on whom the transducer is attached. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A metabolic analyzer transducer, comprising
a housing capable of being coupled to a facemask and comfortably worn by a subject; -
an analog sensor located within the housing; a microcontroller located within the housing capable of receiving inputs from the analog sensor and compute CO2 production by the subject; and a power source located within the housing operatively coupled to the microcontroller. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A metabolic analyzer transducer system, comprising:
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a metabolic analyzer transducer able to sense and compute CO2 production by a subject; a facemask for operably coupling the metabolic analyzer transducer to the subject; and a user interface communicatively coupled to the metabolic analyzer transducer. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of manufacturing a metabolic analyzer transducer comprising the steps of:
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(a) molding an outer plastic shell having a bottom wall, a top wall and a side wall joining the top wall to the bottom wall and defining a hollow chamber where the bottom wall and top wall each include a centrally disposed aperture; (b) placing a detector mounting structure in the hollow chamber, the detector mounting structure having a base with a central aperture concentrically aligned with the apertures in the top wall and bottom wall and with a tubular socket projecting outward of the base; and (c) inserting an optical waveguide member within said tubular socket, the optical waveguide member having a tubular sidewall and a base containing said arcuate, open channel and an orifice of a predetermined shape and size in the base, and where a portion of the tubular sidewall of the optical waveguide member extends through the aperture in the top wall. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of manufacturing a lightweight respiratory gas concentration transducer comprising, comprising the steps of:
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(a) molding a tubular housing having a respiratory gas flow channel extending from a proximal end to a distal end of said housing; and (b) placing a diatomic gas detector module in said housing in alignment with the gas flow channel, said detector module having an optical waveguide member with an arcuate, open groove with a concave wall, the concave wall having a reflective surface thereon and said groove having first and second ends, the first end aligned with an IR source and the second end aligned with an IR detector, the open groove adapted to receive samples of inspired and expired air from a subject on whom the transducer is attached. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A method of measuring a metabolic rate of a subject, comprising the steps of:
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measuring CO2 with an analog sensor located within a housing coupled to a facemask; receiving inputs from the analog sensor at a microcontroller and computing CO2 production by the subject, the microcontroller located within the housing; and powering the analog sensor and microcontroller with a power source located within the housing operatively coupled to the microcontroller and analog sensor. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification