METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION USING AN EFFORT SIGNAL
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting a breathing characteristic of a patient comprising:
- a spirometer operatively coupled to the patient for producing a volume signal indicative of volume of the patient'"'"'s breath;
breathing effort monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to the patient for producing a breathing effort signal from the patient; and
first circuitry for using the volume signal and the effort signal to determine a relationship between the volume of the patient'"'"'s breath and the effort the patient exerted to produce that volume of breath.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Breathing effort of a patient, as determined (for example) from a photoplethysmograph (“PPG”) signal from the patient, can be used in conjunction with signals from a spirometer being used by the patient to provide additional information about various characteristics of the patient'"'"'s breathing. For example, such additional information may include the relationship between the patient'"'"'s breathing effort and breath volume. As another example, the additional information may include the relationship between the patient'"'"'s breathing effort and rate of breath flow. Still other such additional information may be derived from various combinations of spirometer and PPG output signals.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting a breathing characteristic of a patient comprising:
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a spirometer operatively coupled to the patient for producing a volume signal indicative of volume of the patient'"'"'s breath; breathing effort monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to the patient for producing a breathing effort signal from the patient; and first circuitry for using the volume signal and the effort signal to determine a relationship between the volume of the patient'"'"'s breath and the effort the patient exerted to produce that volume of breath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Apparatus for detecting a breathing characteristic of a patient comprising:
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a spirometer operatively coupled to the patient for producing a flow signal indicative of a rate of flow of the patient'"'"'s breath; breathing effort monitoring apparatus operatively coupled to the patient for producing a breathing effort signal from the patient; and first circuitry for using the flow signal and the effort signal to determine a relationship between the rate of flow of the patient'"'"'s breath and the effort the patient applied to produce that rate of flow.
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13. A method of detecting a breathing characteristic of a patient comprising:
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coupling a spirometer to the patient in order to produce a volume signal indicative of volume of the patient'"'"'s breath; coupling breathing effort monitoring apparatus to the patient in order to produce a breathing effort signal from the patient; and using the volume signal and the effort signal to determine a relationship between the volume of the patient'"'"'s breath and the effort the patient exerted to produce that volume of breath. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification