METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A SPIROERGOMETRIC SYSTEM AND SPIROERGOMETRIC SYSTEM

• US 20120209128A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caardio GmbH
• Original Assignee: Aceos GmbH
• Inventors: Jung, Gunnar, Tuchtenhagen, Dirk, Schotters, Markus, Kusch, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,486,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0833 Measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4884 inducing physiological or psychological stress, e.g. applications for stress testing
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/433 partial CO2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/436 partial O2 value
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/18 for improving respiratory function
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0087 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load

Abstract

Shown and described is a method for controlling and/or regulating a spiroergometry system (1) for determining energy metabolism during physical exertion, wherein the spiroergometry system (1) has a user unit (2) arranged in the flow of the inhaled and exhaled air of a test subject (4) for removing a respiratory gas sample of the test subject (4), at least one analysis unit (5) for measuring the respiratory gas composition and/or the respiratory flow volume and for determining physiological parameters relating to the ventilation and/or gas exchange of the test subject (4), particularly for determining the oxygen volume taken in during at least one inhalation of the test subject (4) and the carbon dioxide volume exhaled after the breath and, preferably, the respiratory quotient, at least one measuring device (6) for measuring the heart rate of the test subject (4), at least one control device (7) for controlling the spiroergometry system (1) and a cardio equipment unit (8) for the physical exertion of the test subject (4), wherein as the exertion of the test subject increases incrementally during use of the cardio equipment unit (8), a measurement of the respiratory gas composition and/or respiratory flow volume is performed automatically only toward the end of an exertion stage or of a performance stage prior to an increase in exertion, and a determination is made of the physiological parameters, particularly a determination of the inhaled oxygen volume and of the exhaled carbon dioxide volume with respect to at least one breath toward the end of the exertion stage.

Claims

1. A method for controlling and/or regulating a spiroergometry system for determining the energy metabolism during physical exertion, wherein the spiroergometry system has comprises:

a user unit arranged in the flow of the inhaled and exhaled air of a test subject for removing a respiratory gas sample of the test subject;

at least one analysis unit for measuring the respiratory gas composition and/or the respiratory flow volume and for determining physiological parameters relating to the ventilation and/or gas exchange of the test subject, particularly for determining the oxygen volume taken in during at least one inhalation of the test subject and the carbon dioxide volume exhaled after the breath and, preferably, the respiratory quotient;

at least one measuring device for measuring the heart rate of the test subject;

at least one control device for controlling the spiroergometry system; and

a cardio equipment unit for the physical exertion of the test subject;

wherein as the exertion of the test subject increases incrementally during use of the cardio equipment unit, measurement of the respiratory gas composition and/or respiratory flow volume is performed only toward the end of an exertion stage prior to an increase in exertion and a determination is made of the physiological parameters, particularly a determination of the inhaled oxygen volume and of the exhaled carbon dioxide volume with respect to at least one breath toward the end of the exertion stage; and

wherein an incremental increase in exertion is provided until a respiratory quotion of less than 1.09 is reached, an incremental increase in exertion is provided and the physiological parameters are determined discontinuously toward the end of the respective exertion stage, and wherein when a greater respiratory quotient is reached, the exertion level is subsequently increased in a continuous manner and the physiological parameters are determined continuously.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the measurement of the respiratory gas composition and/or the respiratory flow volume and the determination of the physiological parameters occurs automatically and discontinuously over a time period of less than 40 seconds, preferably less than 30 seconds, particularly less than 10 to 20 seconds, prior to the end of the exertion stage.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters are determined automatically for less than 8 breaths, preferably for 5 breaths or less, prior to the end of the exertion stage.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the duration of an exertion stage is less than 3 min, preferably about 2 min.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the increase in exertion between two adjacent exertion stages is between 10 W and 100 W, preferably about 25 W.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the physiological parameters are determined for each breath prior to the end of the exertion stage and the values of the physiological parameters for the entire number of breaths taken in the period of time prior to the end of the exertion stage are averaged automatically.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein faulty breaths are recognized automatically and excluded from the averaging.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a performance unit of the cardio equipment unit determining the exertion of the test subject, for example a resistance or braking arrangement of the cardio equipment unit, is controlled and/or regulated automatically, preferably as a function of the determined physiological parameters.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein until a respiratory quotient of less than or equal to 1.03, also preferably about 1.0, is reached, an incremental increase in exertion is provided and the physiological parameters are determined discontinuously toward the end of the respective exertion stage, and that when a greater respiratory quotient is reached, the exertion is subsequently increased in a continuous manner and the physiological parameters are determined continuously.

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. A spiroergometry system for determining the energy metabolism during physical exertion, wherein the spiroergometry system has

a user unit arranged in the flow of the inhaled and exhaled air of a test subject for removal of a respiratory gas sample of the test subject;

at least one analysis unit for measuring the respiratory gas composition and/or the respiratory flow volume and for determining physiological parameters of ventilation and/or of gas exchange of the test subject, particularly for determining the oxygen volume inhaled by the test subject during a breath and the carbon dioxide volume exhaled after the breath and, preferably, the respiratory quotient;

at least one measuring device for measuring the heart rate of the test subject;

at least one control device for controlling the spiroergometry system; and

a cardio equipment unit for the physical exertion of the test subject and wherein the control device operates such that as the exertion of the test subject increases incrementally during use of the cardio equipment unit, a measurement of the respiratory gas composition and/or respiratory flow volume is performed only toward the end of an exertion stage prior to an increase in exertion and a determination is made of the physiological parameters, particularly a determination of the inhaled oxygen volume and of the exhaled carbon dioxide volume with respect to at least one breath toward the end of the exertion stage, that until a respiratory quotient of less than 1.09 is reached, a continuous increase in exertion is provided and the physiological parameters are determined discontinuously toward the end of the respective exertion stage, and that when a greater respiratory quotient is reached, the exertion level is subsequently increased in a continuous manner and the physiological parameters are determined continuously.