AUTOMATED SPIROGRAM ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

• US 20130303932A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Helfenbein, Eric, Zhou, Sophia Huai, Mason, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 10,271,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/091 Measuring volume of inspired or expired gases, e.g. to determine lung capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7221 Determining signal validity, reliability or quality A61B5/7207 and A61B5/7217 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick

Abstract

Automated analysis and interpretation of spirograms is provided to assess lung function of a subject. If the shape of a spirogram plot is deemed suitably reliable, the spirogram may be subsequently used for diagnostic purposes. Quality control of spirograms and/or interpretation of reliable spirograms may use shape templates corresponding to common test problems and/or typical lung diseases.

Claims

1. A method for assessing lung function of a subject, the method being implemented in a diagnostic device configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising:

receiving expiratory airflow from the airway of the subject during an expiration by the subject;

measuring, from the received expiratory airflow, expiratory volume during the expiration by the subject;

creating a plot representing expiratory volume during the expiration, wherein the plot has a shape;

determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume during the expiration in assessing lung function of the subject; and

assessing, based on the shape of the plot, lung function characteristics of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the lung function characteristics of the subject is performed responsive to a determination that the measured expiratory volume during the expiration is suitably reliable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume is based on the shape of the plot.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume comprises comparing the plot with a set of shape templates corresponding to unreliable measurements of expiratory volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume comprises determining a quality quantifier that represents the reliability of the measured expiratory volume in assessing lung function.

6. A system for assessing lung function of a subject having an airway, the system comprising:

a mouthpiece (144) configured to receive expiratory airflow from the airway of a subject during an expiration by the subject;

a sensor (140) configured to measure expiratory volume from the received expiratory airflow; and

one or more processors (110) configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a plotting module (111) configured to create a plot representing the expiratory volume during the expiration, wherein the plot has a shape,

a reliability module (112) configured to determine a reliability quantifier of the measured expiratory volume in assessing lung function of the subject,

an analysis module (113) configured to analyze the measured expiratory volume by determining one or more of an initial expiratory volume of a first period of the expiration, or a total expiratory volume of the expiration, and

an assessment module (114) configured to assess lung function characteristics of the subject based on data received from the analysis module.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein operation of the assessment module is responsive to the reliability quantifier being determined suitably reliable by the reliability module.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the operation of the reliability module is based on the shape of the plot.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining a reliability quantifier of the measured expiratory volume in assessing lung function of the subject by the reliability module comprises comparing the plot with a set of shape templates corresponding to unreliable measurements of expiratory volume.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein determining a reliability quantifier of the measured expiratory volume by the reliability module comprises determining a quality quantifier that represents the reliability of the measured expiratory volume in assessing lung function.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the first period of the expiration is the first second of the expiration.

12. A system configured to assess lung function of a subject, the system comprising:

means (144) for receiving expiratory airflow from the airway of the subject during an expiration by the subject;

means (140) for measuring, from the received expiratory airflow, expiratory volume during the expiration by the subject;

means (111) for creating a plot representing expiratory volume during the expiration, wherein the plot has a shape;

means (112) for determining, based on the expiratory volume during the expiration, the reliability of the measured expiratory volume during the expiration in assessing lung function of the subject; and

means (114) for assessing, based on the shape of the plot, lung function characteristics of the subject.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein operation of the means for assessing the lung function characteristics of the subject is responsive to a determination that the measured expiratory volume is suitably reliable by the means for determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume during the expiration.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein operation of the means to determine the reliability of the measured expiratory volume is based on the shape of the plot.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein operation of the means to determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume comprises comparing the plot with a set of shape templates corresponding to unreliable measurements of expiratory volume.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein operation of the means to determining the reliability of the measured expiratory volume comprises determining a quality quantifier that represents the reliability of the measured expiratory volume in assessing lung function.