Respiratory Monitor

• US 20150250408A1
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caire Diagnostics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spirometrix Incorporated
• Inventors: Ssenyange, Solomon, Leard, Ryan R., Rhodes, Patrick L., Zikria, Jemal D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,307,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 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 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2033/4975 other than oxygen, carbon dioxide or alcohol, e.g. organic vapours
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0013 by a chemical reaction G01N33/0024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0016 by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0037 for NOx
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath

Abstract

A respiratory monitor is disclosed that includes features for conducting multiple pulmonary function tests in a single device and for detecting the presence of nitric oxide in exhaled breath. Also described is a mouthpiece that allows for separate inhalation and exhalation pathways and for filtering inhaled and exhaled breath for predetermined species prior to exhalation into the respiratory monitor. The monitor further allows for wired, wireless and network connectivity and for cloud-based systems for communicating and correlating pulmonary data as well as relevant environmental data and displaying the data for use by patients and health care professionals.

Claims

1. A apparatus, comprising:

a. A breath sample inlet;

b. A breath-flow pathway that proceeds downstream from said inlet;

c. A humidity equilibrator positioned in said pathway;

d. A catalytic filter positioned in said pathway downstream of said humidity equilibrator;

e. An NO_x sensor positioned in said pathway downstream of said reactive filter; and

f. A controller in electrical communication with said reactive filter and said NO_x sensor.

2. A monitoring device, comprising:

a. A housing;

b. A gas inlet positioned in said housing;

c. A measuring section located adjacent to said inlet section and in fluid communication with said inlet;

d. A flow detection component positioned within said inlet section;

e. An adjustable flow-restriction component positioned upstream of said flow detection component;

f. An adjustable partition positioned downstream of said flow detection component; and

g. One or more gas detectors positioned in said measuring section.

3. A method of routing inhaled and exhaled breath into an analyzer, comprising:

a. Providing to a user a mouthpiece having a user portal, a gas inlet and an exhaust portal, said gas inlet and said portals in fluid communication;

b. Having said user inhale through the user portal;

c. Blocking fluid communication between the exhaust portal and the user portal during said inhalation;

d. Having said user exhale through said user portal;

e. Blocking exhalation from exiting said gas inlet; and

f. Opening fluid communication between said user portal and said exhaust portal.

4. A method, comprising:

a. uploading to a computer network data system an exhaled nitric oxide measurement;

b. storing said measured amount of exhaled nitric oxide in an electronic data storage medium;

c. uploading one or more environmental values;

d. storing said values in an electronic data storage medium;

e. correlating said measured amount of exhaled nitric oxide and said local environmental values in a computing device; and

f. allowing access to the amount of measured exhaled nitric oxide along with one or more of said local environmental values.