Pulmonary diagnostic instrument including breath transducer
First Claim
1. A diagnostic instrument for use in detecting lung disfunction through specimen breathing and comprising a flow tube means adaptable for accommodating the flow of specimen breath therethrough, a resiliently mounted diaphragm means disposed within said tube means and subject to complete and uniform lineal displacement due to the force of the moving breath thereby, said diaphragm means comprising a plate means, said plate means having at least one aperture provided therethrough for allowing the obstructed passage of the breath there past, at least one conductive ring, said ring being secured to a side of the apertured plate means, said ring being mounted around the periphery of said apertured plate means, suspension means supporting the apertured plate means and ring within the flow tube means, said suspension means providing for peripheral mounting of said plate means within said flow tube means, said suspension means comprising a series of arcuate arms each having one end connected to and extending from the periphery of said plate means, the other end of each said arcuate arms secured within the flow tube means, said arcuate arms having sufficient resiliency to provide for the uniform lineal displacement of the full apertured plate means and ring within the flow tube means during passage of the specimen breath therethrough, and means cooperating with said flow tube means for detecting the degree of said lineal displacement of the ring for providing representative information pertaining to pulmonary functioning for specimen diagnosis.
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Abstract
In a pulmonary diagnostic instrument that includes a breath transducer for use in conjunction with the instrumentation for detecting respiratory functioning of a patient or specimen, the transducer comprises a flow tube in which is suspended for lineal displacement a partial diaphragm generally constructed as a foraminous plate, and which during testing, the specimen'"'"'s breath flows therethrough to achieve some degree of displacement of said diaphragm. The diaphragm incorporates and operates in association with various ferrous rings for enhancing the transfer of magnetic lines of flux which are generated by a charged E-core for determining the extent of said lineal displacement which is representative of and can be interpreted to provide information pertaining to pulmonary functioning for diagnosis of the respiratory system of the specimen. In another embodiment charged capacitive plates replace the aforesaid ferrous rings and E-core, and through a developed capacitive imbalance caused by the breath induced diaphragm displacement providing information that may be interpretive of pulmonary functioning, or flow of air.
54 Citations
19 Claims
- 1. A diagnostic instrument for use in detecting lung disfunction through specimen breathing and comprising a flow tube means adaptable for accommodating the flow of specimen breath therethrough, a resiliently mounted diaphragm means disposed within said tube means and subject to complete and uniform lineal displacement due to the force of the moving breath thereby, said diaphragm means comprising a plate means, said plate means having at least one aperture provided therethrough for allowing the obstructed passage of the breath there past, at least one conductive ring, said ring being secured to a side of the apertured plate means, said ring being mounted around the periphery of said apertured plate means, suspension means supporting the apertured plate means and ring within the flow tube means, said suspension means providing for peripheral mounting of said plate means within said flow tube means, said suspension means comprising a series of arcuate arms each having one end connected to and extending from the periphery of said plate means, the other end of each said arcuate arms secured within the flow tube means, said arcuate arms having sufficient resiliency to provide for the uniform lineal displacement of the full apertured plate means and ring within the flow tube means during passage of the specimen breath therethrough, and means cooperating with said flow tube means for detecting the degree of said lineal displacement of the ring for providing representative information pertaining to pulmonary functioning for specimen diagnosis.
Specification