Measuring respiratory air volume
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for measuring respiratory air volume, comprising:
- means for determining an estimate of respiratory air volume, comprisingan abdomen sensor for measuring an abdomen dimension,a rib-cage sensor for measuring a rib-cage dimension,means for determining the sum of said abdomen dimension multiplied by an abdomen coefficient plus said rib-cage dimension multiplied by a rib-cage coefficient, andmeans for providing an estimated respiratory air volume output, andmeans for calibrating while the patient breathes normally, comprisingmeans for measuring actual respiratory air volume,means for simultaneously sampling said abdomen dimension, said rib-cage dimension, and said actual air volume at a plurality of times during each breath of a calibration interval, said interval extending for one or more normal breaths, said sampling occurring frequently enough to generate during a single said breath a multiplicity of sets of data representing said dimensions and said volume, with the relative contributions of rib-cage and abdominal displacements varying from set to set despite the absence of respiratory maneuver other than normal breathing, andmeans for processing said samples to select values for said abdomen and rib-cage coefficients that correlate said estimated air volume and said actual air volume.
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Abstract
Apparatus for quantitatively measuring respiratory air volume by summing measurements of the rib cage and abdomen dimensions. During a short calibration interval while the patient breathes normally, the summation coefficients for the rib cage and abdomen measurements are computed from samples of the two measurements taken simultaneously with samples of actual measured respiratory air volume.
88 Citations
16 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring respiratory air volume, comprising:
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means for determining an estimate of respiratory air volume, comprising an abdomen sensor for measuring an abdomen dimension, a rib-cage sensor for measuring a rib-cage dimension, means for determining the sum of said abdomen dimension multiplied by an abdomen coefficient plus said rib-cage dimension multiplied by a rib-cage coefficient, and means for providing an estimated respiratory air volume output, and means for calibrating while the patient breathes normally, comprising means for measuring actual respiratory air volume, means for simultaneously sampling said abdomen dimension, said rib-cage dimension, and said actual air volume at a plurality of times during each breath of a calibration interval, said interval extending for one or more normal breaths, said sampling occurring frequently enough to generate during a single said breath a multiplicity of sets of data representing said dimensions and said volume, with the relative contributions of rib-cage and abdominal displacements varying from set to set despite the absence of respiratory maneuver other than normal breathing, and means for processing said samples to select values for said abdomen and rib-cage coefficients that correlate said estimated air volume and said actual air volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15)
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10. A method for measuring respiratory air volume, comprising the steps of:
determining an estimate of respiratory air volume by measuring a dimension of the abdomen with an abdomen sensor, measuring a dimension of the rib-cage with a rib-cage sensor, and - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 16)
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11. determining an estimated respiratory air volume output,
determining the sum of said abdomen dimension multiplied by an abdomen coefficient plus said rib-cage dimension multiplied by a rib-cage coefficient, and performing a calibration while the patient breathes normally to determine said abdomen and rib-cage coefficients by measuring actual respiratory air volume, simultaneously sampling said abdomen dimensions, said rib-cage dimension, and said actual air volume at a plurality of times during each breath of a calibration interval, said interval extending for one or more normal breaths, said sampling occurring forequently enough to generate during a single said breath a multiplicity of sets of data representing said dimensions and said volume, with the relative contributions of rib-cage and abdominal displacements varying from set to set despite the absence of respiratory maneuver other than normal breathing, and processing said samples to select said abdomen and rib-cage coefficients that correlate said estimated air volume and said actual air volume.
Specification