Method and apparatus for determining the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract and/or for checking the function of the respiratory tract
First Claim
1. In a method for determining the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract or for checking the operating function of the respiratory tract of a test patient including injecting a pulse of a gas or aerosol into a stream of air to be inhaled by a test patient and obtaining a measuring signal in each of the inhaled and exhaled streams of the test patient;
- the improvement comprising;
directly conducting the main stream of the inhaled and of the exhaled air through a band of light;
placing the region of the intersection of the band of light with at least part of the inhaled and exhaled streams in the object plane of an optical image system of a light detecting device; and
detecting the light radiation produced in said object plane by the inhaled and the exhaled streams to provide said measuring signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract and/or for checking the operating function of the respiratory tract by means of pulses of gases or aerosols injected into a stream of air inhaled by a test patient and by obtaining a measuring signal in each of the inhaled and exhaled streams. The main stream of the inhaled and exhaled air is conducted directly through a band of light (3), and the region of the intersection of the band of light with at least part of the inhaled and exhaled streams is placed in the object plane of an optical image system for a light measuring device. Either the individual pulses generated by the individual particles in the inhaled and exhaled streams or the scattered radiation emanating from the gases and aerosols in these streams is measured to obtain the ratio of the exhaled to the inhaled numbers of particles and/or the concentration profile in the inhaled and exhaled streams.
39 Citations
14 Claims
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1. In a method for determining the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract or for checking the operating function of the respiratory tract of a test patient including injecting a pulse of a gas or aerosol into a stream of air to be inhaled by a test patient and obtaining a measuring signal in each of the inhaled and exhaled streams of the test patient;
- the improvement comprising;
directly conducting the main stream of the inhaled and of the exhaled air through a band of light;
placing the region of the intersection of the band of light with at least part of the inhaled and exhaled streams in the object plane of an optical image system of a light detecting device; and
detecting the light radiation produced in said object plane by the inhaled and the exhaled streams to provide said measuring signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- the improvement comprising;
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7. Apparatus for determining the deposition of particles in the respiratory tract or for checking the operating function of the respiratory tract of a test patient by measuring light radiation from gases or aerosols in the inhaled and exhaled air streams of the test patient comprising in combination:
- a housing;
channel means for conducting a stream of inhaled or exhaled air through said housing, said means having mouth piece at one end thereof for the inhaled and exhaled air of the test patient and a flow meter for the inhaled and exhaled air at the other end;
means for conducting a narrow band of light through said housing in a direction transverse to the direction of said channel means and intersecting same within said housing; and
a light measuring means including an optical observation system, said optical observation system being mounted on said housing such that its object plane coincides with the plane of intersection of said band of light and said channel means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- a housing;
Specification