Method and apparatus for monitoring a patient's circulatory status
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring a patient'"'"'s circulatory status during cardiopulmonary resuscitation comprising:
- a housing defining carbon dioxide indicating passageway means for passing the patient'"'"'s breath andmeans in communication with said passageway means for indicating the presence of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath over a temporary period wherein the length of the temporary period of indicating is a known function of the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath so that the carbon dioxide level is determinable by measuring the length of the temporary period, the level of carbon dioxide thereby providing an indication of the patient'"'"'s circulatory status.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for monitoring a patient'"'"'s circulatory status during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing defining a passageway through which the patient'"'"'s breath passes. The device also includes a carbon dioxide indicator in communication with said passageway for indicating the presence of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath over a temporary period of time wherein the length of the temporary period is a known function of the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath. Accordingly, the level or concentration of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath is easily determined by simply measuring the length of the temporary period. The preferred carbon dioxide indicator utilizes a chemical substance that changes color when exposed to carbon dioxide. The chemical substance is preferably disposed in an internal chamber which is in communication with the housing'"'"'s passageway. The internal chamber is preferably sized and configured to contain a predetermined amount of the chemical substance so that all of the substance changes color over a period of about four minutes when exposed to the breath of a patient containing about 1% carbon dioxide.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring a patient'"'"'s circulatory status during cardiopulmonary resuscitation comprising:
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a housing defining carbon dioxide indicating passageway means for passing the patient'"'"'s breath and means in communication with said passageway means for indicating the presence of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath over a temporary period wherein the length of the temporary period of indicating is a known function of the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath so that the carbon dioxide level is determinable by measuring the length of the temporary period, the level of carbon dioxide thereby providing an indication of the patient'"'"'s circulatory status. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for monitoring patient'"'"'s circulatory status during cardiopulmonary resuscitation comprising:
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a housing defining passageway means for passing the patient'"'"'s breath; and carbon dioxide indicating means in communication with said passageway means for indicating the presence of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath over a temporary period wherein the length of the temporary period of indicating is a known function of the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath so that the carbon dioxide level is determinable by measuring the length of the temporary period, said indicating means including chemical substance means for changing color when exposed to carbon dioxide, said indicating means also including internal chamber means in communication with said passageway means for receiving a predetermined amount of said chemical substance means so that all of said chemical substance means changes color at a predetermined rate which is proportional to the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath so that the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath is determinable by measuring the length of the period over which said chemical substance means changes color, the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath thereby providing an indication of the patient'"'"'s circulatory status. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for monitoring a patient'"'"'s circulatory status during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing resuscitation means for resuscitating the patient, the resuscitation means having breath passing means for passing the patient'"'"'s breath; resuscitating the patient with the resuscitation means; providing an apparatus for attachment to the breath passing means of the resuscitation means, the apparatus including; a housing defining passageway means for passing the patient'"'"'s breath which is in communication with the breath passing means of the resuscitation means when the apparatus is attached to the resuscitation means; and carbon dioxide indicating means in communication with the passageway means for indicating the presence of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath over a temporary period wherein the length of the temporary period is a known function of the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath; attaching the apparatus to the resuscitation means so that the patient'"'"'breath passes into the passageway means of the apparatus and contacts the carbon dioxide indicating means, such contact beginning the temporary period over which the indicating means indicates the presence of carbon dioxide; and measuring the length of the temporary period to determine the level of carbon dioxide in the patient'"'"'s breath, the level of carbon dioxide thereby providing an indication of the patient'"'"'s circulatory status.
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Specification