Method and apparatus for exhalation analysis

• US 5,246,010 A
• Filed: 10/03/1991
• Issued: 09/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotrine Corporation
• Original Assignee: Biotrine Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, John, Gazzara, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US07/770,542
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 128/725, 128/727, 128/729, 73/861.71, 73/861.74, 482/13
• US Class Current: 600/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0871 Peak expiratory flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06C 3/00 Arrangements for table look-up, e.g. menstruation table

Abstract

The present invention is a method for determining human expiratory flow rate, comprising a peak flow meter and a zone calculator. The peak flow meter is used to determine what the user'"'"'s peak expiratory flow rate is in conjunction with medical data compiled on the zone calculator. The individual'"'"'s peak expiratory flow rate and predetermined sub-optimal values are applied to the peak flow meter as color zone settings. The peak flow meter thus set is ready for the individual to use to determine whether he is functioning in the peak expiratory flow rate color zone, or one of the sub-optimal expiratory flow rate color zones. The color zones correspond to specific remedial measures to be followed by the individual in case of sub-optimal expiratory flow rate.

Claims

1. A peak flow meter apparatus for determining lung expiratory flow rate and quantifying deviations from a peak flow rate comprising,

an elongated body having a passageway into which air is blown and from which air exhausts,

an air inlet connected to the passageway through which a user blows air,

a scale mounted on the body,

an indicator slidable on the body and moveable in relation to the amount and force of air blowing through the inlet and moveable along the scale, and

zone-indicating means on the elongated body for quantifying each of a plurality of deviations from a pre-selected selected flow rate and cooperating with the slidable indicator to quantify quickly the zone and the respective amount of deviation to which the moveable indicator has been moved to by the force of air.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the zone-indicating means comprises a plurality of settable indicators each of a different color and moveable relative to each other to define zones therebetween, each of the colored zones representing a range of deviation from the optimal peak flow rate for the user.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including the colored indicators being set adjacent a mark on the scale in accordance with a card which displays compiled data arranged in color-coded zones.

4. An apparatus for determining expiratory flow rate which is a peak flow meter comprising,

a hollow, elongated body which has two aperture ends through which air enters and exhausts,

one aperture end is an air inlet through which the user blows air,

a scale mounted on the body,

moveable indicator slidable on the body, moveable in relation to the amount and force of air blowing through body and cooperating with the scale, and

adjustable color-coded zone means on the elongated body cooperating with the scale on the body and positionable to indicate the peak expiratory flow rate and zones of percentage of deviation from the peak expiratory flow rate to quantify by a percentage the deviation from the peak expiratory flow rate.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the color-coded zone means comprises a slot and a plurality of settable indicators adjustably slidable in the slot and each having different colors to define a different color zone associated with a predetermined percentage from the peak expiratory flow rate.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein the color-coded zone means comprises settable indicators which correspond to optimal flow rate, 10% below optimal lung flow rate, and 50% below optimal lung flow rate.

7. A method for determining an air expiratory flow rate using a peak flow meter and a zone calculator comprising the steps of:

providing a peak flow meter for expiratory flow rate,

determining from a compilation of data related to expiratory flow rate values an expiratory flow rate for a given patient'"'"'s age and sex and determining percentage deviations from a theoretical peak flow rate for the patient and providing a plurality of zones related to these respective deviations from the expiratory flow rate,

setting these zones on the peak flow meter,

blowing an indicator on the peak flow meter to one of the zones,

reading one of the zones to provide indication relative to a predicted expiratory flow rate and a predetermined range of deviation therefrom.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the compilation of data is based on age, sex, and height of the patient.

9. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the zones are color-coded and are made up of three colors.

10. A method for determining whether an individual has full or diminished expiratory flow rate comprising:

providing a peak flow meter upon which is mounted a plurality of zone-indicating means, moving the zone-indicating means relative to a scale mounted on the peak flow meter to delineate a plurality of ranges of variation from an optimal expiratory flow rate,

blowing air to push an indicator on the peak flow meter to one of the ranges, and

reading one of the ranges to provide a quantification of the expiratory flow rate as related to a predetermined range of variation from the optimal expiratory flow rate.

11. A method utilizing a peak flow meter in cooperation with a zone calculator for determining whether an individual has full or diminished expiratory flow rate comprising:

providing a peak flow meter having an elongated, hollow body upon which is mounted a scale in cooperation with three color-coded slidable indicator tabs,

setting the three color-coded indicator tabs on the peak flow meter after determining color-zone settings with a zone calculator, which displays a compilation of expiratory flow rate data in relation to the age, sex, and height of the individual,

blowing air to push a slidable indicator on the peak flow meter to one of the three color-zones,

reading the color-zone in which the slidable indicator comes to rest to identify a predetermined range of variation of the individual'"'"'s current expiratory flow rate.

12. An apparatus for determining expiratory flow rate which is a peak flow meter comprising,

a hollow, elongated body which has two aperture ends through which air enters and exhausts,

one aperture end is an air inlet through which the user blows air,

a scale mounted on the body,

a moveable indicator slidable on the body, moveable in relation to the amount and force of air blowing through the body and cooperating with the scale, and

color-coded zone means on the elongated body cooperating with the scale on the body and the moveable indicator to indicate peak expiratory flow rate and predetermined deviations therefrom, the color-coded zone means comprising a slot and a plurality of settable indicators slidable in the slot and having different colors, the slidable indicators being positioned below a top portion of the slot and a tool being needed to engage and push a slidable indicator in the slot.