System to be used for the determination of no levels in exhaled air and diagnostic methods for disorders related to abnormal no levels
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for separate measurement of endogenously produced NO in nasally or orally exhaled air, comprising:
- (i) a face mask comprising a mouth piece and/or a nose piece, and which face mask covers the nose and/or mouth of the individual that the mask is intended to be used on;
(ii) an inlet unit for inhaled breathing air connected to one of said mouth piece or said nose piece;
(iii) an outlet unit for exhaled breathing air connected to one of said mouth piece or said nose piece;
(iv) a non-rebreathing valve connecting said inlet and outlet units, through which inhaled and exhaled breathing air, respectively, passes;
(v) a flow regulator, through which the exhaled air passes; and
(vi) a measuring unit for endogenously produced NO connected to said outlet unit for measuring endogenously produced NO in nasally exhaled air or in orally exhaled air.
3 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is drawn to a system to be used for measuring NO levels in exhaled breathing air. The system comprises: (i) a face mask that tightly covers the nose and/or mouth of the individual that the mask is intended to be used on; (ii) an inlet unit for inhaled breathing air, (iii) an outlet unit for exhaled breathing air, (iv) a non-rebreathing valve through which inhaled and exhaled breathing air, respectively, passes, and (v) a measuring unit for NO connected to the outlet unit. The present invention furthers encompasses a method for the diagnosis in mammals of inflammatory conditions in the airways. The characteristic feature is that nitric oxide NO is measured in exhaled breathing air and a found abnormal level is taken as an indication of an inflammatory condition in the airways.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A system for separate measurement of endogenously produced NO in nasally or orally exhaled air, comprising:
-
(i) a face mask comprising a mouth piece and/or a nose piece, and which face mask covers the nose and/or mouth of the individual that the mask is intended to be used on; (ii) an inlet unit for inhaled breathing air connected to one of said mouth piece or said nose piece; (iii) an outlet unit for exhaled breathing air connected to one of said mouth piece or said nose piece; (iv) a non-rebreathing valve connecting said inlet and outlet units, through which inhaled and exhaled breathing air, respectively, passes; (v) a flow regulator, through which the exhaled air passes; and (vi) a measuring unit for endogenously produced NO connected to said outlet unit for measuring endogenously produced NO in nasally exhaled air or in orally exhaled air. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 34)
-
-
9. A system for measurement of NO in exhaled air, comprising:
-
(i) a face mask that covers the nose and/or mouth of the individual that the mask is intended to be used on; (ii) a nasal or oral inlet unit for inhaled breathing air; (iii) a nasal or oral outlet unit for exhaled breathing air;
wherein if said inlet unit is nasal, said outlet unit is nasal, and if said inlet unit is oral, said outlet unit is oral;(iv) a non-rebreathing valve through which inhaled and exhaled breathing air passes; and (v) a measuring unit for NO connected to said outlet unit.
-
-
11. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the airways of humans, comprising:
-
measuring endogenously produced NO in nasally exhaled air to obtain a measured value for endogenously produced NO in said nasally exhaled air; comparing the measured value against a reference value based on values typical for healthy individuals; and diagnosing a level higher than values typical for healthy individuals as an indication of an inflammatory condition in the upper airways. - View Dependent Claims (12, 24)
-
-
13. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in airways of humans, comprising:
-
measuring the level of NO in nasally exhaled air to obtain a measured value for endogenously produced NO in said nasally exhaled air; and comparing the measured value against a reference value based an values typical for healthy individuals, wherein a level lower than values typical for healthy individuals is taken as an indication of an acute inflammation in the upper airways. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in an airway of a human having a mouth, a nasal cavity, an upper airway and a lower airway, comprising:
inhaling through the mouth of said human when an indication of the condition of the lower airways is desired and determining the level of NO in orally exhaled air, and when an indication of thc condition of the upper airways is desired, determining the level of NO in nasally exhaled air or in an air sample taken from the nasal cavity. - View Dependent Claims (19, 30)
-
17. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in upper airways of a human having a mouth, a nasal cavity, and upper airway and a lower airway, comprising:
-
taking a gas sample from the nasal cavity; and determining the level of NO in said sample, wherein a level higher than values typical for healthy individuals is taken as an indication of an inflammatory condition in the upper airways. - View Dependent Claims (20, 29)
-
-
18. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in upper airways of a human having a mouth, a nasal cavity, and upper airway and a lower airway, comprising:
-
taking an air sample from the nasal cavity; and determining the level of NO in said sample wherein a level lower than values typical for healthy individuals is taken as an indication of an acute inflammation in the upper airways.
-
-
21. A method for the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in airways of a human patient having a nasal cavity, comprising:
-
taking a gas sample from the nasal cavity of the patient while the patient is holding his/her breath; and determining the level of NO in said gas sample in order to perform the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the airways.
-
-
22. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in airways of a human having a nasal cavity, comprising:
-
exhaling orally against a flow-regulator while a sample is taken from the nasal cavity; and determining the level of NO in said sample in order to perform the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the airways.
-
-
23. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the airways of a human having lower and upper airways, comprising:
-
determining the level of NO in nasally exhaled air; determining the level of NO in orally exhaled air; comparing said level of NO determined in nasally exhaled air to the level of NO determined in orally exhaled air; and determining the relative contribution of NO from the lower and upper airways, respectively.
-
-
25. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in the airways of humans, comprising:
-
passing exhaled breathing air, which is nasally exhaled air or which is orally exhaled air, through at least one filter selected from the group consisting of; (i) a filter for drying exhaled air; (ii) a filter for the removal of CO2 in exhaled breathing air; and iii) a particle filter; and thereafter measuring the amount of NO in said exhaled breathing air which has been passed through said filter.
-
-
26. A method for diagnosis of gastro-esophageal disorders in humans, comprising:
determining the level of NO in regurgitated air and taking an altered level of NO in relation to a level typical for a healthy population as an indication of a disease associated with altered levels of NO production.
-
27. A method for diagnosis of gastric reflux in humans, comprising;
determining the level of NO in breathing air, over a predetermined period of time, wherein an occurrence of peak NO levels, compared to a baseline level during said period of tire, is taken as an indication of gastric reflux. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
-
28. A method for monitoring effects of treatment with drugs inhibiting gastric acid secretion, comprising:
administering a drug to a subject; and
determining the level of NO in regurgitated air of said subject after administration of said drug.
-
35. A method for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in lower airways of humans, comprising:
-
causing a patient to inhale orally through the mouth and thereafter causing said patient to exhale orally through the mouth; and measuring endogenously produced NO in said orally exhaled air with a system comprising; (i) a mouth piece; (ii) an inlet unit for inhaled breathing air connected to said (iii) an outlet unit for exhaled breathing air connected to said mouth piece; (iv) a flow regulator, through which the exhaled air passes; and (v) a measuring unit for endogenously produced NO connected to said outlet unit for measuring endogenously produced NO in orally exhaled air. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
-
37. A system for diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in lower airways of humans, comprising:
-
(i) a mouth piece through which a human can inhale and exhale; (ii) an inlet unit for inhaled breathing air connected to said mouth piece, (iii) an outlet unit for exhaled breathing air connected to said mouth piece; (iv) a flow regulator, through which the exhaled air passes; and (v) a measuring unit for endogenously produced NO connected to said outlet unit for measuring endogenously produced NO in orally exhaled air. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
Specification