Patient monitor and method of using same
First Claim
1. A patient monitoring apparatus, comprising:
- a mask adapted to be donned by a user and having an outer user contacting surface adapted to encircle at least one of a user'"'"'s nares, a user'"'"'s mouth, and both a user'"'"'s nares and mouth such that an interior portion of the mask is in fluid communication with an airway of a user to receive substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by such a user;
an exhaust vent associated with the mask and communicating the interior portion of the mask with an ambient atmosphere outside the mask, the exhaust vent and the mask defining a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation, the pressure differential being a pressure difference between a first pressure within the interior portion of the mask and a pressure of ambient atmosphere outside the mask;
a sensor communicating with the interior portion of the mask to measure a fluid characteristic resulting from such a pressure differential and to output a first signal indicative of the fluid characteristic; and
a processing unit receiving the first signal and determining a quantitative value for a physiological characteristic of a user based on the first signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A patient monitoring apparatus for monitoring and/or measuring a physiological characteristic of said patient. A user interface having an interior portion communicates with an airway of a user such that substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by the user enters the interior portion of the user interface. At least one vent element is associated with the user interface and communicates the interior portion of the user interface with an ambient atmosphere outside the user interface. The vent element and user interface define a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation. The pressure differential is the pressure difference between the pressure within the interior portion of the user interface and the pressure of the ambient atmosphere outside the user interface. A sensor communicates with the interior portion of the user interface and measures a fluid characteristic resulting from this pressure differential and outputs a first signal indicative of the measured fluid characteristic. The output from the sensor is used alone or in combination with the output from other sensors that detect other physiological characteristics to provide a variety of information about the patient.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A patient monitoring apparatus, comprising:
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a mask adapted to be donned by a user and having an outer user contacting surface adapted to encircle at least one of a user'"'"'s nares, a user'"'"'s mouth, and both a user'"'"'s nares and mouth such that an interior portion of the mask is in fluid communication with an airway of a user to receive substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by such a user;
an exhaust vent associated with the mask and communicating the interior portion of the mask with an ambient atmosphere outside the mask, the exhaust vent and the mask defining a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation, the pressure differential being a pressure difference between a first pressure within the interior portion of the mask and a pressure of ambient atmosphere outside the mask;
a sensor communicating with the interior portion of the mask to measure a fluid characteristic resulting from such a pressure differential and to output a first signal indicative of the fluid characteristic; and
a processing unit receiving the first signal and determining a quantitative value for a physiological characteristic of a user based on the first signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A patient monitoring apparatus, comprising:
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a nasal cannula having at least one prong that inserts into a nare of a user such that an interior portion of the prong is in fluid communication with an airway of such a user to receive substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by such a user;
an exhaust vent associated with the prong and communicating the interior portion of the prong with ambient atmosphere, the exhaust vent and the prong defining a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation, the pressure differential being a pressure difference between a first pressure within the interior portion of the prong and a pressure of ambient atmosphere;
a sensor communicating with the interior portion of the prong to measure a fluid characteristic resulting from such a pressure differential and to output a first signal indicative of the fluid characteristic; and
a processing unit receiving the first signal and determining a quantitative value for a physiological characteristic of a user based on the first signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
a breathing gas supply communicating with the interior portion of the mask to provide breathing gas to the interior portion of the mask; and
means for accounting for an offset in the first signal caused by the supply of breathing gas to the interior portion of the prong by the breathing gas supply.
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17. A patient monitoring method, comprising the steps of:
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donning a mask on a user such that an onter user contacting surface of the mask encircles at last one of a user'"'"'s nares, a user'"'"'s mouth, and both a user'"'"'s nares and mouth and such that an interior portion of the mask is in fluid communication with an airway of a user to receive substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by such a user, wherein an exhaust vent is associated with the mask so as to coimunicate the interior portion of the mask with an ambient atmosphere, the exhaust vent defining a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation, the pressure differential being a pressure difference between a first pressure within the interior portion of the mask and a pressure of ambient atmosphere outside;
passing a flow gas through the flow element during at least one of inhalation and exhalation;
measuring a fluid characierstic resulting from the pressure differential;
outputting a first signal that corresponds to the fluid characteristic; and
using the first signal to determine a quantitative value for a physiological characteristic of such a user. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A patient monitoring method, comprising the steps of:
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inserting a nasal prong into a user'"'"'s nares such that an interior portion of the prong is in fluid communication with an airway of a user to receive substantially all gas inhaled and exhaled by such a user, wherein the prong includes an exhaust vent that communicates the interior portion of the prong with an ambient atmosphere, the exhaust vent and the prong defining a flow element across which a pressure differential is created during inhalation and exhalation, the pressure differential being a pressure difference between a first pressure within the interior portion of the prong and a pressure of ambient atmosphere outside;
passing a flow of gas through the flow element during at least one of inhalation and exhalation;
measuring a fluid characteristic resulting from the pressure differential;
outputting a first signal that corresponds to the fluid characteristic; and
using the first signal to determine a quantitative value for a physiological characteristic of such a user. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
supplying a breathing gas to the interior portion of the prong; and
accounting for an offset in the first signal caused by supplying the breathing gas to the interior portion of the prong by the gas supply.
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Specification