Method and arrangement for measuring breath gases of a patient

• US 7,435,225 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hietala, Mika
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, II; Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SAIDI, AZADEH
• Application Number:
  US11/562,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20080119754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 600/532, 600/528, 600/538, 600/543, 600/587, 600/533, 600/529, 73/232, 738/61, 73/11.6, 73/232.1, 73/232.3, 73/232.4, 73/233, 73/233.6, 73/233.7, 73/234, 73/234.1, 73/234.2, 335/12, 422/84, 128/200.26, 128/204.22, 128/204.23, 128/200.15
• US Class Current: 600/532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/087 Measuring breath flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0808 Condensation traps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1045 Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/106 in a path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1025 the O2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/103 the CO2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/432 partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/435 partial O2 pressure (P-O2)

Abstract

Method and arrangement for measuring breath gases of a patient in which the patient is connected to a breath gas unit by using a sampling line to enable flowing a sample of the breathing gases with a pre-determined sample flow rate to the breath gas measuring unit. The sample flow rate is adjusted in case it is not within limits set by the patient'"'"'s breathing rate.

Claims

1. Method for measuring breath gases of a patient, the method comprising following step:

connecting the patient to a breath gas measuring unit by using a sampling line to enable flowing a sample of the breath gases of the patient with a pre-determined sample flow rate to the breath gas measuring unit for measurement of the sample, and

adjusting the sample flow rate to within limits set by the patient'"'"'s breathing rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship between the sample flow rate and the patient'"'"'s breathing rate is linear.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship between the sample flow rate and the patient'"'"'s breathing rate is logarithmic.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship between the sample flow rate and the patient'"'"'s breathing rate is exponential.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the relationship between the sample flow rate and the patient'"'"'s breathing rate is higher degree polynomial.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the sample flow rate is increased while the patient'"'"'s respiration rate increases and decreased while the patient'"'"'s respiration rate decreases.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of connecting the patient to a ventilator by using ventilator tubes.

8. Arrangement for measuring breath gases of a patient which arrangement comprises a sampling line and a breath gas measuring unit, the sampling line being arranged to enable flowing a sample of the patient'"'"'s breath gases with a pre-determined sample flow rate to the breath gas measuring unit for measurement of the sample, the breath gas measuring unit being provided with a flow control arrangement, wherein the flow control arrangement adjusts the sample flow rate to within limits set by the patient'"'"'s breathing rate.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein the breath gas measuring unit comprises a water trap for separating water and mucus from the sample of the patient'"'"'s breath gases, a pump for enabling the flow of the sample of the breath gases from the patient through the sampling line to the breath gas measuring unit, a gas sensor for measuring the breath gas sample, a flow measurement unit for measuring sample flow and a CPU for analyzing the results measured and for controlling the pump for adjusting the sample flow.

10. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein the arrangement further comprises a medical monitor display showing essential measuring results.

11. The arrangement of claim 10 wherein the essential measuring results comprise the gas curves, Et- and Fi-values measured and respiration rate.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein the breath gas measuring unit is arranged to measure the rise and fall time from the gas curve measured to take care that the curve has a right shape.

13. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein the arrangement further comprises a ventilator and ventilator tubes, the ventilator tubes being arranged to connect the patient to the ventilator.

14. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein that the flow control arrangement for adjusting the sample flow rate is arranged to increase the sample flow rate while the patient'"'"'s respiration rate increases and to decrease the sample flow rate while the patient'"'"'s respiration rate decreases.