Portable alveolar gas meter
First Claim
1. A portable alveolar gas measurement device comprising:
- a structure that receives a sample portion of breath, the structure comprising one or more valves that are configured to close and to thereby trap a latter portion of the breath;
a first gas sensor in communication with the structure that detects a first gas level of a first gas within the sample portion and provides a first signal indicative of the first gas level;
a handheld computer including circuitry coupled at least indirectly to the first gas sensor, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and a second signal that is related to the first signal, and wherein the circuitry is configured to provide at least some assistance in determining whether a portion of information provided by the at least one of the first signal and the second signal is an indication of a first alveolar gas level; and
an output device coupled to the circuitry and configured to provide an output indicative of the first alveolar gas level as determined at least in part with the assistance of the circuitry;
wherein the handheld computer device includes a display as part of the output device,wherein the circuitry on the handheld computer device is configured to cause the display to provide a visual indication of variation of the first gas level over time based upon the at least one signal to allow a determination that a steady state breath pattern has occurred and as a result determine that the portion of information within the at least one signal is indicative of the first alveolar gas level,wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the portion of the information to be at least one value of the first signal obtained during a first time period; and
wherein the circuitry includes an operator-actuatable switch and is configured to determine the first time period based upon a triggering of the switch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable alveolar gas measurement device and method of determining at least one alveolar gas level are disclosed. The device includes a structure that receives a sample portion of breath, and a gas sensor in communication with the structure that detects a gas level of a gas within the sample portion and provides a first signal indicative of the level. The device further includes circuitry coupled at least indirectly to the gas sensor, where the circuitry receives at least one of the first signal and a second signal related to the first signal, and where the circuitry provides at least some assistance in determining whether a portion of information provided by the at least one signal is used as an indication of an alveolar gas level. Additionally, the device includes an output device coupled to the circuitry that provides an output indicative of the first alveolar gas level.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A portable alveolar gas measurement device comprising:
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a structure that receives a sample portion of breath, the structure comprising one or more valves that are configured to close and to thereby trap a latter portion of the breath; a first gas sensor in communication with the structure that detects a first gas level of a first gas within the sample portion and provides a first signal indicative of the first gas level; a handheld computer including circuitry coupled at least indirectly to the first gas sensor, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and a second signal that is related to the first signal, and wherein the circuitry is configured to provide at least some assistance in determining whether a portion of information provided by the at least one of the first signal and the second signal is an indication of a first alveolar gas level; and an output device coupled to the circuitry and configured to provide an output indicative of the first alveolar gas level as determined at least in part with the assistance of the circuitry; wherein the handheld computer device includes a display as part of the output device, wherein the circuitry on the handheld computer device is configured to cause the display to provide a visual indication of variation of the first gas level over time based upon the at least one signal to allow a determination that a steady state breath pattern has occurred and as a result determine that the portion of information within the at least one signal is indicative of the first alveolar gas level, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the portion of the information to be at least one value of the first signal obtained during a first time period; and wherein the circuitry includes an operator-actuatable switch and is configured to determine the first time period based upon a triggering of the switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A portable alveolar gas measurement device comprising:
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a structure that receives a sample portion of breath, the structure comprising one or more valves that are configured to close and to thereby trap a latter portion of the breath; a first gas sensor in communication with the structure that detects a first gas level of a first gas within the sample portion and provides a first signal indicative of the first gas level; a handheld computer including circuitry coupled at least indirectly to the first gas sensor, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and a second signal that is related to the first signal, and wherein the circuitry is configured to provide at least some assistance in determining whether a portion of information provided by the at least one of the first signal and the second signal is an indication of a first alveolar gas level; and an output device coupled to the circuitry and configured to provide an output indicative of the first alveolar gas level as determined at least in part with the assistance of the circuitry; wherein the handheld computer device includes a display as part of the output device, wherein the circuitry on the handheld computer device is configured to provide assistance in determining whether the portion of the information is used as an indication of the first alveolar gas level by monitoring variation of the first gas level over time based upon the at least one signal, determining when a steady state breath pattern has occurred, and subsequently determining that the portion of information within the at least one signal is indicative of the first alveolar gas level, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the portion of the information to be at least one value of the first signal obtained during a first time period; and wherein the circuitry includes an operator-actuatable switch and is configured to determine the first time period based upon a triggering of the switch. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of determining at least one alveolar gas level of a human subject, the method comprising:
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transporting a portable device for determining the at least one alveolar gas level from a first location to a second location proximate the human subject; receiving a breath of the human subject within a receiving structure of the device to obtain a sample portion of the breath; operating a sensor in the device to sense a first gas level associated with the sample portion; providing a signal representative of the sensed first gas level; providing an output based at least indirectly upon the signal, wherein at least a part of the output is indicative of a first alveolar gas level of the human subject; and determining at least one of;
whether a portion of information contained in the signal is used as an indication of the first alveolar gas level of the human subject; and
whether the part of the output is indicative of the first alveolar gas level,wherein the determining includes; observing the output; ascertaining when the output is representative of a steady breathing pattern; causing the human subject to provide an additional expiration into the receiving structure; and identifying the part of the output corresponding to a time period during the additional expiration as being indicative of the first alveolar gas level. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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Specification