Respiration monitoring apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A respiration monitoring apparatus which comprises:
- means for measuring the airway pressure and the flow rate of air of a living body fitted with an artificial respirator; and
signal processing means for determining the end of an expiratory period in accordance with the flow rate of breathed air measured by said measuring means, for storing the airway pressure being measured by said measuring means at the end of the expiratory period, for detecting when the measured level of the airway pressure falls below the level of the previously stored airway pressure, and for sending forth a detection signal when the measured level of the airway pressure falls below the level of airway pressure previously stored.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A respiration monitoring apparatus which comprises meters for determining the flow rate of air flow and the airway pressure of the living body fitted with an artificial respirator; a monitor for displaying the waveforms of output signals from the meters. The apparatus further comprises a signal processing circuit which detects the end of the respective expiratory periods from the marks indicated by the output signals from the meters which denote the flow rate of breathed air flow, stores the average value of the airway pressures determined at the end of the respective expiratory periods, and, where the measured airway pressure determined falls below the stored average value, issues a detection signal denoting this condition, thereby changing a display pattern on the monitor.
200 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A respiration monitoring apparatus which comprises:
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means for measuring the airway pressure and the flow rate of air of a living body fitted with an artificial respirator; and signal processing means for determining the end of an expiratory period in accordance with the flow rate of breathed air measured by said measuring means, for storing the airway pressure being measured by said measuring means at the end of the expiratory period, for detecting when the measured level of the airway pressure falls below the level of the previously stored airway pressure, and for sending forth a detection signal when the measured level of the airway pressure falls below the level of airway pressure previously stored. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of monitoring respiration which comprises the steps of:
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measuring the airway pressure and the flow rate of air of a living body fitted with an artificial respirator; detecting the end of an expiratory period in accordance with the flow rate of measured breathed air; storing the airway pressure measured at the end of the expiratory period; comparing the airway pressure measured with the stored pressure, and, where the airway pressure measured has a lower level than the stored pressure, sending forth a detection signal; and informing the commencement of a spontaneous respiration of a living body in response to the detection signal.
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Specification