Methods of and apparatus for monitoring respiration and conductive gel used therewith
First Claim
1. A silicone tube useful as a linearly stretchable respiratory gauge having minimal response to proximate high frequency electromagnetic fields, containing a composition of about 40% by volume glycerol and about 60% by volume water and sodium chloride in a concentration of from about 20 grams per 100 ml of solution to saturation.
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Abstract
An apparatus for measuring respiration includes a first gauge for positioning around a patient'"'"'s chest and a second gauge for positioning around the patient'"'"'s abdomen. Each gauge is comprised of a silicone rubber tube filled with a conductive gel. The conductive gel is a composition comprising glycerol, water, and sodium chloride. Upon securing the gauges about the patient, signals indicative of absolute volume are immediately available, providing a new and improved method of measuring and/or monitoring respiration.
55 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A silicone tube useful as a linearly stretchable respiratory gauge having minimal response to proximate high frequency electromagnetic fields, containing a composition of about 40% by volume glycerol and about 60% by volume water and sodium chloride in a concentration of from about 20 grams per 100 ml of solution to saturation.
- 12. An apparatus for monitoring respiration of mammals comprising first tubular gauge means for surrounding the chest of the mammal and second tubular gauge means for surrounding the abdomen of the mammal, each gauge means comprising at least one stretchable silicone rubber tube filled with conductive gel, the conductive gel being in electrical contact with a pair of electrical contacts disposed within opposite ends of the tubes, means for applying signals indicative of changes in impedance of the tubes as the tubes stretch to signal processing means wherein immediate, absolute calculation of the thoracic volume is achieved, the tubes being of a length and wall thickness and the conductive gel being of a composition which are each selected to provide a substantially linear change in impedance per unit of stretch.
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16. A process for measuring respiration of a patient comprising:
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calibrating first and second tubular gauges of silicone rubber filled with a conductive gel by stretching the gauges and storing voltage readings indicative of changes in impedance in a microprocessor, and tensioning the first tubular gauge and securing the tensioned gauge about the patient'"'"'s chest, tensioning the second tubular gauge and securing the tensioned gauge about the patient'"'"'s abdomen, and measuring changes in impedance in each gauge as the gauge expands and contracts in length due to respiration of the patient in order to monitor the patient'"'"'s respiration. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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- 18. An apparatus for monitoring respiration of mammals comprising first tubular gauge means for surrounding the chest of the mammal and second tubular gauge means for surrounding the abdomen of the mammal, each gauge means comprising at least one silicone rubber tube filled with conductive gel, the silicone rubber tubes comprising the gauge means each having a length in the range of 16 to 36 cm, a wall thickness in the range of 1 to 6 mills, and an inside diameter in the range of 1 to 3 mm, the conductive gel within each tube being a composition comprising 35 to 90% by volume glycerol, 65-10% by volume water, and sodium chloride of from about 20 grams per 100 ml of solution to saturation, the conductive gel being in electrical contact with a pair of electrical contacts disposed within opposite ends of the tubes, signal processing means for applying and means for applying signals indicative of changes in impedance of the tubes to said signal processing means wherein immediate, absolute calculation of thoracic volume is achieved.
Specification