# US 11,433,202 B2 · Interactive guidance related to a subject's expiratory flow limitation results > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,433,202 B2 - Document ID: US11433202B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/211,066 - Filed: 2018-12-05 - Published: 2019-06-20 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-18 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Robert Romano; Richard James Mckenzie, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11433202B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/024: {including calculation means, e.g. using a processor} - A61B 5/085: Measuring impedance of respiratory organs or lung elasticity - A61B 5/087: Measuring breath flow - A61B 5/742: {using visual displays (displays for heart-related electrical signals, e.g. ECG, A61B5/339)} - A61M 16/0003: {Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure} - A61M 16/0051: {with alarm devices} - A61M 2016/0018: {electrical} - A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter} - A61M 2016/003: {with a flowmeter} - A61M 2016/0036: {in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase} - A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate - A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards - A61M 2205/584: having a color code - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract In certain embodiments, a ventilator may provide interactive guidance for obtaining a subject's expiratory flow limitation results. In some embodiments, the ventilator may cause a progressive color component to be presented, where the progressive color component indicates a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component. The ventilator may cause a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a time period. The ventilator may monitor the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on output signals generated by one or more sensors as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the time period. The ventilator may cause, based on the monitoring, a movable component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the time period to indicate the degree of expiratory flow limitation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ventilator configured to providing interactive guidance related to a subject's expiratory flow limitation results, the ventilator comprising: one or more sensors configured to be placed at or near a subject's mouth and to generate output signals conveying information related to the subject's inspiration or expiration of gas; and one or more physical processors configured by machine readable instructions to: cause a progressive color component to be presented on a user interface, the progressive color component indicating a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component; cause, via an oscillator, a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a test period; monitor, during the test period, the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on the sensor-generated output signals as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the test period; cause, based on the monitoring, a movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be updated to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation; detect finalization of the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on one or more degree change thresholds; cause, based on the finalization detection, a pressure of the forced oscillation to be modified to a therapeutic pressure for at least a subsequent time period; and cause the moveable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to remain fixed until at least an end of the subsequent time period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the progressive color component includes one or more values other than grayscale values. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the progressive color component includes only grayscale values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ventilator of claim 1, wherein continuously updating the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component comprises periodically updating, during the test period, the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component based on the monitoring to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ventilator of claim 1; wherein monitoring the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation comprises: continuously measuring, based on the sensor-generated output signals, reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas during the test period and reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas during the test period as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the test period; and determining and updating the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation during the test period based on differences between the continuous measurements of the reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas and the continuous measurements of reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas, wherein the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the test period to reflect the subject's updated degree of expiratory flow limitation. ### Claim 6 A method of providing interactive guidance related to a subject's expiratory flow limitation results, the method being implemented by a computer system comprising one or more physical processors, the method comprising: causing a progressive color component to be presented on a user interface, the progressive color component indicating a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component; causing a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a test period; monitoring, during the test period, the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based output signals generated by one or more sensors as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the test period; causing, based on the monitoring, a movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be updated to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation; detecting finalization of the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on one or more degree change thresholds; causing, based on the finalization detection, a pressure of the forced oscillation to be modified to a therapeutic pressure for at least a subsequent time period; and causing the moveable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to remain fixed until at least an end of the subsequent time period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the progressive color component includes one or more values other than grayscale values. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the progressive color component includes only grayscale values. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein continuously updating the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component comprises periodically updating, during the test period, the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component based on the monitoring to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein monitoring the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation comprises: continuously measuring, based on the sensor-generated output signals, reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas during the test period and reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas during the test period as the forced oscillation is continuous applied for the test period; and determining and updating the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation during the period based on differences between the continuous measurements of the reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas and the continuous measurements of reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas, wherein the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the test period to reflect the subject's updated degree of expiratory flow limitation. ### Claim 11 A system for providing interactive guidance related to a subject's expiratory flow limitation results, the system comprising: means for causing a progressive color component to be presented on a user interface, the progressive color component indicating a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component; means for causing a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a test period; means for monitoring, during the test period, the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on output signals generated by one or more sensors as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the test period; means for causing, based on the monitoring, a movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be updated to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation; means for detecting finalization of the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on one or more degree change thresholds; means for causing, based on the finalization detection, a pressure of the forced oscillation to be modified to a therapeutic pressure for at least a subsequent time period; and means for causing the moveable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to remain fixed until at least an end of the subsequent time period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the progressive color component includes one or more values other than grayscale values. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein continuously updating the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component comprises periodically updating, during the test period, the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component based on the monitoring to indicate the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein monitoring the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation comprises: continuously measuring, based on the sensor-generated output signals, reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas during the test period and reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas during the test period as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the test period; and determining and updating the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation during the test period based on differences between the continuous measurements of the reactance related to the subject's inspiration of gas and the continuous measurements of reactance related to the subject's expiration of gas, wherein the movable graphical component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the test period to reflect the subject's updated degree of expiratory flow limitation.