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US 2003/0191407 A1Published application
Spirometer
AssigneeIllinois Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid R. Williams, Nicole April Wilson, Kevin Philip Meade, Hansen A. Mansy
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AssigneeIllinois Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid R. Williams, Nicole April Wilson, Kevin Philip Meade, Hansen A. Mansy
Estimating the term…
A spirometer for measuring fluid flow, particularly associated with exhalation of respiratory patients. The spirometer of this invention preferably has a fluidic oscillator wherein the fluid oscillates within a chamber of the fluidic oscillator. An oscillation frequency of the fluid flow within the chamber is correlated to a flow rate. A computer is used to process input data, such as data representing frequency of the oscillatory flow within the chamber, to a flow rate passing through the spirometer. The spirometer of this invention may have no moving parts, which results in the need for only a design calibration and no periodic calibrations throughout use of the spirometer.
A spirometer comprising:
A method for determining an exhalation flow rate of a respiratory system using a spirometer, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Measuring devices for evaluating the respiratory organs: measuring breath flow
Medical diagnosis and surgery
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a spirometer, particularly a fluidic oscillator spirometer, for measuring respiratory flow rates.
2. Description of Related Art
The above and other features of this invention are apparent when this specification is read in view of the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one half of an oscillatory flow spirometer, cut along and symmetric about a centerline, according to one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 1A is a sectional view along a centerline of the oscillatory flow spirometer, as shown in FIG. 1;
Spirometer 20 of this invention is a relatively small, preferably handheld device that operates using principles of oscillatory flow. Throughout this specification and in the claims, the word fluid is intended to relate to air or the fluidic content of an exhalation discharge from a patient, or any other similar fluid. The fluid enters spirometer 20 through inlet 22, and is ultimately discharged through outlet 24, as shown in FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B.
Mouthpiece 28 can be mounted directly or indirectly with respect to nozzle 26, so that the fluid flows through mouthpiece 28, through nozzle 26 and also through inlet 22.
According to one embodiment of this invention, spirometer 20 comprises a fluidic oscillator flowmeter. Conventional fluidic oscillator devices exist. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,843,889 and 5,363,704, the teachings of which are incorporated into the specification by reference to both United States patents, teach a fluidic oscillator, for example one that can be used as fluidic oscillator 30 of this invention.