Expiratory flow sensor system and method
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCraig Robert Tolmie, Timothy Patrick McCormick
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Abstract
An expiratory flow sensor system is disclosed herein. The expiratory flow sensor includes an expiratory channel adapted to transfer an expiratory gas, a fresh gas channel adapted to transfer a fresh gas, and a sensing element disposed within the fresh gas channel so that the sensing element is never directly exposed to the expiratory gas. The sensing element is configured to measure a fresh gas flow rate. The fresh gas flow rate may be implemented to estimate an expiratory flow rate in a manner that minimizes imprecision attributable to sensing element contamination.
Claims18
An expiratory flow sensor system comprising:
- an expiratory channel, said expiratory channel adapted to transfer an expiratory gas;
- a fresh gas channel pneumatically coupled with the expiratory channel, said fresh gas channel adapted to transfer a fresh gas;
- and
- a sensing element disposed within the fresh gas channel such that the sensing element is never directly exposed to the expiratory gas, said sensing element being configured to measure a fresh gas flow rate;
- wherein the fresh gas flow rate may be implemented to estimate an expiratory flow rate in a manner that minimizes imprecision attributable to sensing element contamination.
An expiratory flow sensor system comprising:
- an expiratory channel, said expiratory channel adapted to transfer an expiratory gas;
- a flow restrictor disposed within the expiratory channel;
- a fresh gas channel pneumatically coupled with the expiratory channel, said fresh gas channel adapted to transfer a fresh gas;
- a sensing element disposed within the fresh gas channel such that the sensing element is never directly exposed to the expiratory gas, said sensing element being configured to measure a fresh gas flow rate;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the sensing element, said controller being configured to estimate an expiatory flow rate based on the fresh gas flow rate.
A method comprising:
- providing an expiratory channel;
- providing a fresh gas channel pneumatically coupled with the expiratory channel;
- providing a sensing element disposed within the fresh gas channel;
- transferring a fresh gas through the fresh gas channel;
- implementing the sensing element to measure a fresh gas flow rate;
- and
- estimating an expiratory gas flow rate based on the fresh gas flow rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.