US 2011/0218450 A1 · Respiration Measurements and Dosimetry Control in Inhalation Testing Systems

Abstract

Inhalation measurement systems and methods enable, during inhalant exposure, substantially real-time respiratory measurements of a test subject using techniques that obtain measurements of respiration directly from that test subject, instead of from inhalation chamber parameter measurements. Direct test subject respiratory measurements may be, by way of example only, impedance measurements. These respiratory measurements taken directly from the test subject may be transmitted, wirelessly for example, for processing during the course of the test to a processing system to determine a cumulative volume of inhalant inspired by the test subject. From that, a cumulative amount of inhalant (or dose) inspired by the test subject may be determined during the course of the inhalation compound test. In addition, a calibration procedure may be performed before the inhalant exposure to provide correlation needed to translate chest and/or abdominal wall expansion measurements, made during the test, into lung volume measurements.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of performing an inhalation test on a test subject, the method comprising:

performing a calibration procedure comprising a) collecting respiration-related measurements for each of multiple respiration cycles from the test subject using a sensing device applied directly to the test subject, b) collecting corresponding respiration volume measurements for each of the multiple respiration cycles of the test subject by sensing atmospheric changes of a volume within a chamber in which the test subject is at least partially confined, and c) using the collected respiration-related and respiration volume measurements to calculate a calibration formula that correlates respiration-related measurements collected using the sensing device applied directly to the test subject to respiration volume measurements;
performing an inhalation test on the subject during which inhalation test the test subject is at least partially confined within a test chamber and an inhalant substance is introduced into the test chamber, wherein performing the inhalation test comprises a) collecting during the course of the inhalation test respiration-related measurements for respiration cycles of the test subject using the sensing device applied directly to the test subject, b) applying the calibration formula to the respiration-related measurements as they are collected during the inhalation test to determine during the course of the inhalation test a running measure of cumulative respiration volume for the test subject, and c) storing the running measure in computer storage memory.

A monitoring system for use during an inhalation test on a test subject, the monitoring system comprising:

a calibration processing module programmed to a) receive respiration-related measurements for each of multiple respiration cycles taken from the test subject, b) receive separate corresponding respiration volume measurements for each of the multiple respiration cycles of the test subject, c) use the received respiration-related and respiration volume measurements to calculate a calibration formula that correlates respiration-related measurements to respiration volume measurements, and d) store the calibration formula in memory of the monitoring system;
a test procedure processing module programmed to a) receive during the course of an inhalation test respiration-related measurements for respiration cycles of the test subject, b) applying the stored calibration formula to the respiration-related measurements as they are collected during the inhalation test to determine during the course of the inhalation test a running measure of cumulative respiration volume for the test subject, and c) storing the running measure in memory of the monitoring system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Respiration Measurements and Dosimetry Control in Inhalation Testing Systems

Life of this patent

Respiration Measurements and Dosimetry Control in Inhalation Testing Systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27