Method and apparatus for obtaining patient respiratory data

A system for obtaining information from a number of patients related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a base unit including a processor and a base unit memory for storing patient information, said base unit being located at one of:
• (i) a home of at least a first patient and (ii) a hospital;
• a first mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a first mouthpiece memory that stores first patient identification information;
• and
• a second mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a second mouthpiece memory that stores second patient identification information;
• wherein said processor is used to obtain said first patient identification information from said first mouthpiece memory when said first mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit at said one of the home and the hospital and said processor is used to obtain said second patient identification information from said second mouthpiece memory when said second mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit at said one of the home and the hospital.

A system for obtaining information from a number of patients related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a base unit including a processor and a base unit memory for storing patient information;
• a first mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a first mouthpiece memory that stores first patient identification information;
• and
• a second mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a second mouthpiece memory that stores second patient identification information, and in which said base unit includes a controller that stores patient data related to patient exhalation into one of said first and second mouthpiece assemblies;
• wherein said processor is used to obtain said first patient identification information from said first mouthpiece memory when said first mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit and said processor is used to obtain said second patient identification information from said second mouthpiece memory when said second mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit.

A system for obtaining information from a number of patients related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a base unit including a processor and a base unit memory for storing patient information;
• a first mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a first mouthpiece memory that stores first patient identification information;
• and
• a second mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a second mouthpiece memory that stores second patient identification information;
• a docking station that communicates with at least said first mouthpiece assembly and in which said docking station is used to download said first patient identification information to said first mouthpiece memory;
• and
• wherein said processor is used to obtain said first patient identification information from said first mouthpiece memory when said first mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit and said processor is used to obtain said second patient identification information from said second mouthpiece memory when said second mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit.

A system for obtaining information from a number of patients related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a base unit including a processor and a base unit memory for storing patient information;
• a first mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a first mouthpiece memory that stores first patient identification information;
• a second mouthpiece assembly that can be connected to said base unit and including a second mouthpiece memory that stores second patient identification information;
• and
• a cable assembly for use in connecting said first mouthpiece assembly to said base unit, said cable assembly having a first connector that is compatible with a connector on said base unit and a second connector that is compatible with a connector on said first mouthpiece assembly, said cable assembly having a length that permits said first patient to view a display on said base unit while exhaling into said first mouthpiece assembly during a test;
• wherein said processor is used to obtain said first patient identification information from said first mouthpiece memory when said first mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit and said processor is used to obtain said second patient identification information from said second mouthpiece memory when said second mouthpiece assembly is connected to said base unit.

A system for obtaining information related to respiratory functions from at least one patient, comprising:

• a mouthpiece assembly that includes a mouthpiece device into which the patient exhales and a mouthpiece memory that stores identification information for a first patient, said mouthpiece assembly being located at one of:
• (i) a home of at least a first patient and (ii) a hospital;
• and
• a base unit located at said one of the home and the hospital and being joined to said mouthpiece assembly, said base unit including a processor for reading said first patient identification information from said mouthpiece memory and a base unit memory for storing said first patient identification information with respiratory-related data from the first patient, with said processor correlating said patient data with said first patient identification information when storing said first patient data.

A system for obtaining information related to respiratory functions from at least one patient, comprising:

• a mouthpiece assembly that includes a mouthpiece device into which the patient exhales, a flow board connected to said mouthpiece device, and a mouthpiece memory associated with said flow board that stores identification information for a first patient;
• and
• a base unit joined to said mouthpiece assembly and including a processor for reading said first patient identification information from said mouthpiece memory and a base unit memory for storing said first patient identification information with respiratory-related data from the first patient, with said processor correlating said patient data with said first patient identification information when storing said first patient data, said base unit including a display for displaying information related to symptoms of the first patient including at least one of the following:
• dyspnea, phlegm, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

A system for obtaining information from at least one patient related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a mouthpiece assembly including a mouthpiece device into which a patient exhales and a mouthpiece memory for storing patient identification information;
• a base unit operatively connected to said mouthpiece assembly and including a processor for processing patient data, a memory for storing patient data, and a display for displaying at least patient instructions;
• and
• a cable assembly operatively connected to said mouthpiece device, said cable assembly including a proximal connector located adjacent to said base unit, a distal connector located at a distance from said base unit, and a cable member interconnecting said proximal connector and said distal connector for carrying data between said mouthpiece device and said base unit, wherein said cable member has a length such that the patient is able to view said display when exhaling.

A system for obtaining information from at least one patient related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a mouthpiece assembly including a mouthpiece device into which a patient exhales;
• a base unit operatively connected to said mouthpiece assembly and including a processor for processing patient data, a memory for storing patient data, and a display for displaying at least patient instructions;
• and
• a cable assembly operatively connected to said mouthpiece device, said cable assembly including a proximal connector located adjacent to said base unit, a distal connector located at a distance from said base unit, and a cable member interconnecting said proximal connector and said distal connector for carrying data between said mouthpiece device and said base unit, wherein said cable member has a length such that the patient is able to view said display when exhaling and said cable member has a length of at least 18 inches.

A system for obtaining information from at least one patient related to respiratory functions, comprising:

• a mouthpiece assembly including a mouthpiece device into which a patient exhales;
• a docking station that communicates with said mouthpiece assembly for use in downloading patient identification information thereto;
• a base unit operatively connected to said mouthpiece assembly and including a processor for processing patient data, a memory for storing patient data, and a display for displaying at least patient instructions;
• and
• a cable assembly operatively connected to said mouthpiece device, said cable assembly including a proximal connector located adjacent to said base unit, a distal connector located at a distance from said base unit, and a cable member interconnecting said proximal connector and said distal connector for carrying data between said mouthpiece device and said base unit, wherein said cable member has a length such that the patient is able to view said display when exhaling.