System for measuring respiratory function
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorAndrew Hoffman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for measuring respiratory function of living organisms. More particularly, signals indicative of the effort, defined as active and passive work, required to breathe and the airflow through the respiratory system of the living organism are obtained and processed as waveforms to provide a signal indicative of the respiratory restriction. The methods of the present invention measure clinical forms of airway obstruction and airway reactivity and may be used to continuously or intermittently monitor patients with compromised respiratory function.
Claims57
A method for measuring respiration function of a living organism, comprising the steps:
- obtaining a first input signal from a first sensor indicative of a change in lung volume during breathing by said living organism;
- obtaining a second input signal from a second sensor indicative of airflow through the respiratory system of said living organism during the change in lung volume;
- and
- processing said first input signal and said second input signal to calculate a third signal indicative of respiratory restriction of said living organism.
An apparatus for obtaining a signal indicative of respiration of a living organism, comprising:
- a first sensor device that obtains a first input signal indicative of a change in lung volume during breathing by said living organism, the first sensor device including a sensor adapted to be positioned on an external surface of the living organism;
- a second sensor device that obtains a second input signal indicative of actual airflow through the respiratory system of said living organism;
- and
- a processing device that processes said first input signal and said second input signal to calculate a third signal indicative of respiration restriction of said living organism.
A method for measuring respiration function of a living organism, comprising the steps:
- obtaining a first input signal from a first sensor indicative of effort required to breathe by said living organism;
- obtaining a second input signal from a second sensor indicative of airflow through the respiratory system of said living organism;
- and
- comparing said first input signal and said second input signal by analyzing phase and magnitude differences between said first and second signals in the same time domain to form a third signal indicative of respiratory restriction of said living organism.
An apparatus for obtaining a signal indicative of respiration of a living organism, comprising:
- a first device that obtains a first input signal indicative of effort required to breathe by said living organism;
- a second device that obtains a second input signal indicative of actual airflow through the respiratory system of said living organism;
- a processing device that compares said first input signal and said second input signal by analyzing phase and magnitude differences between said first input signal and said second input signal;
- and
- forming a third signal indicative of respiration restriction of said living organism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.