Gas monitoring system and method

A monitoring system comprising:

• an interface unit having a input coupling and an output;
• a plurality of gas measurement systems, wherein each gas measurement system is adapted to be placed in fluid communication with an airway of a patient to measure at least one respiratory gas;
• at least one physiological characteristic monitoring system, wherein each physiological characteristic monitoring system is adapted to measure a physiological characteristic of such a patient, wherein each gas measurement system and the at least one physiological characteristic monitoring system has an output coupling that is adapted to be removable coupled to the input coupling of the interface unit, wherein each gas measurement system includes gas processing means for determining, from the respiratory gas, a respiratory variable of such a patient and for providing a first output indicative thereof to the interface unit via the output coupling, and wherein the at least one physiological characteristic monitoring system includes processing means for determining a physiological characteristic related variable and for providing a second output indicative thereof to the interface unit via the output coupling;
• a display coupled to the output of the interface unit, wherein the display is adapted to display the respiratory variable, the physiological characteristic related variable, or both provided by any one of the plurality of gas measurement systems and the at least one physiological characteristic monitoring system.

A method of respiratory monitoring comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an interface unit having a input coupling and an output;
• (b) providing a plurality volumetric measurement systems each of which includes:
• (1) a gas measurement system, wherein each gas measurement system includes processing means for determining, from the respiratory gas, at least one respiratory variable of such a patient, and
• (2) a flow measurement system, wherein each flow measurement system includes processing means for determining flow related variable of the gas,
• wherein each volumetric measurement systems includes an output terminal for providing an output indicative of the respiratory variable and the flow related variable to the interface unit via the output coupling;
• and
• selectively coupling one of the plurality of volumetric measurement systems to the interface unit by coupling the output coupling of an associated volumetric measurement system with the input coupling of the interface unit.