Respiratory Monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017065208-A1
Application number	US-201615213224-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 7, 2014
Publication date	Mar 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A respiratory monitor is disclosed that includes features for conducting multiple pulmonary function tests in a single device and for detecting the presence of nitric oxide in exhaled breath. The respiratory monitor includes one or more reactor and sensor assemblies. Also described is a mouthpiece that allows for separate inhalation and exhalation pathways and for filtering inhaled and exhaled breath for predetermined species prior to exhalation into the respiratory monitor. The monitor further allows for wired, wireless and network connectivity and for cloud-based systems for communicating and correlating pulmonary data as well as relevant environmental data and displaying the data for use by patients and health care professionals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for determining total NO x , including NO and NO 2 concentrations from a gas stream comprising:
(a) a first chamber comprising a catalytic filter; the catalytic filter adapted to catalyze the formation of an equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 from an incoming gas stream; (b) a second chamber downstream from the first chamber, the second chamber comprising a sensor element adapted to contact said equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 , wherein the sensor element comprises a sensing potentiometric electrode and a reference potentiometric electrode; (c) a gas conduit connecting the first and second chambers; and (d) a heating element disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element, the heating element comprising a single heat source adapted to distribute heat to the first and second chambers; wherein the catalytic filter and sensor element are each maintained at different temperatures using the heating element.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising conduction media disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more heat separation elements disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor element is disposed on a sensor substrate separating the first and second chambers, and the heating element is embedded within the substrate.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber is disposed below the second chamber, and the gas conduit comprises external tubing connecting the first and second chambers.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a ceramic package and pins extending from a lower portion of the ceramic package; wherein the ceramic package forms at least a portion of a housing around the first and second chambers; and further wherein the pins are adapted to electronically connect the sensor element to a printed circuit board.

7 . An apparatus for determining total NO x , including NO and NO 2 concentrations from a gas stream comprising:
(a) a housing; (b) a gas inlet positioned in said housing; (c) a breath-flow pathway that proceeds downstream from said inlet; (d) a humidity equilibrator positioned in said pathway; (e) a reactor-sensor assembly positioned in said pathway, downstream of said humidity equilibrator; the reactor-sensor assembly comprising:
(i) a first chamber comprising a catalytic filter; the catalytic filter adapted to catalyze the formation of an equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 from a gas stream;
(ii) a second chamber downstream from the first chamber, the second chamber comprising a sensor element adapted to contact said equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 , wherein the sensor element comprises a sensing potentiometric electrode and a reference potentiometric electrode;
(iii) a gas conduit connecting the first and second chambers;
(iv) a heating element disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element, the heating element comprising a single heat source adapted to distribute heat to the first and second chambers, wherein the catalytic filter is heated to a temperature different from that of the sensor element using the heating element; and
(v) a controller in electrical communication with said sensor element.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising conduction media disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising one or more heat separation elements disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the sensor element is disposed on a sensor substrate separating the first and second chambers, and the heating element is embedded within the substrate.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first chamber is disposed below the second chamber, and the gas conduit comprises external tubing connecting the first and second chambers.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a ceramic package and pins extending from a lower portion of the ceramic package; wherein the ceramic package forms at least a portion of an enclosure around the first and second chambers; and further wherein the pins are adapted to electronically connect the sensor element to a printed circuit board.

13 . An apparatus for determining total NO x , including NO and NO 2 concentrations from a gas stream comprising:
(a) a housing; (b) a gas inlet section positioned in said housing and comprising:
(i) a flow detection component;
(ii) an adjustable flow-restriction component positioned downstream of said flow detection component; and
(iii) an adjustable partition positioned downstream of said flow detection component; and
(c) a measuring section located adjacent to said inlet section and in fluid communication with said inlet, comprising:
(i) a first chamber comprising a catalytic filter; the catalytic filter adapted to catalyze the formation of an equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 from a gas stream;
(ii) a second chamber downstream from the first chamber, the second chamber comprising a sensor element adapted to contact said equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 , wherein the sensor element comprises a sensing potentiometric electrode and a reference potentiometric electrode;
(iii) a gas conduit connecting the first and second chambers; and
(iv) a heating element disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element; wherein the heating element comprises a single heat source adapted to distribute heat to the first and second chambers; and further wherein the catalytic filter is heated to a temperature different from that of the sensor element using the heating element.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising conduction media disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising one or more heat separation elements disposed between the catalytic filter and sensor element.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the sensor element is disposed on a sensor substrate separating the first and second chambers, and the heating element is embedded within the substrate.

17 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first chamber is disposed below the second chamber, and the gas conduit comprises external tubing connecting the first and second chambers.

18 . The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a ceramic package and pins extending from a lower portion of the ceramic package; wherein the ceramic package forms at least a portion of an enclosure around the first and second chambers; and further wherein the pins are adapted to electronically connect the sensor element to a printed circuit board.

19 . An apparatus for determining total NO x , including NO and NO 2 concentrations from a gas stream comprising:
(a) a base platform; (b) a plurality of interlocking support structures disposed on the base platform to define a serpentine gas flow path, the support structures comprising: a first surface, a second surface disposed below the first surface, and a third surface disposed below the second surface; (c) a catalytic filter disposed on an upper side of the third surface, the catalytic filter adapted to catalyze the formation of an equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 from an incoming gas stream; (d) a sensor element disposed on an underside of the third surface, the sensor element adapted to contact said equilibrium mixture of NO and NO 2 , wherein the sensor element comprises a sensing pot

Assignees

• Spirometrix Inc
• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Furusaki Keizo
• Ssenyange Solomon
• Leard Ryan R

Classifications

• G01N33/0013

  by a chemical reaction (a chemical reaction taking place or a gas being eliminated in one or more analysing channels G01N33/0024) · CPC title

• A61B5/0022

  Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet · CPC title

• G01N33/497

  of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath · CPC title

• A61B5/082 Primary

  Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath (A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/097

  Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices · CPC title