Method and apparatus for analyzing gas absorption and expiration characteristics

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR ANALYSIS OF THE GAS ABSORPTION AND GAS EXPIRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUBSTANCE COMPRISING A FLUID-TIGHT CHAMBER CONTAINING A LOWER SPACE FOR HOLDING THE SUBSTANCE AND AN UPPER GAS SPACE FOR PROVIDING THE GAS IN CONTACT WITH THE SUBSTANCE, SAID CHAMBER BEING OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A GAS CIRCULATION SYSTEM INCLUDING A GAS LINE INTERCONNECTING THE UPPER GAS SPACE AND THE LOWER SPACE AND MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID GAS FROM THE GAS SPACE INTO THE LOWER SPACE; A MANOMETER CONTAINING A FIRST, FLUID-TIGHT, CLOSED-LEG UNCOMMUNICATIVE WITH THE LIQUID COMMUNICATION WITH EACH LEG, PARTIALLY FILLING EACH LEG, AND DEFINING A GAS SPACE IN THE FIRS LEG; GAS-TIGHT COMMUNICATION MEANS IN GAS TO GAS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GAS SPACE OF THE CHAMBER AND THE GAS SPACE IN THE FIRST LEG OF THE MANOMETER AND ADAPTED TO REFLECT CHANGES IN THE PARTIAL PRESSURE OF THE GAS IN THE CHAMBER BY A CHANGE IN HEIGHT OF THE MANOMETRIC LIQUID IN THE SECOND LEG; MEANS FOR CONVERTING THE CHANGE IN HEIGHT OF THE MANOMETRIC LIQUID INTO AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHANGE AND MEANS FOR RECORDING THE ELECTRICAL SIGNAL TO THEREBY PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF THE GAS ABSORPTION AND EXPIRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SUBSTANCE.