Respiration monitoring apparatus

Claim 1

A system for monitoring a respiration rate of a patient, comprising in combination: transducer means comprising: two electrically conductive plate electrodes, a center electrode positioned between two said plate electrodes, and a single synthetic resin polymer sheet having a volume resistivity to maintain an electrostatic charge thereon covering the center electrode between the plate electrodes to thereby develop a current flow in said plate electrode and said center electrode varying with the patient''s respiration rate, circuit means responsive to the varying current flow in the two plate electrodes and the center electrode and generating an output voltage when the current flow is constant, and alarm means actuated by said output voltage of said circuit means.

Claim 2

A system for monitoring a respiration rate of a patient, comprising in combination: transducer means comprising: two electrically conductive plate electrodes, a center electrode positioned between two said plate electrodes, and a single synthetic resin polymer sheet having a volume resistivity to maintain an electrostatic charge thereon covering the center electrode between the plate electrodes to thereby develop a current flow in said plate electrode and said center electrode varying with the patient''s respiration rate, circuit means responsive to the varying current flow in the two plate electrodes and the center electrode and generating an output voltage when the current flow is constant, and alarm means actuated by said output voltage of said circuit means.

Claim 5

A system for monitoring the respiration of a patient comprising: a flexible force responsive means for placement beneath a patient or patient support for sensing the respiration of a patient, said means comprising: three layers of flexible sheets of electrically conductive material, a synthetic resin, electrostatically charged, flexible sheet located between adjacent sheets of conductive material to form alternate layers with the electrically conductive sheets of material, said flexible layers of electrically conductive material being sensitive to changes in forces applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, an electrical conductor connected to the center sheet of conductive material, an electrical conductor connected to the outer sheets of conductive material, and flexible nonconductive material surrounding and covering said outer layers of flexible sheets of conductive material, and monitor means coupled to said responsive means for monitoring thE respiration of a patient.

Claim 6

A system for monitoring the respiration of a patient comprising: a flexible force responsive means for placement beneath a patient or patient support for sensing the respiration of a patient, said means comprising: three layers of flexible sheets of electrically conductive material, a synthetic resin, electrostatically charged, flexible sheet located between adjacent sheets of conductive material to form alternate layers with the electrically conductive sheets of material, said flexible layers of electrically conductive material being sensitive to changes in forces applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, an electrical conductor connected to the center sheet of conductive material, an electrical conductor connected to the outer sheets of conductive material, and flexible nonconductive material surrounding and covering said outer layers of flexible sheets of conductive material, and monitor means coupled to said responsive means for monitoring thE respiration of a patient.

Claim 7

A system for monitoring the respiration of a patient comprising: transducer means capable of sensing force changes applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, said transducer being a thin, flexible, pad-like member, comprising: a plurality of thin flexible layers of electrically conductive material including two outer layers, a synthetic resin, electrostatically charged, thin flexible layer located between adjacent layers of conductive material to form alternate layers with the conductive material, two electrical conductors connected to certain ones of said conductive layers to form a transducer having two plate means, one of which includes the outer conductive layers of material electrically connected together, the other plate means being located between said outer conductive layers of material, flexible nonconducting material surrounding and covering said outer conductive layers, and said flexible layers of electrically conductive material being sensitive to changes in forces applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, and monitor means coupled to said transducer means for monitoring the respiration of a patient.

Claim 8

A system for monitoring the respiration of a patient comprising: transducer means capable of sensing force changes applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, said transducer being a thin, flexible, pad-like member, comprising: a plurality of thin flexible layers of electrically conductive material including two outer layers, a synthetic resin, electrostatically charged, thin flexible layer located between adjacent layers of conductive material to form alternate layers with the conductive material, two electrical conductors connected to certain ones of said conductive layers to form a transducer having two plate means, one of which includes the outer conductive layers of material electrically connected together, the other plate means being located between said outer conductive layers of material, flexible nonconducting material surrounding and covering said outer conductive layers, and said flexible layers of electrically conductive material being sensitive to changes in forces applied thereto and caused by the respiration of a patient, and monitor means coupled to said transducer means for monitoring the respiration of a patient.