Patent US3826896A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5277196A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5277196A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Portable spirometer with improved accuracy
Assignee: United States Department of Health and Human Services
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Filing: 1992-03-31
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Granted: 1994-01-11
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Expires: 2012-03-31
Abstract
Abstract A spirometric measurement device includes an arrangement for computation of a dynamic correction factor to compensate for temperature-related volume changes in time varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data due to cooling of expired gas. The correction factor, which compensates for body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) changes, varies in time according to variation of temperature of a flow sensor. The temperature of the flow sensor is accurately established by positioning a temperature sensor downstream of the flow sensor.
Inventors
- 👤 John L. Hankinson
- 👤 Joseph O. Viola
- 👤 Thomas R. Ebeling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 12:41
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/08; A61B5/087; A61B5/0878; A61B5/0823; A61B5/091
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
124 words
In a spirometer including a passageway, a flow sensor means for generating electric flow signals representing a rate of gas flow from a proximal end to a distal end of said passageway, said gas flow defining a downstream direction, and sampling means for sampling the flow signals, said flow sensor means situated between sad proximal and distal ends of said passageway, the improvement comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature of said flow sensor means, and dynamic correction means responsive to said temperature sensing means for determining a time-varying, dynamic, body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) correction factor, to compensate for temperature related volume changes in the gas in accordance with a time-variation in the temperature of said flow sensor means sensed by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
In a spirometer including a passageway, a flow sensor means for generating electric flow signals representing a rate of gas flow from a proximal end to a distal end of said passageway, said gas flow defining a downstream direction, and sampling means for sampling the flow signals, said flow sensor means situated between sad proximal and distal ends of said passageway, the improvement comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature of said flow sensor means, and dynamic correction means responsive to said temperature sensing means for determining a time-varying, dynamic, body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) correction factor, to compensate for temperature related volume changes in the gas in accordance with a time-variation in the temperature of said flow sensor means sensed by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature sensing means is situated at a distal end of said flow sensor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1, wherein said temperature sensing means is situated in said passageway downstream of said flow sensor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1, wherein: said temperature sensing means outputs a time varying temperature signal representing sensor temperature as a function of time, and said dynamic correction means comprises programmed processing means, said programmed processing means programmed to compute said dynamic BTPS correction factor as a function of said time varying temperature signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 4, wherein said programmed processing means is further programmed to correct time-varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data by dynamically applying said dynamic BTPS correction factor thereto.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 5, further comprising timing means for identifying times at which said time-varying raw FEV data are obtained, wherein said programmed processing means further comprises storage means for storing corrected FEV data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1 wherein said sampling means comprises programmed processing means for executing a predetermined sampling program, separate computing means physically separate from said spirometer and storing a plurality of sampling programs therein, and transfer means for transferring said predetermined sampling program stored in said separate computing means to said programmed processing means thereby to program said programmed processing means to execute said predetermined sampling program.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 7 wherein said programmed processing means comprises a serial communication port and said transfer means comprises communication means connected between said separate computing means and said serial communication port of said programmed processing means for transferring said predetermined sampling program to said serial communication port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
111 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 8, wherein: said temperature sensing means outputs a time varying temperature signal representing sensor temperature as a function of time, and said dynamic correction means is included in said programmed processing means, further including additional processing means programmed to compute said dynamic BTPS correction factor as a time varying function of said time varying temperature signal, said additional processing means being further programmed to correct time-varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data by dynamically applying said dynamic BTPS correction factor thereto, further comprising timing means for identifying times at which said time-varying raw FEV data are obtained, and storage means for storing corrected FEV data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 9, further comprising annunciating means responsive to said timing means for prompting a subject of a forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver to initiate a FVC maneuver using said spirometer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 7, wherein said programmed processing means further comprises storage means for storing time-varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data, said transfer means operating subsequent to a forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver to transfer stored FEV data from said programmed processing means to said separate computing means for processing and archival storage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 7, wherein said programmed processing means is further programmed for correcting inaccuracies caused by flow sensor nonlinearity and flow sensor drift.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1, further comprising timing means for identifying times at which time-varying raw forced expiratory volume (FEV) data are obtained, storage means for storing said FEV data together with said identifying times associated therewith.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 13, further comprising annunciating means responsive to said timing means for prompting a subject of a forced vital capacity (FVC) maneuver to initiate a FVC maneuver using said spirometer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 1, wherein said dynamic correction means comprises programmed processing means, said programmed processing means programmed for processing samples of said flow signals provided by said sampling means for determining acceptability of the samples.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 15, wherein said programmed processing means is programmed to detect insufficient effort by a subject using the spirometer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 15, wherein said programmed processing means is programmed for detecting a cough by a subject using the spirometer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
137 words
In a spirometer including a passageway, a flow sensor means for generating electric flow signals representing a rate of gas flow from a proximal end to a distal end of said passageway, said gas flow defining a downstream direction, and sampling means for sampling the flow signals to provide time varying forced expiratory volume (FEV) data, said flow sensor means situated between said proximal and distal ends of said passageway, the improvement comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature of said flow sensor means, said temperature sensing means situated in said passageway downstream of said flow sensor means, and programmed processing means programmed to compute a body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) correction factor, to compensate for temperature related volume changes in the gas in accordance with the temperature of said flow sensor means sensed by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
137 words
In a spirometer including a passageway, a flow sensor means for generating electric flow signals representing a rate of gas flow from a proximal end to a distal end of said passageway, said gas flow defining a downstream direction, and sampling means for sampling the flow signals to provide time varying forced expiratory volume (FEV) data, said flow sensor means situated between said proximal and distal ends of said passageway, the improvement comprising: temperature sensing means for sensing a temperature of said flow sensor means, said temperature sensing means situated in said passageway downstream of said flow sensor means, and programmed processing means programmed to compute a body-temperature-pressure-saturated (BTPS) correction factor, to compensate for temperature related volume changes in the gas in accordance with the temperature of said flow sensor means sensed by said temperature sensing means.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
A spirometer as recited in claim 18, wherein said programmed processing means further comprises storage means for storing said FEV data sampled by said sampling means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
A spirometer are recited in claim 19, further comprising separate computing means physically separate from said spirometer and transfer means connecting said separate computing means and said programmed processing means for transferring stored FEV data from said programmed processing means to said separate computing means for processing and archival storage.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-01-10 | 1997-07-12 | 1998-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-01-10 | 2001-07-12 | 2002-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-01-10 | 2005-07-12 | 2006-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |