US 12,138,036 B2
Capnometer
Julian Charles Carter, Cambridge (GB); Benjamin Jeremy Walsh, Cambridge (GB); John Lawrence Altrip, Cambridge (GB); Nalinkumar Lallubhai Patel, Cambridge (GB); and Russell Barr Overend, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to CAMBRIDGE RESPIRATORY INNOVATIONS LTD, Cambridge (GB)
Appl. No. 16/091,888
Filed by CAMBRIDGE RESPIRATORY INNOVATIONS LTD, Cambridge (GB)
PCT Filed Apr. 5, 2017, PCT No. PCT/GB2017/050952
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 5, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/174983, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 12, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 1605826 (GB), filed on Apr. 5, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2019/0104965 A1, Apr. 11, 2019
Int. Cl. A61B 5/083 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/1171 (2016.01); A61B 5/1172 (2016.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G16H 10/60 (2018.01); G16H 20/10 (2018.01)
CPC A61B 5/0836 (2013.01) [A61B 5/1171 (2016.02); A61B 5/1172 (2013.01); A61B 5/4833 (2013.01); A61B 5/4839 (2013.01); A61B 5/7282 (2013.01); A61B 5/746 (2013.01); G06V 40/10 (2022.01); G16H 10/60 (2018.01); G16H 20/10 (2018.01); A61B 2560/0252 (2013.01); A61B 2560/0257 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A capnometer for analyzing respiratory system function of a patient, the capnometer comprising:
an air flow region through which air from said patient's respiratory system passes;
an emitter configured to emit light, said emitter comprising a mid-IR semiconductor emitter configured to provide said emitted light at a wavelength in the range 3-5 μm;
a reflector to reflect said emitted light;
a detector to detect said emitted light, said detector comprising a mid-IR semiconductor detector;
wherein said emitter and said detector are arranged such that light from said emitter passes through said air flow region to said detector;
a memory to store patient data which is specific to said patient; and
a signal processor coupled to said detector to analyze a CO2 waveform representing a variation over time in a CO2 level of air inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient,
wherein one or more parameters of said respiratory system function are extracted from said patient data,
wherein a comparison between said waveform and one or more of said waveforms which were obtained previously for said patient defines a metric with a baseline, wherein said comparing comprises monitoring a deviation of said waveform from said baseline, and wherein said metric is specific to a disease or type of disease of said patient,
wherein said one or more parameters comprises rise and fall time of a CO2 level,
wherein said air flow region comprises one or more alignment pins incorporated into a breathing tube, and
wherein said one or more alignment pins enable alignment of said reflector with said emitter and said detector.