Claims
- 1. A ventilator system for a patient, the system comprising:
a supply of respiratory gases; a conduit for directing the respiratory gases to the patient; a flow module holder located within the conduit; and a respiratory gas analyzer, the analyzer comprising:
a flow module, adapted to be placed within the flow module holder in the conduit, so that respiratory gases pass through a flow path of the flow module, the flow module containing a flow rate sensor, and an electronics module, adapted to be connected to the flow module, and adapted to calculate volumes of gases flowing through the flow path.
- 2. The ventilator system of claim 1, wherein the supply of respiratory gas is a mechanical ventilator.
- 3. The ventilator system of claim 1, wherein the flow rate sensor comprises a pair of ultrasonic transducers operable so as to provide a signal correlated with flow rate through the flow path.
- 4. The ventilator system of claim 1, wherein the flow module further contains a gas component sensor, sensitive to a respiratory gas component, operable so as to provide a signal correlated with an instantaneous concentration of a respiratory gas component.
- 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronics module is adapted to calculate a metabolic rate of the patient.
- 6. A method of analyzing gases respired by a person connected to a mechanical ventilator, the gases passing through a conduit, the method comprising:
providing a holder within the conduit; inserting a flow module into the holder, so that the gases respired by the person pass through the flow module; and connecting an electronics module to the flow module, so that the flow module and electronics module in combination are operable to provide a flow measurement.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the flow module and electronics module in combination are operable to provide metabolic rate measurement for the person.
- 8. A respiratory analyzer for analyzing gases breathed by a patient, the analyzer comprising:
a flow module, comprising:
a housing, adapted to be placed in a conduit for breathed gases, enclosing a flow path, so that the gases breathed by the patient form a gas flow through the flow path, an in-line gas flow sensor within the flow path, and a gas component sensor, exposed to the gas flow through the flow path, and an electronics module; comprising: a housing, and an electronic circuit within the housing, adapted to receive signals from the gas flow sensor and the gas component sensor of the flow module, and to provide a flow volume measurement; and a communications link between the flow module and the electronics module.
- 9. The respiratory analyzer of claim 8, wherein the housing of the flow module is adapted to reversibly attach to the electronics module.
- 10. The respiratory analyzer of claim 8, wherein the gas component sensor is sensitive to oxygen, and the flow volume measurement is an oxygen volume flowing through the flow module.
- 11. A method of measuring the cardiac output of a patient, the method comprising:
providing a ventilator system, the system comprising an inhalation conduit, an exhalation conduit, a respiratory conduit, and a valve, the valve having a first condition in which the valve allows gases to pass from the inhalation conduit into the respiratory conduit, allows gases to pass from the respiratory conduit into the exhalation conduit, and prevents gases from entering the respiratory conduit from the exhalation conduit; and the valve having a second condition in which the valve allows gases to pass from the exhalation conduit into the respiratory conduit so as to provide a period of partial rebreathing of exhaled carbon dioxide for the patient when the patient is connected to the ventilator system; providing a flow module within the respiratory conduit; providing an electronics module, operating in conjunction with the flow module so as to measure a flow of carbon dioxide through the flow module; connecting the patient to the ventilator system with the valve in the first condition; measuring an end tidal carbon dioxide concentration and a carbon dioxide production for the patient; adjusting the valve to the second condition; and measuring changes in the end tidal carbon dioxide concentration and the carbon dioxide production, due to the period of partial rebreathing by the patient, whereby cardiac output can be determined.
- 12. A system for providing intravenous feeding to a person connected to a ventilator, the method comprising:
a ventilator system, having a holder adapted to receive a flow module; an indirect calorimeter, comprising a non-disposable electronics module and a disposable flow module, the flow module enclosing a flow path, the flow module being placed within the holder of the ventilator system so that gases respired by the person pass through the flow path; an intravenous feeding unit, the unit comprising a source of intravenous food, a delivery tube for delivering the food to the patient, and a pump adapted to pump intravenous food from the source along the delivery tube at a controlled pump rate; and a communications link between the indirect calorimeter and the infusion pump, so as to modify the controlled pump rate of food to the person according to data provided by the indirect calorimeter.
- 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications link is a cable.
- 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the communications link is a wireless communications link.
- 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the indirect calorimeter comprises a pair of ultrasonic transducers operable to determine respiratory flow volumes.
- 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the indirect calorimeter has a fluorescence oxygen sensor so as to determine oxygen concentrations of respired gases.
- 17. A respiratory analyzer for monitoring tracheal gas flow of a breathing subject, the analyzer comprising:
a flow module, adapted to fit within the trachea of the subject; a pair of ultrasonic transducers located with the flow module; a tube, connecting the flow module to a ventilator system; an electronics module, located outside of the subject's body, adapted to analyze data received from the flow module; and a communications link, transmitting data from the flow module to the electronics module.
- 18. The analyzer of claim 17, wherein the communications link is a wire.
- 19. The analyzer of claim 17, wherein the communications link is a wireless link.
REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/630,398, filed Aug. 2, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/179,906, filed Feb. 2, 2000; No. 60/179,961, filed Feb. 3, 2000; No. 60/210,034, filed Jun. 7, 2000; No. 60/228,388, filed Aug. 28, 2000; and No. 60/236,829, filed Sep. 29, 2000, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The contents of U.S. applications Ser. No. 09/685,439 and Ser. No. 09/669,125 are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (5)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60179906 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
|
60179961 |
Feb 2000 |
US |
|
60210034 |
Jun 2000 |
US |
|
60228388 |
Aug 2000 |
US |
|
60236829 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09630398 |
Aug 2000 |
US |
Child |
09773797 |
Feb 2001 |
US |