The present invention is directed to a nasal device and an associated method of measuring an aspect of gas flowing through a user's nose using the nasal device.
Physiological trends are indicative of human health. Current methods of discovery of physiological trends revolve around the measurement and analysis of oxygen saturation of the blood and the pulse rate, such as via a pulse oximeter. Specifically, oxygen saturation gives information about the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. Pulse oximeters thus can estimate the amount of oxygen in the blood without having to draw a blood sample.
However, physiological trends based on oxygen saturation are inaccurate during high performance activities in the human body because, due to breathing-related changes, more oxygen may be bound to hemoglobin, resulting in a measured increase in the percentage oxygen saturation percentage. Thus, physiological trends typically associated with a prediction of low performance or illness (e.g., as indicated by lower oxygen saturation levels) may be confusing and inaccurate when the human body is engaged in high performance activity. For example, a higher oxygen saturation level is not an indication of better physiological performance, if more oxygen remains bound to blood hemoglobin and less available for oxygen delivery to performing tissues.
In contrast, carbon dioxide is a more accurate measure of physiological trends. In capnography, carbon dioxide exhaled from the human body is in a tightly regulated range, between 35 mm to 45 mm, measured by end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) levels. Carbon dioxide levels ranging above 45 mm ETCO2 are indicative of an excess of lactic acid (hypercapnia), and thus predictive of muscular fatigue, and carbon dioxide levels ranging below 35 mm ETCO2 (hypocapnia) is predictive of muscular weakness. Studies have shown changes in carbon dioxide levels may not only predict muscle fatigue and weakness, but also conditions involving the other organs and tissues. Although the medical field has been using large, fixed/wired apparatus capnography with nasal canula tubes to measure ETCO2 levels for patient diagnostics when in hospital beds, improved apparatus and methods are desired, as carbon dioxide may offer insights into early detection of trends toward specific illnesses and diseases. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein in presented.
The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.
In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed concept, a nasal device is provided. The nasal device measures an aspect of gas flowing through a user's nose, the nasal device comprising: a body having a first interior side and a second, opposing interior side, the body forming a lumen between the first interior side and the second interior side through which the gas flows into and out of the user's nose; an emitter coupled to the first interior side and configured to emit emitted energy; a detector coupled to the second interior side and configured to receive detected energy; and a wireless transceiver coupled to the body and configured to transmit data corresponding to at least one of the emitted energy and the detected energy.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed concept, a method of measuring an aspect of gas flowing through a user's nose using a nasal device is provided. The method comprises the steps of: directing the gas through a lumen of the nasal device, the nasal device being disposed in the user's nose; emitting a first amount of energy with an emitter of the nasal device, the emitter being coupled to a first interior side of a body of the nasal device; detecting a second amount of energy received at a detector of the nasal device, the detector being coupled to a second interior side of the body of the nasal device, the second interior side being disposed opposite the first interior side; comparing the first amount to the second amount to calculate an absorbed energy amount; generating data based on the absorbed energy amount; and transmitting the data with a transceiver of the nasal device.
Disclosed is a capnography apparatus and method to measure one or more aspects of gas exhaled through the nose while having ambulatory freedom from tubes and wires. In other words, the apparatus of the disclosed concept, e.g., capnographic dioximeter nasal devices (“nasal devices”) 102, 202, 302, 402, are configured as self-contained subassemblies that are advantageously devoid of external wires and tubes. In one embodiment, a nasal device is inserted into a person's nostrils to measure one or more aspects of gas exhaled and/or inhaled by the wearer of the device. One or more sensors may be embedded in the nasal device to detect and measure exhaled end-tidal carbon dioxide, or any other gas (e.g., oxygen).
Continuing to refer to
The body 103 may also include a bridge 130 connecting the first lumen 114 to the second lumen 124. Additionally, in one example embodiment the body 103 is a single unitary component made from one piece of material (e.g., without limitation, is an injection molded piece). It is contemplated that the nasal device 102 may assume different shapes and sizes such that any size or shape of device may be used that is suited for monitoring the incoming and outgoing gas from a person's respiration through a nasal passage.
In accordance with the disclosed concept, the nasal device 102 has internal components that allow aspects of respiration to be measured. In one example embodiment, and as shown in
For example,
The one or more emitters 217 are configured to emit emitted energy (e.g., without limitation, light whether in the visible or non-visible spectrum, or other types of energy, such as LED emitters). The one or more detectors 219 are configured to receive detected energy (e.g., wavelength of light or any other type of energy emitted from the emitters 217 after passing across the gap between the emitters 217 and the detectors 219). Carbon dioxide molecules may block or absorb the light or any other type of energy emitted from the emitters 217, causing the detectors 219 to receive a smaller amount of light or any other type of energy than is emitted. By comparing and/or calculating the received energy in relation to the emitted energy, a determination may be made as to the content of the gas passing through the device. In one embodiment, the amount of received energy is subtracted from amount of transmitted energy to determine the amount of absorbed energy. The amount of absorbed energy may be correlated to the concentration of a particular gas (such as CO2) in the exhaled gas. This can then be compared to a known concentration of gas in the air, or as inhaled by the user, using a similar correlation technique to determine CO2 generated by the user. Similar operation could occur for any molecule or compound in the inhaled/exhaled gas. The analysis is not limited to CO2.
Continuing to refer to
The processor 342 may be electrically connected to the transceiver 344, and is configured to execute the machine-readable code stored in the memory device 340. Additionally, the emitters 317 and the detectors 319 may be electrically connected to the processor 342 such that the processor 342 may control the emission and detection of light or any other type of energy discussed above. One or more additional electrical elements, such as drivers, may be located between the processor 342 and the emitters. Information relating to the emitted energy and the detected energy may be gathered and stored in the memory device 340. In addition, the wireless transceiver 344 may be coupled to the body of the nasal device 302 and configured to transmit that information (e.g., data corresponding to at least one of the emitted energy and the detected energy) to external devices (discussed further below). Moreover, the power source 346 may be a battery, respiration generated power source, or any other power source.
As discussed above, in a preferred embodiment, the emitters 217 may be configured to emit LED lights at the wavelength between 4.0 and 4.5 μm, and preferably between 4.20 and 4.30 μm. It is contemplated that energy at other wavelengths may be used based on the gas or molecule of interest. LED light at this wavelength may not be blocked by oxygen 250 traveling through the lumen 214 (such as on inhale through the nose). Thus, the amount of LED light detected 219A will be the same or substantially similar to the emitted light energy 217B. On the other hand, light at the selected wavelength may be blocked by carbon dioxide 260 traveling through the lumen 214 (such as on exhale through the nose). Thus, the amount of LED light detected 219B will be reduced or less than the amount of LED light emitted 217C due to the blockage or absorption by the gas of interest, such as carbon dioxide or the due to the absorption by the molecules of interest. Stated another way, the amount of energy striking the detector will be generally the same during each inhalation because the inhaled air will have the same general concentration of carbon dioxide under normal conditions. However, the exhaled air will have a greater concentration of carbon dioxide and this will be reflected by a reduced amount of energy striking the detector. As the wearer exhales more carbon dioxide (such as due to physical excertion), the amount of enery detected by the detector will be further reduced due to absorption by the greater concentration of carbon dioxide during exhalation. This can be tracked over time to derive the data disclosed herein. It is further contemplated that changes in detected energy during inhalation may reveal changes in gas concentration in the air being inhaled, such as if the inhaled gas has a higher concentration of a gas of interest, which may indicate an unsafe environment.
The wavelength of light may be tuned or selected to correspond to the characteristics of the particular gas being monitored. Carbon dioxide is discussed as an exemplary gas with an associated specific wavelength range, but in other embodiments different gasses of interest may be selected for monitoring and as such other energy wavelengths or types may have to be selected or utilized for the sensor to function as disclosed herein. Accordingly, a first one of the emitters 217 may be configured to emit a first amount of emitted energy and a second one of the emitters 217 may be configured to emit a second amount of emitted energy different than the first amount, thereby allowing the nasal device 202 to measure multiple different gases (e.g., carbon dioxide and oxygen). Emission may be continuous or intermittent.
When no respiration occurs (as illustrated in
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the disclosed concept provides for an improved (e.g., without limitation, able to measure amounts of different gases and thus better protect users) nasal device 102, 202, 302, 402 and method of measuring an aspect of gas flowing through a user's nose (e.g., nostrils 140, 142) using a nasal device 102, 202, 302, 402, in which a number of emitters 117, 127, 217, 317 and detectors 119, 129, 219, 319 are coupled to a body 103, 203 of the nasal device 102, 202, 302, 402. When the emitters 217, 317 emit emitted energy (e.g., without limitation, light having a wavelength between 4.0 and 4.5 micrometers) and the detectors 219, 319 receive detected energy, device electronics can measure amounts of various gases flowing through the lumens by comparing the emitted and detected energies. This is advantageous for a number of reasons.
For example, accurately measuring carbon dioxide levels in users can provide indications of lactic acid levels, thus allowing muscular fatigue and/or weakness to be predicted. It is also contemplated that accurate predictions of carbon dioxide levels with the disclosed nasal devices 102, 202, 302, 402 may also be instrumental in predicting conditions involving other organs and tissues, and/or providing early detection capabilities for specific illnesses and diseases. Additionally, by employing the nasal devices 102, 202, 302, 402 of the disclosed concept, large, fixed/wired capnography apparatuses with nasal canula tubes may be avoided when measuring carbon dioxide levels for patient diagnostics when in hospital beds, in favor of the ambulatory freedom and analysis method afforded by the disclosed nasal devices 102, 202, 302, 402.
In one example embodiment, the method includes the steps of directing the gas through a lumen 214 of the nasal device 202, the nasal device 202 being located in the user's nose; emitting a first amount of energy with an emitter 217 of the nasal device 202, the emitter 217 being coupled to a first interior side 210 of a body 203 of the nasal device 202; detecting a second amount of energy received at a detector 219 of the nasal device 202, the detector 219 being coupled to a second interior side 212 of the body 203 of the nasal device 202, the second interior side 212 being located opposite the first interior side 210; comparing the first amount to the second amount to calculate an absorbed energy amount; generating data based on the absorbed energy amount; and transmitting the data with a transceiver 344 of the nasal device. The method may further include employing the processor 342 to compare the first amount to the second amount, and the generate the data. Furthermore, the method may include receiving the data with a user device 408, and sending the data from the user device 408 through a server 412 to a database 416. Additionally, directing the gas may include directing a flow of oxygen in a first direction through the lumen 214 and directing a flow of carbon dioxide in a second direction through the lumen 214, the second direction being opposite the first direction.
In the above description, the terms “including,” “comprising,” “having,” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to” unless expressly specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive and/or mutually inclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also refer to “one or more” unless expressly specified otherwise. Further, the term “plurality” can be defined as “at least two.”
Additionally, instances in this specification where one element is “coupled” to another element can include direct and indirect coupling. Direct coupling can be defined as one element coupled to and in some contact with another element. Indirect coupling can be defined as coupling between two elements not in direct contact with each other, but having one or more additional elements between the coupled elements. Further, as used herein, securing one element to another element can include direct securing and indirect securing.
Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.
As used herein, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is indeed capable of performing the specified function without any alteration, rather than merely having potential to perform the specified function after further modification. In other words, the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware “configured to” perform a specified function is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized, programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the specified function. As used herein, “configured to” denotes existing characteristics of a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware which enable the system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware to perform the specified function without further modification. For purposes of this disclosure, a system, apparatus, structure, article, element, component, or hardware described as being “configured to” perform a particular function may additionally or alternatively be described as being “adapted to” and/or as being “operative to” perform that function.
The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described examples are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
It will be understood that the above described arrangements of apparatus and the method therefrom are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63251988 | Oct 2021 | US |