Abstract:
A deep breathing exercise device includes a belt member to be positioned around the lower chest wall, with the belt ends joined by a plastic case, one end of the belt being mounted to the case by a negatively-variable-resistance leaf spring permitting limited withdrawal of the belt end from within the case, the case having a plurality of LEDs and a chime to indicate movement of the belt from within the case as the circumferential length of the belt system increases in response to an inhaling motion of the wearer.
Abstract:
L'invention concerne une nappe composite souple desti née à constituer une alèse se comportant comme un transducteur électromécanique en vue de détecter les apnées de sujets couchés sur elle. Cette nappe comprend, en plus d'une feuille (1) sensible aux pressions au sens de la transduction électromécanique (électret ou feuille piézoélec trique polarisée), de deux électrodes minces (2,3), de feuilles de protection (5, 6) et de cales d'écartement (13) placées entre les deux feuilles contre lesquelles elles sont juxtapo sées et entre lesquelles elles créent des chambres, des pastilles fixées sur les feuilles de protection, en regard des chambres.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are disclosed for detecting the recurrence of physiological functions. The disclosed systems and methods are especially adapted for detecting the recurrence of a patient's respiration from a signal representative of changes in the patient's thoracic volume, despite the presence of cardiovascular artifact in the signal.
Abstract:
A method for eliminating or reducing breathing artifacts due to motion-induced phase and amplitude errors in the phase-encoding dimension when using Fourier transform imaging methods, such as spin warp, utilizes a repetition time (TR) which is an odd multiple of one quarter of the breathing cycle. In the preferred embodiment, method and apparatus are provided for determining the breathing cycle by monitoring the integrated spin-echo signal magnitude spectrum as a function of time.
Abstract:
An apparatus (1) for the analysis of the cardiorespiratory function at rest as well as during exercise comprises a mouthpiece (2), a control valve means (5), a spirometer (12) and an analysing and recording system (13). The mouth piece (2) is connected via said control valve means (5) to said spirometer means (12) by conduit means (4). Furthermore, said analysing and recording system (13) is functionally connected to said spirometer means (12). To achieve the advantageous effects of the present invention there is provided a second control valve (10) which is disposed in said conduit means (7) between said first control valve means (5) and said spirometer means (12). Furthermore, there is provided a by-pass conduit (22), one end of which is connected to said conduit means (4) between said mouthpiece (2) and said control valve means (5) and the other end of which is connected to said second control valve means (10). The second control valve means (10) includes a diaphragm (14) which is adapted to open and close a line (16) in accordance with pressure conditions in said by-pass conduit (22) which directly can be changed by the patient's inhaling and exhaling, respectively. This arrangement ensures a simple and reliable design and offers a wide range of possibilities for medial applications.
Abstract:
A measuring conduit adapted for flow rate and concentration of a fluid for use in a measuring apparatus which measures both the flow rate of the fluid such as a respiratory gas containing a particular gas component, for example, carbon dioxide, using an ultrasonic wave and the concentration of the particular gas component in an optical manner. In order to simultaneously measure the flow rate and concentration and also to reduce the dead space of the measuring conduit, this measuring conduit comprises a single conduit member (2) through which the fluid flows: a pair of ultrasonic transducers (4a, 4b) attached to the conduit member so as to face each other along a line slanted with respect to a flow direction of the fluid; and a pair of light transmitting windows (5a, 5b) airtightly provided in the wall of the conduit member between the ultrasonic transducers so as to face each other. One (5a) of the light transmitting windows introduces a light beam from an external light source (8) into the conduit member (2). The other light transmitting window (5b) introduces the light penetrating the fluid flowing through the conduit member into a photo detecting element (13) of the measuring apparatus.
Abstract:
@ A low electric energy consumption circuit to detect parameters associated to the patient's respiration, suitable for the realization of implantable devices, such as implantable and physiologic pacemakers, is designed to detect, at the same sample rate of the impedance in a part of the patient's body, the voltage variations V (A ZL) corresponding to said impedance with both negative and positive variations from the base line. According to a first scheme, these variations V' (A ZL) are subsequently processed by means that produce a clean Your signal, e.g. a squared one, which shows a transition every time that the difference between minimum value and maximum value and maximum value and minimum value of the input signal exceeds a fixed a preferably programmable value. According to a second scheme, said variations V' (A ZL) are processed by means producing a signal proportional to the variation speed of the body impedance and by menas producing a signal Vm (A ZL) that is the mean value or the average of the values of the input signal and that is proportional to the patient's pulmonary ventilation (1/min).