Abstract:
An alarm circuit for a respiration monitoring system which, in response to electrical signals indicative of the occurrence of a breath, determines whether the time interval between successive breaths exceeds a first preset time interval. When this occurs, a warning indicator is activated and the circuit begins monitoring the respiration rate. If the rate during a second preset time interval is less than a first preset rate, a low rate indicator is activated and the circuit determines whether the respiration rate during the second time interval and a third preset time interval is less than a second preset rate which is greater than the first preset rate. If the rate exceeds the second preset rate, the warning and low rate indicators are deactivated. If the rate is less than the second preset rate, an apnea indicator is activated.
Abstract:
A floating differential input amplifier is connected through a first field-effect transistor gate to an input winding of a signal transformer. An oscillator is connected to a primary winding of a power isolation transformer which transformer has one secondary winding connected to a rectifier circuit which in turn is connected to supply bias power to the differential amplifier. Another secondary winding of the power isolation transformer is connected to operate the first field-effect transistor gate. The output winding of the signal transformer is connected through a second field-effect transistor gate in series with a coupling capacitor to the input of a potentiometric operational amplifier. The potentiometric operational amplifier is connected to a filter amplifier and an overload detection circuit. An integrating amplifier is connected between the output of the filter amplifier and the input of the potentiometric operational amplifier to provide DC base line correction. The overload detection circuit is connected to operate a field-effect transistor switch connected to the input of the potentiometric operational amplifier and through which the input coupling capacitor can be rapidly charged. A common-mode driver amplifier has one input connected through a resistance network to the inputs of the floating differential amplifier and the other input connected to the common ground of the output circuitry. The output of the common mode driver is connected to an electrostatic cable shield surrounding the input leads connected to the differential amplifier inputs.