Portable spirometer

Abstract

The invention relates to a spirometer (1) comprising a MEMS-based thermal fluid flow sensor (13, 13.1, 13.2) for generating a signal in response to a fluid flow generated during inhalation or exhalation; and a microcontroller (14) for calculating the fluid flow from the signal generated by the flow sensor (13, 13.1, 13.2). The spirometer (1) may be connected to other devices, such as a smartphoneor a personal computer or any other computing unit which is adapted to collect, store, analyse, exchange and / or display data. The invention further describes the use of the spirometer (1) in measuringa user's lung performance and / or monitoring it over time. Furthermore, the spirometer (1) may be provided in a system together with an air quality measurement device for determining the air quality at a location of interest; and a computing unit for collecting, analysing and correlating the user's lung performance data obtained from the spirometer (1) with the air quality data, and optionally geolocalisation data of said location.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a portable spirometry device or spirometer, and a method of using said device to determine lung function parameters. Background technique [0002] Spirometry is the most common test used to determine or assess lung function based on lung function parameters related to the amount (volume) and / or velocity (flow or velocity) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled under exerted or normal breathing conditions one. The primary signals measured in spirometry may be volume and / or flow. Results are presented as raw data (litres, litres / sec) and predicted (ie in relation to predicted values ​​for patients with similar parameters such as height, age, sex, weight and sometimes race) as percentages. Interpretation of results may vary slightly due to the variety of publications for which predicted values ​​are available, but in general, results close to 100% predicted are most normal, and results ≥80% are usually considered normal ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, to the best of the inventors' knowledge, this concept of using MEMS-based thermal fluid flow sensors for flow measurement in medical devices has never before been translated into an existing operational functional spirometer, that is, Until the present invention, it was unclear whether the concept could be practically implemented and how to achieve accurate, reproducible or accurate spirometer flow measurement

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