Importance

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Abstract

A system for real time, breath by breath sampling of a patient receiving up to 100 percent oxygen to determine nutritional requirements of the patient through indirect calorimetry includes a pneumotach member for measuring the volume rate of flow of inspired and expired gas flow at the patient/endotracheal tube/ventilator connection. A sample line extends from the pneumotach to a gas analyzer which measures the percent concentration of constituent respiratory gases in the expired gas flow. A flowmeter is coupled to the gas analyzer for determining the volume flow rate of the expiratory gas flow through the sample line. A microprocessor control samples the analog electrical signals from the gas analyzer, the flow meter and the pneumotach in a predetermined sequence, dynamically compensating for variations in gas flow rate. The analog electrical signals are converted into digital quantities representative of the analog electrical signals from which the necessary calculations are made to determine nutritional requirements.

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First Claim