Personalized Nutritional and Wellness Assistant

Abstract

The invention pertains to the establishment, implementation and management of a personalized information system pertinent to a user's general health, wellness and/or sport performance. A novel set of portable devices with calorimetric, metabolic sensing, computing and communication capabilities are used for non-stop real-time measurement and display as well as long-term logging of highly accurate information about a user's metabolic state. Continuous real-time feedback on the user's respiratory quotient (RQ) and other data may be provided. A novel dual-battery system is also provided by which an uninterrupted power supply can be provided for electronic components. The personalized information system is further designed to consider measured and calculated metabolic parameters in relation to manually specified, user-specific goal(s), and to provide feedback about the user's progress with regards to these goals over the short- and long term. The system may be used to continuously determine the real-time nutritional state, energy uptake and energy expenditure level of the user, and may provide subsequent personalized nutritional- and exercise guidance to advance the user's efficiency at achieving and maintaining his/her specific health, wellness and/or sport performance goal(s). The invention also integrates user information, such as, but not limited to real-time energy uptake and real-time energy balance with social networking/gaming and other social interactions.

1 . A portable device for analyzing the composition of the respired gasses of a subject, wherein the device comprises:
 (a) a body adapted to be held in a hand of the subject; and   (b) at least one air flow conduit through which the subject can inspire or expire air through the body of the device; and   (c) a sample analysis chamber; and   (d) at least one sampling portal through which air may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber, favoring net inflow of expired air into the sample analysis chamber as a result of a diodicity generated by the design of the air flow conduit and sampling portal; and   (e) an oxygen sensor for measuring the oxygen concentration of the air inside the sample analysis chamber; and   (f) at least one flow sensor for measuring the flow of inspired or expired air through the device.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an affixed connector for extending the air flow conduit beyond the outer perimeter of the device's body. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable connector for extending the air flow conduit beyond the outer perimeter of the device's body. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one purge portal through which the gas may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein a unidirectional valve is positioned across the opening of the purge portal, such that the fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the sampling portal, at the same time forcing some of the gasses inside of the sample analysis chamber to exit the chamber through the unidirectional valve. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein a unidirectional sampling valve is positioned across the opening of the sampling portal and across the opening of the purge portal such that the fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the unidirectional sampling valve, at the same time forcing some of the gas inside of the sample analysis chamber to exit the chamber through the purge portal. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein a unidirectional sampling valve is positioned across the opening of the sampling portal, such that the fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the unidirectional sampling valve. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sampling portal is designed such that the fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the sampling portal without the need for a unidirectional valve. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one active sampling mechanism for diverting exhaled air from the air flow conduit into the sample analysis chamber during or right after an exhalation. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one active sampling mechanism may be selected from the group comprising at least one controllable valve, at least one controllable sampling pump, at least one controllable vacuum pump, and at least one plunger that could cause a negative pressure inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan or a pump for forcing fresh air into the sample analysis chamber or the air flow conduit, thereby pushing the accumulated sampled gasses, vapors or condensates out of the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan or a pump for forcing the accumulated sampled gasses, vapors or condensates out of the sample analysis chamber, thus allowing fresh air to enter the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a flap or disk that can be opened for allowing fresh air to move into the sample analysis chamber or air flow conduit, while the accumulated sampled gas, vapors or condensates dissipate from the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a CO 2  sensor for measuring the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the CO 2  sensor makes use of at least one principle selected from the group consisting of electrochemistry, spectrophotometry, colorimetry, and chemistry. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the a oxygen sensor makes use of at least one principle selected from the group consisting of electrochemistry, spectrophotometry, colorimetry, and chemistry. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising vapor scrubbers for sequestering water vapor from the expired gasses to ensure that the various sensors of the sample analysis chamber may operate under conditions of humidity conductive to their correct performance. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the vapor scrubbers may be positioned alongside the air flow conduit, across the air flow conduit, inside the removable connector, inside the sampling portal, or inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one component for storing or transforming at least one detected signal of at least one sensor into data useful for further processing. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a component suitable for storing or executing or transmitting or receiving at least one mathematical function for generating at least one value of at least one parameter of physiology from the at least one detected sensor signal. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one parameter of physiology may be selected from the group comprising oxygen content of the expired gasses, carbon dioxide content of the expired gasses, breathing rate, minute volume, VO 2 , VCO 2 , Respiratory Exchange Ratio, Respiratory Quotient, Body Fat Percentage, Current Body Composition, Heart Rate and Overtraining. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one component suitable for storing the data generated by at least one mathematical function for subsequent retrieval or display. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one component by which the at least one parameter of physiology may be transmitted to another device to be relayed to the subject. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one light producing module and at least one light detecting module for measuring the cardiorespiratory profile of the subject to obtain information about the subject's heart rate, heart rate variability, pulse profile, left-right hand pulse profile comparison or breathing rate. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least two surface electrodes for measuring the bioelectrical impedance of a subject for calculating its body composition. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source for providing power to the components of the device. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one component for detecting the moment at which the detected signal from at least one of the sensors in the system has stabilized sufficiently to warrant that the data generated by the at least one sensor will be suitable for accurate estimation of the at least one parameter of physiology of the subject. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one component for detecting the moment at which the user's respiration cycle has stabilized to a point which indicates that the subject has reached a physiological state suitable for commencement or termination of gas analysis in the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the design of the air flow conduit or sampling portal is such that air flowing through the air flow conduit as a result of an inhalation will pass by the sampling portal with only a negligible amount entering the sample analysis chamber, while air flowing through the air flow conduit as a result of an exhalation will be subject to forces that causes a portion of the expired air to move through the sampling portal and into the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         32 . A method for analyzing the composition of respired gas of a subject, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 (a) providing at least one air flow conduit through which the subject can inspire or expire air through the body of the device;   (b) providing a sample analysis chamber positioned within the body;   (c) providing at least one sampling portal through which air may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber;   (d) providing an oxygen sensor for measuring the oxygen concentration of the air inside the sample analysis chamber; and   (e) providing at least one flow sensor for measuring the flow of inspired or expired air through the device.