Medical device for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user, a mouthpiece for such medical device and method for using such medical device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical device for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user, comprising at least one mouthpiece, and a transducer housing, the at least one mouthpiece and the transducer housing being separate elements, the at least one mouthpiece being physically attached to the transducer housing, the at least one mouthpiece, when attached to the transducer housing, being capable of passing at least part of a flow of exhaled or inhaled air through the mouthpiece to the transducer housing, wherein a sensor of the transducer housing is capable of measuring one or more characteristics of the flow of exhaled or inhaled air passed to the transducer housing and of providing data of the flow of exhaled air passed to the transducer housing. Also, the present invention relates to a mouthpiece for such medical device and a method and a system for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . Medical device for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user, comprising:
 at least one mouthpiece, and   a transducer housing, the at least one mouthpiece and the transducer housing being separate elements, the at least one mouthpiece being physically attached to the transducer housing, the at least one mouthpiece, when attached to the transducer housing, being capable of passing at least part of a flow of exhaled or inhaled air through the mouthpiece to the transducer housing, wherein a sensor of the transducer housing is capable of measuring one or more characteristics of the flow of exhaled or inhaled air passed to the transducer housing and of providing data of the flow of exhaled air passed to the transducer housing.   
     
     
         22 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one mouthpiece and the transducer housing, when being physically attached to each other, together constitute a hand-held medical device. 
     
     
         23 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one mouthpiece is void of electronic elements having physical contact with an interior of the flow channel, such as void of electronic elements for measuring characteristics of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air passed to the transducer housing. 
     
     
         24 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the mouthpiece is provided with a flow channel having a first orifice and a second orifice, the first orifice being intended for a user to blow exhaled air or to draw inhaled air into the mouthpiece, and the second orifice being intended for discharge from the mouthpiece or intake of the exhaled air or inhaled air. 
     
     
         25 . Medical device according to  claim 24 , wherein the mouthpiece comprises a restriction or an obstruction configured to create a pressure drop. 
     
     
         26 . Medical device according to  claim 25 , wherein the restriction or obstruction is a decreasing cross-sectional area of the flow channel, the restriction or obstruction is the cross-sectional area at the second orifice being smaller than cross-sectional area at the first orifice. 
     
     
         27 . Medical device according to  claim 25 , comprising several mouthpieces, and the transducer housing comprises means for registering, such as a detector, configured to detect which of the mouthpieces is attached to the transducer housing. 
     
     
         28 . Medical device according to  claim 27 , wherein the restriction or obstruction of one mouthpiece is smaller than another of the several mouthpieces. 
     
     
         29 . Medical device according to  claim 24 , wherein the mouthpiece is also provided with an air passage having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected with the flow channel and the outlet being fluidly connected with a sensor of the transducer housing, said air passage being capable of passing at least part of the exhaled air or inhaled air from the flow channel to the sensor of the transducer housing. 
     
     
         30 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the mouthpiece has a first position in relation to the transducer housing, in which first position the first orifice of the mouthpiece is at least partly blocked for exhalation or inhalation of air by a user through the mouthpiece to the transducer housing, the mouthpiece having a second position in relation to the transducer, in which second position the first orifice of the mouthpiece is fully open for exhalation or inhalation of air by a user through the mouthpiece to the transducer, and wherein said mouthpiece is attached to the transducer in both the first position and the second position, so that the mouthpiece and the transducer constitute a single unit, both when in use for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user and when not in use. 
     
     
         31 . Medical device according to  claim 29 , wherein the mouthpiece has a first position in relation to the transducer housing, in which first position the air passage is at least partly blocked for air to pass from the mouthpiece to the transducer housing, the mouthpiece having a second position in relation to the transducer housing, in which second position the air passage is fully open for air to pass from the mouthpiece to the transducer housing, and wherein said mouthpiece is attached to the transducer housing in both the first position and the second position, so that the mouthpiece and the transducer housing constitute a single unit, both when in use for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user and when not in such use. 
     
     
         32 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein the at least one mouthpiece has:
 a first status in relation to the attachment to the transducer housing, in which first status measuring the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air passed to the sensor of the transducer housing is disabled, and   a second status in relation to the attachment to the transducer housing, in which second status measuring the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air passed to the sensor of the transducer housing is enabled.   
     
     
         33 . Medical device according to  claim 32 , wherein the first status is a retracted position of the mouthpiece in relation to the transducer housing, and the second status is an extended position of the mouthpiece in relation to the transducer housing. 
     
     
         34 . Medical device according to  claim 33 , wherein the mouthpiece is attached to the transducer housing via a pivot joint having a pivot axis, so that the mouthpiece is capable of pivoting in relation to the transducer, the mouthpiece in a first pivoted position being in the retracted position in relation to the transducer housing, and the mouthpiece in a second pivoted position being in the extended position in relation to the transducer housing. 
     
     
         35 . Medical device according to  claim 34 , wherein the air passage extends along and parallel with the pivot axis of the pivot joint. 
     
     
         36 . Medical device according to  claim 21 , wherein a transmitter of the transducer housing is capable of transmitting the data of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air passed to the transducer housing further on to a remote data receiver, said data being correlated with a user of the medical device, and the remote data receiver being located by at least one of the following recipients of the data: a hospital medicating the user, a doctor of the user, a relative of the user, the user herself or himself. 
     
     
         37 . A method for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user of a medical device according to  claim 21 , comprising:
 displacing the mouthpiece from a retracted position to an extended position for measuring a flow of air exhaled or inhaled by the user and blown or drawn into the mouthpiece,   the user blowing air into a first orifice of the mouthpiece, through a flow channel of the mouthpiece and through a second orifice of the mouthpiece,   passing at least part of the flow of air from the flow channel of the mouthpiece to an air passage between the mouthpiece and the transducer housing,   passing the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air from the air passage to a sensor of the transducer housing for measuring characteristics such as air pressure of the flow or air, and   displaying data related to the characteristics of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air, said data being displayed on the transducer and/or on a remote data receiver .   
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 37 , further comprising:
 measuring and recording, by the transducer housing and/or by a remote data receiver , first data of a first exhalation or inhalation and blowing of air or drawing of air into the mouthpiece,   measuring and recording, by the transducer housing and/or by a remote data receiver , second data of a second exhalation or inhalation and blowing of air or drawing of air into the mouthpiece, said first data and said second data being measured and recorded with a time interval between measuring the first data and the second data,   measuring a possible change of data between the first data and the second data so as to establish any difference between the first data and the second data, and   using a possible change between the first data and the second data to establish whether the physiological pulmonary condition of the user is deteriorating or improving.   
     
     
         39 . A mouthpiece for a medical device according to  claim 21 , comprising a flow channel for a user to blow exhaled air into or to draw inhaled air into, said mouthpiece being void of electronic elements exposed to an interior of the flow channel, with the proviso that said electronic elements are for measuring characteristics of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air, and said mouthpiece being provided with at least one air passage for passing of at least part of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air from the flow channel of the mouthpiece, out of the mouthpiece, and to an exterior transducer for measuring characteristics of the flow of exhaled air or inhaled air. 
     
     
         40 . A system for monitoring a physiological pulmonary condition of a user, comprising:
 a medical device according to  claim 21 ,   a data transmission channel between the medical device and a remote data receiver,   a data recording means for recording data received by the remote data receiver,   the data transmission channel being at least one of the following wireless data transmission channels: WPAN such as Bluetooth, WLAN such as Wi-Fi, WMAN such as WiMAX and mobile/cellular networks, and   the data recording means being embedded in at least one of the following remote data receivers: a mobile phone or cellular phone, a watch or other wearable, a tablet, a laptop,   wherein the data recording means are capable of recording first data and second data, the second data being different from the first data, and are provided with data displaying means for displaying the first data and the second data.