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 set of portable device with calorimetric, metabolic sensing, computing and communication capabilities are used for real-time measurement and display as well as long-term logging of highly accurate information about a user's metabolic state. In an aspect, the invention comprises a portable and hand-held indirect calorimetric device with the capacity to obtain the metabolic parameters of a subject by analyzing the composition of both inspired air and/or expired air of the user.

1 .- 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A portable device for analyzing a composition of a respired gas of a subject, wherein the device comprises:
 (a) a body adapted to be held in a hand of the subject;   (b) at least one air flow conduit through which the subject can inspire or expire air through the body of the device;   (c) a sample analysis chamber contained within the body of the device;   (d) at least one sampling portal connected to the sample analysis chamber and through which the air may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber, wherein the at least one sampling portal is configured to favor a net inflow of expired air into the sample analysis chamber as a result of a diodicity generated by the design of the at least one air flow conduit and the at least one sampling portal;   (e) an oxygen sensor within the body of the device, the oxygen sensor configured for measuring the oxygen concentration of air inside the sample analysis chamber; and   (f) at least one flow sensor within the body of the device, the at least one flow sensor configured for measuring the flow of inspired or expired air through the portable device.   
     
     
         60 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising an affixed connector for extending the at least one air flow conduit beyond an outer perimeter of the body of the device. 
     
     
         61 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a removable connector for extending the at least one air flow conduit beyond an outer perimeter of the body of the device. 
     
     
         62 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least one purge portal through which the gasses may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         63 . The device of  claim 62 , wherein a unidirectional valve is positioned across an opening of the at least one purge portal, such that fluid forces of an exhalation of the subject causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the at least one sampling portal, at the same time forcing some of the gasses inside of the sample analysis chamber to exit the sample analysis chamber through the unidirectional valve. 
     
     
         64 . The device of  claim 62 , wherein a unidirectional sampling valve is positioned across an opening of the at least one sampling portal and across an opening of the at least one purge portal such that 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 sample analysis chamber through the at least one purge portal. 
     
     
         65 . The device of  claim 59 , wherein a unidirectional sampling valve is positioned across an opening of the at least one sampling portal, such that fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the unidirectional sampling valve. 
     
     
         66 . The device of  claim 59 , wherein the at least one sampling portal is designed such that fluid forces of an exhalation causes some of the exhaled air to enter the sample analysis chamber through the at least one sampling portal without the need for a unidirectional valve. 
     
     
         67 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least one active sampling mechanism for diverting exhaled air from the at least one air flow conduit into the sample analysis chamber during or right after an exhalation. 
     
     
         68 . The device of  claim 67 , wherein the at least one active sampling mechanism may be selected from the group consisting of at least one controllable valve, at least one controllable sampling pump, at least one controllable vacuum pump, and at least one plunger, wherein the at least one active sampling mechanism causes a negative pressure inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         69 . The device of  claim 59 , further configured to actively force fresh air into the sample analysis chamber or the at least one air flow conduit, thereby pushing the accumulated sampled gasses, vapors or condensates out of the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         70 . The device of  claim 59 , further configured to actively force the accumulated sampled gasses, vapors or condensates out of the sample analysis chamber, thus allowing fresh air to enter the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         71 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a flap or disk that can be opened for allowing fresh air to move into the sample analysis chamber or the at least one air flow conduit, while the accumulated sampled gas, vapors or condensates dissipate from the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         72 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a CO 2  sensor for measuring the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         73 . The device of  claim 72 , wherein the CO 2  sensor makes use of at least one principle selected from the group consisting of electrochemistry, spectrophotometry, colorimetry, and chemistry. 
     
     
         74 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         75 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the air inside the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         76 . The device of  claim 59 , wherein the oxygen sensor makes use of at least one principle selected from the group consisting of electrochemistry, spectrophotometry, colorimetry, and chemistry. 
     
     
         77 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor comprises the oxygen sensor, and vapor scrubbers for sequestering water vapor from the expired gasses to ensure that the at least one sensor of the sample analysis chamber may operate under conditions of humidity conductive to their correct performance. 
     
     
         78 . The device of  claim 77 , 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. 
     
     
         79 . The device of  claim 59 , 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 wherein the at least one sensor comprises the oxygen sensor and the at least one flow sensor. 
     
     
         80 . The device of  claim 59 , 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 at least one detected sensor signal. 
     
     
         81 . The device of  claim 80 , wherein the at least one parameter of physiology may be selected from the group consisting of 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. 
     
     
         82 . The device of  claim 80 , further comprising at least one component suitable for storing the data generated by at least one mathematical function for subsequent retrieval or display. 
     
     
         83 . The device of  claim 80 , 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. 
     
     
         84 . The device of  claim 59 , 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. 
     
     
         85 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least two surface electrodes for measuring the bioelectrical impedance of a subject for calculating its body composition. 
     
     
         86 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising a power source for providing power to the components of the device. 
     
     
         87 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least one component for detecting a moment at which a detected signal from at least one sensor in the device has stabilized sufficiently to warrant that data generated by the at least one sensor will be suitable for accurate estimation of at least one parameter of physiology of the subject. 
     
     
         88 . The device of  claim 59 , further comprising at least one component for detecting a moment at which a respiration cycle of the subject 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. 
     
     
         89 . The device of  claim 59 , wherein the at least one air flow conduit or the at least one sampling portal are configured such that air flowing through the at least one air flow conduit as a result of an inhalation will pass by the at least one sampling portal with only a negligible amount entering the sample analysis chamber, while air flowing through the at least one 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 at least one sampling portal and into the sample analysis chamber. 
     
     
         90 . A method for analyzing the composition of respired gas of a subject, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 (g) providing at least one air flow conduit through which the subject can inspire or expire air through the body of the device;   (h) providing a sample analysis chamber positioned within the body;   (i) providing at least one sampling portal through which air may move into or out of the sample analysis chamber;   (j) providing an oxygen sensor for measuring the oxygen concentration of the air inside the sample analysis chamber; and   (k) providing at least one flow sensor for measuring the flow of inspired or expired air through the device.