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 smartphone or 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 measuring a 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.

1 . A portable electronic spirometer ( 1 ) comprising:
 (a) a tubular mouthpiece ( 2 ) with
 a proximal opening ( 3 ) for insertion into the mouth of a user, 
 a distal opening ( 4 ), 
 a main fluid channel ( 5 ) extending between the proximal opening ( 3 ) and the distal opening ( 4 ), 
 a first lateral opening ( 6 ), 
 a second lateral opening ( 7 ) positioned at a longitudinal distance to the first lateral opening ( 6 ), and 
 a flow restrictor ( 8 ) positioned in the main fluid channel ( 5 ) between the first and the second lateral opening ( 6  and  7 ); and 
   (b) a main body ( 9 ) with
 a first fluid opening ( 10 ) connectible with the first lateral opening ( 6 ) of the mouthpiece ( 2 ), 
 a second fluid opening ( 11 ) connectible with the second lateral opening ( 7 ) of the mouthpiece ( 2 ), 
 a bypass fluid channel ( 12 ) extending between the first and the second fluid opening ( 10  and  11 ), 
 a MEMS-based thermal fluid flow sensor ( 13 ) positioned at the bypass fluid channel ( 12 ) for generating a signal in response to the fluid flow in the bypass fluid channel ( 12 ), and 
 a microcontroller ( 14 ) connected with the fluid flow sensor ( 13 ) for calculating the fluid flow from the signal generated by the flow sensor ( 13 ). 
   
     
     
         2 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method for measuring a health parameter of a human subject selected from:
 (c) a forced vital capacity,   (d) a forced expiratory volume,   (e) a peak expiratory flow,   (f) a forced expiratory flow (FEF),   (g) a maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV),   (h) a mean expiratory flow,   (i) a slow vital capacity (SVC),   (j) a functional residual capacity (FRC),   (k) an expiratory reserve volume (ERV),   (l) a maximum speed of expiration,   (m) a forced inspiratory volume (FIV),   (n) a forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC),   (o) a peak inspiratory flow (PIF),   
       or any combination of these, the method comprising a step of the human subject performing a breathing manoeuvre through the spirometer ( 1 ) of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 the portable electronic spirometer ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , and   a first air quality measurement device comprising communication means adapted for data exchange with the portable electronic spirometer ( 1 ) and/or with a separate computing unit, and equipped with one or more air quality sensors, preferably selected from the group consisting of humidity sensors, temperature sensors, atmospheric pressure sensors, MOS-type gas sensors (metal-oxide-semiconductor), airborne-particles sensors, pollen sensors, ozone (O 3 ) sensors, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) sensors, sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) sensors and carbon monoxide (CO) sensors, for determining determine the air quality at the location of the first air quality measurement device, and optionally   a separate computing unit adapted to collect and analyse at least the data obtained from the spirometer ( 1 ) of  claim 1  and from the first air quality measurement device.   
     
     
         18 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method for measuring one or more health parameters of a human subject selected from
 a) a forced vital capacity (FVC),   b) a forced expiratory volume (FEV),   c) a peak expiratory flow (PEF),   d) a forced expiratory flow (FEF),   e) a maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV),   f) a mean expiratory flow,   g) a slow vital capacity (SVC),   h) a functional residual capacity (FRC),   i) an expiratory reserve volume (ERV),   j) a maximum speed of expiration,   k) a forced inspiratory volume (FIV),   l) a forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC),   m) a peak inspiratory flow (PIF),   or any combination of these, the method comprising a step of the human subject performing a breathing manoeuvre through the spirometer ( 1 ) of  claim 1 ;   wherein the one or more health parameters are correlated with air quality data, and optionally geolocalisation data, derived from the system of  claim 1 .