초록 ▼

The invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for measuring and transferring the contents of a vessel. The apparatus includes an outer vessel having a liquid disposed therein and an inner vessel positioned to float in the liquid of the outer vessel. A liquid is also disposed in the inner

The invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for measuring and transferring the contents of a vessel. The apparatus includes an outer vessel having a liquid disposed therein and an inner vessel positioned to float in the liquid of the outer vessel. A liquid is also disposed in the inner vessel. An input passageway is associated with the inner vessel and at least one output passageway is associated with the outer vessel. A magnet or other sensed member is positioned on the inner vessel and a sensor, such as a Hall-effect sensor, is associated with the outer vessel. The sensor is configured so as to read the position of the inner vessel relative to the sensor to determine the weight of the inner vessel.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for measuring and transferring the contents of a vessel. The apparatus includes an outer vessel having a liquid disposed therein and an inner vessel positioned to float in the liquid of the outer vessel. A liquid is also disposed in the inner

The invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for measuring and transferring the contents of a vessel. The apparatus includes an outer vessel having a liquid disposed therein and an inner vessel positioned to float in the liquid of the outer vessel. A liquid is also disposed in the inner vessel. An input passageway is associated with the inner vessel and at least one output passageway is associated with the outer vessel. A magnet or other sensed member is positioned on the inner vessel and a sensor, such as a Hall-effect sensor, is associated with the outer vessel. The sensor is configured so as to read the position of the inner vessel relative to the sensor to determine the weight of the inner vessel. t least one respiratory cycle, and increasing or decreasing expiratory pressure in accordance with the derived measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression, wherein the measure of the degree of dynamic airway conductance is calculated as a function of the difference between the inspiratory conductance and the expiratory conductance. 8. A method as in claim 7 in which the expiratory pressure is increased or decreased by servo-controlling the measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression. 9. The method as in claim 8 in which expiratory pressure is increased if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is large or increasing, and expiratory pressure is reduced if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is small or zero. 10. A method as in claim 7 in which expiratory pressure is increased if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is large or increasing, and expiratory pressure is reduced if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is small or zero. 11. A method as in claim 7 in which said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is based upon a respiratory airflow determination made across a plurality of respiratory cycles. 12. A method as in claim 7 in which the separate conductances during inspiration and expiration are measured in accordance with the sub-steps of: superimposing a high-frequency oscillation on the variable pressure provided to the patient's airway, identifying the inspiratory and expiratory portions of each respiratory cycle, measuring the component of the respiratory airflow at said high frequency, separately over the inspiratory and expiratory portions of at least one respiratory cycle, and calculating the inspiratory and expiratory airway conductances from the high-frequency component airflow measurements. 13. An apparatus for determining a pressure response to ameliorate dynamic airway compression during ventilatory support comprising: an interface to a patient's airway and an exhaust, a means for supplying breathable gas at a controllable pressure to the interface, a means for deriving an airflow signal from said interface, and a controller means with programming instructions for: (a) controlling a variation of the pressure at the interface to provide ventilatory support to the patient; (b) controlling a determination of a measure of a degree of dynamic airway compression at least from calculated data representing the airflow signal; and (c) servo-controlling the measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression by increasing the controllable pressure during expiration if the measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is large or increasing, and decreasing the controllable pressure during expiration if the measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is small or zero, wherein said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is derived by analysis of the shape of the expiratory airflow versus time curve. 14. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression and said servo-controlling of said degree of dynamic airway compression are both based upon multiple respiratory airflow determinations made within each individual respiratory cycle. 15. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression and said servo-controlling of said degree of dynamic airway compression are both based upon a respiratory airflow determination made across a plurality of respiratory cycles. 16. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said instructions, during expiration, control an increase in expiratory pressure approximately linearly as a function of expired volume. 17. The apparatus of claim 13 in which said measure is zero when the expiratory airflow decays exponentially from the moment of the peak expiratory airflow to end expiration, but is large when the expiratory airflow decreases suddenly from the peak expirato ry flow and is then steady but non-zero for the remainder of expiration. 18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which said measure is the ratio of the mean expiratory airflow during approximately the last 25% of expiratory time to the peak expiratory flow. 19. An apparatus for determining a pressure response to ameliorate dynamic airway compression during ventilation support comprising: an interface to a patient's airway and an exhaust, a means for supplying breathable gas at a controllable pressure to the interface, a transducer for determining an airflow signal from said interface, and a processor with programmed instructions for controlling: (a) variation of the pressure at the interface to provide ventilatory support to the patient; (b) a determination of a measure of a degree of dynamic airway compression as a function of data representing the airflow by measuring airway conductance separately during inspiratory and expiratory portions of at least one respiratory cycle; and (c) increasing or decreasing expiratory pressure in accordance with the derived measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression, wherein the measure of the degree of dynamic airway conductance is calculated as a function of the difference between the inspiratory conductance and the expiratory conductance. 20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which said instructions for increasing or decreasing the pressure during expiration perform said increase or decrease by servo-controlling the measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression. 21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which expiratory pressure is increased if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is large or increasing, and expiratory pressure is reduced if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is small or zero. 22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which expiratory pressure is increased if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is large or increasing, and expiratory pressure is reduced if said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is small or zero. 23. The apparatus of claim 19 in which said measure of the degree of dynamic airway compression is based upon a respiratory airflow determination made across a plurality of respiratory cycles. 24. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the separate conductances during inspiration and expiration are measured in accordance with instructions controlling the sub-steps of: superimposing a high-frequency oscillation on the variable pressure provided to the patient's airway, identifying the inspiratory and expiratory portions of each respiratory cycle, measuring the component of the respiratory airflow at said high frequency, separately over the inspiratory and expiratory portions of at least one respiratory cycle, and calculating the inspiratory and expiratory airway conductances from the high-frequency component airflow measurements.