A method of assessing airway clearance therapy efficacy includes generating a pressure pulse in a respiratory device being used by a patient. The patient's lung impedance is measured during the pressure pulse and the patient's lung condition is assessed based on the patient's lung impedance. The patient's lung condition is then assessed after airway clearance therapy.

The present invention discloses a Lung condition monitoring device for performing ultrafast detection of humidity level in exhaled air while breathing out and therefrom detect condition of the human lungs in real time. The Lung 5 condition monitoring device comprises a mouthpiece for forcibly exhaling air there through, one or more humidity sensor to measure the variable electrical resistance based on level of adsorption of water molecules thereon of the humidity content of exhaled air and real time monitoring unit operatively connected to said humidity sensor and having correlating means for correlating 10 the change in humidity level and related variation in the electrical resistance due to exhalation to peak flow rate of the exhaled air for monitoring lung condition. The Lung condition monitoring device is also capable of wireless data transfer to any peripheral computing device such as mobile phone via wireless connectivity and show the test results on the mobile phone display with the help of a 15 proprietary application embodied in the phones operating system. The mobile interface increases the portability, data monitoring, and user friendliness of the device. Further, the mobile interface helps in storage and analysis of big time data for prognosis, diagnosis, and therapeutic purposes.

The present invention discloses a Lung condition monitoring device for performing ultrafast detection of humidity level in exhaled air while breathing out and therefrom detect condition of the human lungs in real time. The Lung 5 condition monitoring device comprises a mouthpiece for forcibly exhaling air there through, one or more humidity sensor to measure the variable electrical resistance based on level of adsorption of water molecules thereon of the humidity content of exhaled air and real time monitoring unit operatively connected to said humidity sensor and having correlating means for correlating 10 the change in humidity level and related variation in the electrical resistance due to exhalation to peak flow rate of the exhaled air for monitoring lung condition. The Lung condition monitoring device is also capable of wireless data transfer to any peripheral computing device such as mobile phone via wireless connectivity and show the test results on the mobile phone display with the help of a 15 proprietary application embodied in the phones operating system. The mobile interface increases the portability, data monitoring, and user friendliness of the device. Further, the mobile interface helps in storage and analysis of big time data for prognosis, diagnosis, and therapeutic purposes.

A nasal-cavity model generator (41) extracts pixels having pixel density values within a specific range from three-dimensional image data on a nasal cavity of a subject contained in DICOM data (21), and generates a nasal cavity model (50), which is a three-dimensional model of the nasal cavity, based on three-dimensional image data composed of the extracted pixels. A nasal-cavity resistance calculator (42) calculates a nasal cavity resistance (51) through fluid analysis using the nasal cavity model (50) generated by the nasal-cavity model generator (41). An adjuster (43) adjusts the specific range of the pixel density values of the pixels to be extracted for generation of the nasal cavity model (50) by the nasal-cavity model generator (41) such that the nasal cavity resistance (51) calculated by the nasal-cavity resistance calculator (42) is equal to a nasal cavity resistance (52) actually measured with a nasal-cavity draft gauge.

A nasal-cavity model generator (41) extracts pixels having pixel density values within a specific range from three-dimensional image data on a nasal cavity of a subject contained in DICOM data (21), and generates a nasal cavity model (50), which is a three-dimensional model of the nasal cavity, based on three-dimensional image data composed of the extracted pixels. A nasal-cavity resistance calculator (42) calculates a nasal cavity resistance (51) through fluid analysis using the nasal cavity model (50) generated by the nasal-cavity model generator (41). An adjuster (43) adjusts the specific range of the pixel density values of the pixels to be extracted for generation of the nasal cavity model (50) by the nasal-cavity model generator (41) such that the nasal cavity resistance (51) calculated by the nasal-cavity resistance calculator (42) is equal to a nasal cavity resistance (52) actually measured with a nasal-cavity draft gauge.

In certain embodiments, a ventilator may provide interactive guidance for obtaining a subject's expiratory flow limitation results. In some embodiments, the ventilator may cause a progressive color component to be presented, where the progressive color component indicates a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component. The ventilator may cause a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a time period. The ventilator may monitor the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on output signals generated by one or more sensors as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the time period. The ventilator may cause, based on the monitoring, a movable component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the time period to indicate the degree of expiratory flow limitation.

In certain embodiments, a ventilator may provide interactive guidance for obtaining a subject's expiratory flow limitation results. In some embodiments, the ventilator may cause a progressive color component to be presented, where the progressive color component indicates a progression from one color proximate one side of the progressive color component to another color proximate another side of the progressive color component. The ventilator may cause a forced oscillation to be continuously applied to an airway of the subject for a time period. The ventilator may monitor the subject's degree of expiratory flow limitation based on output signals generated by one or more sensors as the forced oscillation is continuously applied for the time period. The ventilator may cause, based on the monitoring, a movable component's position on the progressive color component to be continuously updated during the time period to indicate the degree of expiratory flow limitation.

Active auscultation may be used to determine organ (e.g., lung or heart) characteristics of users. An acoustic or piezo-electric signal (e.g., a pulse, a tone, and/or a broadband pulse) may be projected into an animal (typically human) body or thorax. The signal interacts with the body, or lungs, and in some cases may induce resonance within the body/lungs. A resultant signal may be emitted from the body which may be analyzed to determine, for example, a lung's resonant frequency or frequencies and/or how the sound is otherwise absorbed, reflected, or modified by the body. This information may be indicative of lung characteristics such as lung capacity, a volume of air trapped in the lungs, and/or the presence of COPD.

Active auscultation may be used to determine organ (e.g., lung or heart) characteristics of users. An acoustic or piezo-electric signal (e.g., a pulse, a tone, and/or a broadband pulse) may be projected into an animal (typically human) body or thorax. The signal interacts with the body, or lungs, and in some cases may induce resonance within the body/lungs. A resultant signal may be emitted from the body which may be analyzed to determine, for example, a lung's resonant frequency or frequencies and/or how the sound is otherwise absorbed, reflected, or modified by the body. This information may be indicative of lung characteristics such as lung capacity, a volume of air trapped in the lungs, and/or the presence of COPD.

The volume of a hyperinflated lung compartment is reduced by sealing a distal end of the catheter in an airway feeding the lung compartment. Air passes out of the lung compartment through a passage in the catheter while the patient exhales. A one-way flow element associated with the catheter prevents air from re-entering the lung compartment as the patient inhales. Over time, the pressure of regions surrounding the lung compartment cause it to collapse as the volume of air diminishes. Residual volume reduction effectively results in functional lung volume expansion. Optionally, the lung compartment may be sealed in order to permanently prevent air from re-entering the lung compartment.