Disclosed are biofeedback methods and devices suitable for providing biofeedback useful for helping a user control an own breathing, for example, to help in inducing deep breathing, and such biofeedback devices further comprising a dispenser for dispensing an inhalable substance.

The invention discloses a noninvasive spontaneous respiratory monitoring device, which comprises a sensing patch that can be placed in proximity to the nasal airway of a patient. The sensing patch measures both the flow profile and carbon dioxide concentration of a patient and wirelessly transmits the acquired data to the control circuitry for synchronizing the respiratory support of a mechanical ventilator. The device can also be used as a standalone unit for monitoring for the diagnosis purposes the spontaneous respiratory function of a patient with respiratory dysfunction.

Monitors for evaluating airway procedures, particularly in a pre-hospital environment, are described herein. In an example method, an airway parameter of an individual receiving assisted ventilation is detected by an airway sensor. A monitor determines a metric based on the airway sensor. Further, the monitor performs an action based on the metric.

A detection device for detecting characteristics of a mixed fluid containing different types of substances with different thermal properties within a prescribed range, includes: one or a plurality of heaters for heating the mixed fluid; a plurality of temperature detectors for detecting the temperature of the mixed fluid heated; a flow rate calculation unit for calculating the flow rate of the mixed fluid using the output from at least a portion of the plurality of temperature detectors; a correspondence relation storage unit that stores the correspondence relation between the output from the temperature detectors for a prescribed flow rate and the mixture ratio of the substances in the mixed fluid; and a mixture ratio calculation unit for calculating the mixture ratio of the substances in the mixed fluid on the basis of the output from the temperature detectors and the correspondence relation.

Various embodiments of the disclosed technology present a structural foundation for volumetric flow reconstructions for expiratory modeling enabled through multi-modal imaging for pulmonology. In some embodiments, this integrated multi-modal system includes infrared (IR) imaging, thermal imaging of carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), depth imaging (D), and visible spectrum imaging. These multiple image modalities can be integrated into flow models of exhale behaviors enable the creation of three-dimensional volume reconstructions based on visualized CO.sub.2 distributions over time, formulating a four-dimensional exhale model which can be used to estimate various pulmonological traits (e.g., breathing rate, flow rate, exhale velocity, nose/mouth distribution, tidal volume estimation, and CO.sub.2 density distributions). Various embodiments also enable the accurate acquisition of numerous pulmonary metrics that are then stored within distributed systems for respiratory data analytics and feature extraction through deep learning embodiments.

A pulmonary neuromuscular metrics device that allows the measurement of pulmonary neuromuscular metrics, that is, breathing power, force, and work (that is, energy expended), in patients with neuromuscular conditions. The device may be used in the medical office or remotely at a patient's house, thereby allowing the patient to be followed medically without the need for more frequent and repeated office visits.

A conventional flow tube for a metabolic cart is usually a straight length of pipe whose inner diameter is fixed by the respiratory burden imposed by the flow tube on the user, with a smaller diameter imposing a higher respiratory burden. The ratio of the straight flow tube's length to diameter is fixed by fluid dynamics, so increasing the flow tube's diameter causes the flow tube's length to increase. As the flow tube gets longer, it exerts more torque on the user's neck and jaw, creating discomfort. Reducing the flow tube's length causes an undesired increase in the respiratory burden but increasing the flow tube's diameter to reduce the respiratory burden makes the flow tube less comfortable, making the flow tube unconformable, hard to breathe through, or both. Bending the flow tube makes it possible to increase the flow tube's propagation length without increasing the flow tube's lever arm length.

An arousal level prediction apparatus and method are disclosed. The arousal level prediction apparatus obtains first biological information indicating current biological information of the user, obtains first environment information indicating a current environment around the user, and obtains living information of the user indicating an activity history of the user. The arousal level predication apparatus includes a process that calculates a first arousal level indicating a current arousal level of the user based on the first biological information, predicts a second arousal level, which is an arousal level of the user at a certain period of time later, based on the first arousal level, the first environment information and the living information, and outputs the second arousal level.

Devices and methods for predicting, identifying and/or managing pneumonia are disclosed and may generally comprise a housing, a mouthpiece in communication with the housing and configured for insertion within a mouth, a temperature sensor positioned within or along the housing, a pulse oximeter sensor positioned along the housing for sensing a heart rate or blood oxygen level, a microphone positioned within or along the housing for obtaining sounds associated with respiration, and a controller configured to receive physiologic parameters including the temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen level, and sounds associated with respiration. The controller can determine a likelihood of contracting pneumonia, a presence of pneumonia, or a status of pneumonia within the user based on deviations from a threshold value which are present in at least two of the physiologic parameters.

A multivariate spirometer and associated systems and methods are described. The spirometer has a housing defining a flow path and one or more sensors for detecting CO.sub.2 concentration values, temperature and/or flow rates of air in the flow path. The spirometer may be configured to generate time series data by sampling CO.sub.2 concentration values, temperature and/or flow rates at a predetermined frequency during inhalation and/or exhalation. Optionally, a processor is used to generate one or more output readings based on the CO.sub.2 concentration values, temperatures and/or flow rates.