Abstract: An apparatus is described (1) for measuring the blood flow (Vb) between the trunk and the extremities. Such an apparatus (1) comprises a whole body plethysmograph (102; 4, 12, 15, 40) for measuring the variations of gas volume in the lungs (?VL), a thoraco-abdominal plethysmograph (101, 2, 3) for measuring the volume variations of the trunk (?VCW) and a system for processing (20) allowing measurement of the said variations of gas volume of the lungs (?VL) and the volume variations of the trunk (?VCW) so as to compute the volume of blood shifted between the trunk and the extremities (Vb). Further a process is described for measuring the volume of blood shifted between the trunk and the extremities (Vb).

Abstract: To compensate for the poor signal-to-noise ratio when transforming a patient tracheal sound signal into a respiration flow signal, the transformed signal is used when the sound signal is above a threshold, and interpolated values are used when the sound signal is below the threshold. A volume of breath signal is reliably obtained. Respiration start/stop is detected either by analyzing the sound signal or by physical measurement of the patient. A wearable device incorporating the sound signal processing method can provide an immediate indication or alarm when the volume of breath signal indicates a condition requiring medical attention.

Abstract: A diagnostic method and apparatus for assessing lung tissue during breathing, transmits ultrasonic radiation into the lung tissue; reflected or echo radiation, is reflected dynamically by air spaces in the tissue; a signal is developed from the reflected or echo radiation as a dynamic real-time measure of parameters of the air spaces, particularly size and density or number, indicative of the state of the lung tissue.