Abstract: A side-stream respiration monitoring system that is configured to generate an alignment57, 59 signal and assess information that is derived in part from the alignment signal to align in a time domain the respiration flow and composition information. The system includes an analyzer that is fluidly connected to a flow sensor that is disposed in a respiration flow path. The system includes a controller that is configured to initiate delivery of the alignment signal to the flow sensor during a portion of at least one breath cycle. The controller is configured to determine a flow rate of respiration flow and at least a portion of a composition of the respiration flow on a breath-by-breath basis and temporally associate the respiration flow value and the determined portion(s) of the composition of the respiration flow as a function of information associated with the alignment signal generated by the analyzer.

Abstract: A gas flow diverter for increasing the turbulence of an incoming respiratory gas flow through a respiratory gas sensor is provided. The diverter is positioned at a patient or inlet end of a tube section of the sensor in order to divert the respiratory gas flow from the patient generally equally across the cross-sectional area of the tube section. The diverter can be formed integrally as a part of the sensor, or can be releasably attached to the sensor or to an adapter that is releasably connected to the inlet end of the sensor for use in situations in which the volume of the incoming respiratory gas flow from the patient is greatly reduced due to the size of the patient, i.e., when the patient is an infant.

Abstract: A side-stream respiration monitoring system includes a sensor, a monitor, and a display. The sensor is constructed to engage respiration flows having a variable flow amounts and acquire a respiration sample from the flow. The monitor is connected to the sensor and configured to determine the amount of respiration flow as well as the amount of several constituents of the respiration flow such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and nitrous oxide. The monitor is also configured to adjust the determined values for ambient environment variations and is self-calibrating with respect to the ambient conditions. The monitor temporally aligns the acquired data to account for dead-space respiration events and physiological respiration modifications such as cardiac events. Information generated by the monitor is communicated to an operator via a display configured to display the real-time respiration performance.

Abstract: A gas flow diverter for increasing the turbulence of an incoming respiratory gas flow through a respiratory gas sensor is provided. The diverter is positioned at a patient or inlet end of a tube section of the sensor in order to divert the respiratory gas flow from the patient generally equally across the cross-sectional area of the tube section. The diverter can be formed integrally as a part of the sensor, or can be releasably attached to the sensor or to an adapter that is releasably connected to the inlet end of the sensor for use in situations in which the volume of the incoming respiratory gas flow from the patient is greatly reduced due to the size of the patient, i.e., when the patient is an infant.