Patent · US Expired

Method for correcting the drift offset of a transducer

US5450336A · kind A · utility

102Cited by
77References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 29, 1993
Grant dateSep 12, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 29, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61M2205/8212
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for correcting the drift offset of a transducer is disclosed which method is used in connection with a portable, battery-powered, hand-held system for releasing a controlled dose of aerosol medication for inhalation by a patient. The device includes a durable body and a medication cassette inserted in the durable body. The body includes a flow sensor having an asymmetrical orifice that is calibrated, independent of the cassette, to convert the sensed pressure due to flow into a flow rate. The orifice is separately calibrated for an inhalation flow rate range and an exhalation flow rate range over a selected number of known flow rates. The sensed pressure value is corrected for transducer offset drift and converted to a flow rate using the calibration data and piecewise linear interpolation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.