Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for determining when a partially or completely collapsed lung has been opened

US6116241A · kind A · utility

26Cited by

11References

17Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Elema AB · SE

Inventors

Paul Huygen · Abcoude, NL
Stephan Bohm · Oederan, DE
Burkhard Lachmann · Rotterdam, NL

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 8, 1997
Grant date	Sep 12, 2000
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 8, 2017

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61B7/003
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for determining when a partially or completely collapsed lung has been opened are based on the fact that in the course of opening an alveolus by supplying a gas pressure, the alveolus will generate a crackle sound. By listening to the crackle sounds via microphones, an apparatus can determine when the lung is completely open. The apparatus has a filter for filtering out the relevant frequencies for the crackle sounds and a determination unit for identifying the crackles and for determining when the lung is open based on the filtered out sounds.

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