CN211432918U

CN211432918U - A equipment for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide

Info

Publication number: CN211432918U
Application number: CN201920902319.1U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 巴尔·约霍尔; 海伦·韦斯特布鲁克; 卡塔尔·杜根; 詹姆斯·詹美森
Original assignee: Cherkassia GmbH
Current assignee: Cherkassia GmbH
Priority date: 2019-06-14
Filing date: 2019-06-14
Publication date: 2020-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-14

Abstract

The utility model discloses a diagnostic measuring equipment for nitric oxide, equipment includes: sensor capable of detecting nitric oxide at a concentration of 5ppb, a scrubber for providing air free of nitric oxide to the sensor, valves and tubing for receiving a sample of exhaled air, and a user interface, which components are integrated in a housing (1), wherein the housing (1) comprises a handle (2), the user interface comprises a display (3) arranged on a first surface of the housing, and the first surface of the housing (1) is offset from the vertical by an angle a, the angle a being in the interval 15 degrees to 35 degrees.

Description

A equipment for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of diagnostic measurements of one or more components in exhaled breath, such as endogenous Nitric Oxide (NO), and in particular to a new housing for a diagnostic device comprising a central component such as, but not limited to, an arrangement for taking a sample of exhaled air, a sensor for detecting the one or more components, a flow/pressure sensor, control electronics and a display.

Background

The original report of the presence of Nitric Oxide (NO) in exhaled breath of mammals, including humans (GustafssonLE, Leone AM, Persson MG, Wiklund NP, Moncada S. endogenesis nitrile oxide present in the exhaled air of rabbits, guinea pigs and humanes (Endogenous nitric oxide is present in exhaled breath of rabbits, guinea pigs and humans), Biochem Biophys Commun (Biochemical and biophysical research communication), 1991; 181: 852) 857), and the finding of elevated levels in asthmatic patients (proving K, WeitzbergE, Lundberg JM. incorporated amino acid of nitrile oxide in exhaled air of asthmatics (Increased nitric oxide content in exhaled breath of asthmatics)), Eur pir J. 1993; 6: 1368-. In 5 months 2019, the article by Gustafsson et al was cited 732 times, and the article by Alving et al was cited 989 times. It is now well known that the concentration of NO in exhaled breath is closely related to the degree of eosinophilic inflammation in the airways and NO measurement has become a valuable tool in diagnosing asthma and monitoring treatment of asthmatic patients.

Initially, most measurements were performed using a fixed chemiluminescence-based NO analyzer, which provided new insights in research laboratories, but they were not suitable for primary health care environments. It is quickly realized that portable and even hand-held NO analyzers are of value in both professional and primary health care. NIOX MINO^®And NIOX VERO^®(sweden CIRCASSIA AB) represents a breakthrough in user-friendliness and has found application in global doctor's offices and healthcare centers.

In the summer of 1997, the European Journal of respiration (European Respiratory Journal) published guidelines for standardized NO measurements (ERS task force report 10: 1683-. Later, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) also published clinical NO measurement guidelines (American Thoracic Society, American Lung Association medical department: Recommendations for standardized procedures for the long and the short measurements of exhaled lower respiratory tract nitric oxide and nasal nitric oxide in both the amounts and the off-line measurement standardization procedures for adults and children, see Am J Rapid Heart disease Med, 1999; 160: 2104-2117). These recommendations have been updated and in 2018, the Global Asthma Initiative (GINA) promulgated a Global Asthma management and prevention strategy (reviewed in www.ginasthma.org in its entirety).

To ensure that each test is performed according to these guidelines, considerable effort has been invested in user interfaces and the devices are self-instructing and user-friendly, thereby achieving high success rates and performing analyses on samples when they are taken using the devices.

The trend to bring diagnostic and monitoring equipment to the home or the workplace of a patient places further demands on the construction of the device to ensure that the device is safe, durable, reliable and user friendly. To date, only two devices of suitable size and clinical availability have been introduced on the market, namely NIOX MINO^®And NIOX VERO^®. While representing a breakthrough in reliability and user-friendliness, these devices can of course still be improved.

However, it is a challenge to design a device that includes and encompasses all the necessary functions, including but not limited to sensitive and reliable sensors for detecting ppb concentrations of NO, valves and tubes for handling incoming exhaled breath in a controlled manner, flow and/or pressure sensors, and interfaces for providing feedback to the patient using the device and for displaying the measurement results. Furthermore, the different components set specific requirements with regard to, for example, operating temperature, humidity, etc.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure addresses many of the shortcomings of prior art devices and provides a new and more robust and user friendly housing. According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a device for diagnostic measurement of Nitric Oxide (NO), the device comprising a sensor capable of detecting NO at a concentration of 5ppb, a scrubber for providing NO-free air to the sensor, a valve and tubing for receiving a sample of exhaled air, and a user interface, these components being integrated in a housing, wherein:

-the housing comprises a carrying handle,

-the user interface comprises a display arranged on a first surface of the housing, and

-said first surface of the housing is offset from the vertical by an angle a in the interval of about 15 degrees to about 35 degrees.

According to an embodiment of the first aspect, the display is a touch screen.

According to another embodiment, which can be freely combined with the above-described embodiments, the carrying handle is an integral part of the housing.

According to a further embodiment, which can also be freely combined with the above-described embodiments, the scrubber is arranged inside the housing and is connected to the environment by a channel which is open to the environment and has a twisted path.

According to another embodiment, which can also be freely combined with the above-described embodiments, the scrubber comprises potassium percarbonate and optionally further filter material enclosed in a transparent container, wherein the container can be inspected through the housing directly or optionally after opening a discrete part of the housing.

According to another embodiment, the device includes a holder for receiving a handpiece connected to the sensor, a valve and tubing for receiving a sample of exhaled air through the tube.

According to an embodiment, the handpiece further comprises a NO scrubber for providing NO-free air to the patient when inhaling through the handpiece.

Preferably, the hand piece is adapted to receive a disposable mouthpiece, and wherein the holder is positioned such that the hand piece cannot be placed into the holder without removing the disposable mouthpiece.

Drawings

The invention will be described in more detail in the following description, non-limiting examples and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 schematically shows a device having a housing 1, a handle 2 integrated in or with the housing, a display 3 and a holder 4 for a handpiece (not shown).

Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a device with a housing 1, a carrying handle 2 integrated in the housing, and a display 3.

Fig. 3 shows a front view of the device with a housing 1, a carrying handle 2 integrated in said housing, a display 3, a holder 4 for a handpiece 5, the handpiece 5 being connected to sensors and other parts of the device by a tube 6. The handpiece is adapted to receive and retain a disposable mouthpiece or patient filter.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the device 1 with the handpiece 5 and the connecting tube 6, where α denotes the angle of the front surface and the display with respect to the vertical.

Fig. 5 shows a relative side view of the device 1 with the handpiece 5 and the connecting tube 6, where α denotes the angle of the front surface and the display with respect to the vertical. In addition, it is shown how the holder 4 is positioned such that the hand piece 5 cannot be placed in the holder without removing the disposable mouthpiece (not shown).

Fig. 6 shows the back of the device 1 with the holder 4, the handpiece 5 and the connecting tube 6 and the openings 7 and 8, the openings 7 and 8 being for the proximity sensor and the washer, respectively.

Detailed Description

Before the present invention is described, it is to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The present disclosure addresses many of the shortcomings of prior art devices and provides a new, rugged and user-friendly housing. According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a device for diagnostic measurement of Nitric Oxide (NO), the device comprising a sensor capable of detecting NO at a concentration of 5ppb, a scrubber for providing NO-free air to the sensor, a valve and tubing for receiving a sample of exhaled air, and a user interface, these components being integrated in a housing, said device being characterized in that:

-the housing comprises a carrying handle,

According to an embodiment of the first aspect, the display is a touch screen.

According to another embodiment, the device includes a holder for receiving a handpiece connected to the sensor, a valve and tubing for receiving the exhaled air sample through the tube. The handpiece is preferably adapted to receive and retain a disposable mouthpiece or patient filter. The function of the mouthpiece or patient filter is to keep the device hygienic, as the patient will inhale and exhale through the mouthpiece using the integrated particulate filter.

Examples of the invention

Example 1 upgrading existing Equipment

Disassembling existing devices (NIOX VERO)^®) But maintains the spatial interrelationship of the pressure sensors, flow regulators, scrubbers, buffer chambers, electrochemical sensors, pipes and valves of the original device, and the components inserted into the housing 1 as shown in fig. 1 to 6. Internal testing has shown that the inclined front surface reduces glare on the display screen and, together with a wide base and a stable configuration, operation of the touch screen becomes easier. In addition, the shape of the housing allows the use of a larger display (8 inches or more) than the original device (about 5 inches). Furthermore, the position of the holder 4 ensures that the handpiece 5 cannot be placed in the holder without removing the disposable mouthpiece (not shown). This feature helps to remind the user that the disposable mouthpiece must be removed and placed between patients.

The illustrated integral handle 2 makes the device more convenient to move and also safe to carry with only one hand. Placing the holder 4 for the handpiece 5 on one side of the device allows lifting and carrying the device with the handpiece securely in place.

Example 2 construction of the New device

When constructing a new device, the shape of the housing allows not only to include a larger display, but also to provide an openable protective cover 7 on the back of the device instead of on the underside of the device, based on the design of the housing as shown in fig. 1 to 6. This makes the replacement of the sensor easier and eliminates the need to invert the device, which is a step that can damage the display, when replacing the sensor.

The triangular shape-when viewed from the side-and the wide and stable base of the device add stability and also create more volume within the housing. This allows different modifications, such as adding a longer air intake to the nitric oxide scrubber. This serves to protect the scrubber from, for example, organic vapors in the environment, which can deplete the scrubber material. In addition, an openable protective cover 8 is provided on the back of the device, allowing a user or service technician to check the status of the nitric oxide scrubber and replace it if depleted.

Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the present description (including the examples), utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. Moreover, while the invention has been described herein with respect to the preferred embodiments, which constitute the best modes presently known to the inventors, it should be understood that various changes and modifications as would be obvious to one having the ordinary skill in this art may be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Thus, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide, the apparatus comprising: -a sensor capable of detecting nitric oxide at a concentration of 5ppb, -a scrubber for supplying nitric oxide-free air to said sensor, -valves and conduits for receiving a sample of exhaled air, and-a user interface, these components being integrated in a housing (1), characterized in that:

-the housing (1) comprises a handle (2),

-the user interface comprises a display (3) arranged on a first surface of the housing, and

-the first surface of the housing (1) is offset from the vertical by an angle a, which is in the interval of 15 to 35 degrees.

2. The device for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 1, wherein said display (3) is a touch screen.

3. Device for the diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 1, wherein said handle (2) is an integral part of said housing (1).

4. An apparatus for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scrubber is disposed within the housing and connected to the environment by a channel that opens to the environment and has a tortuous path.

5. The apparatus for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the scrubber comprises an optional filter material enclosed in a transparent container, wherein the container can be inspected directly through the housing, or optionally after opening a discrete portion of the housing.

6. An apparatus for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 5, wherein the filter material is potassium percarbonate.

7. A device for diagnostic measurements of nitric oxide according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device comprises a holder (4) for receiving a handpiece (5) connected to the sensor, valves and tubing for receiving exhaled air samples through tubing (6).

8. Device for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 7, wherein said handpiece (5) is adapted to receive a disposable mouthpiece, and wherein said holder (4) is positioned such that said handpiece (5) cannot be placed in said holder (4) without removing said disposable mouthpiece.

9. Device for the diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 5, wherein the device comprises a holder (4) for receiving a handpiece (5) connected to the sensor, valves and conduits for receiving a sample of exhaled air through a tube (6).

10. Device for the diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to claim 6, wherein the device comprises a holder (4) for receiving a handpiece (5) connected to the sensor, valves and conduits for receiving a sample of exhaled air through a tube (6).

11. Device for diagnostic measurement of nitric oxide according to any of claims 9 or 10, wherein the handpiece (5) is adapted to receive a disposable mouthpiece and wherein the holder (4) is positioned such that the handpiece (5) cannot be placed in the holder (4) without removing the disposable mouthpiece.