Method and System to Determine Nasal Resistance to Airflow
A method and related system to determine nasal resistance to airflow. Some of the exemplary embodiments may be a method comprising measuring an attribute of airflow through a first naris of a patient without blocking a second naris of the patient, measuring an attribute of airflow through the second naris of the patient without blocking the first naris, and determining a value indicative of nasal resistance to airflow based on the attributes measured.
1 . A method comprising:
measuring airflow through a first naris of a patient;
measuring a pressure within the patient's mouth substantially simultaneously with measuring airflow through the first naris; and
determining a value indicative of nasal resistance using the pressure and the airflow.
2 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining the value indicative of nasal resistance of the first naris by dividing the pressure by the airflow.
3 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:
measuring airflow through the second naris substantially simultaneously with measuring airflow through the first naris;
wherein determining the value indicative of nasal resistance further comprises dividing the pressure by the combined airflow of the first naris and the second naris.
4 . The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising measuring during an inhalation.
5 . The method as defined in claim 4 further comprising measuring during the inhalation to vital capacity.
6 . The method as defined in claim 5 further comprising measuring during the inhalation to vital capacity at substantially maximum effort on the part of the patient.
7 . A method comprising:
determining an oral airflow rate for a patient taking an oral only breath to substantially vital capacity;
determining an airflow rate through a first naris for the patient taking a nasal only breath to substantially vital capacity; and
calculating a value indicative of nasal resistance using the oral airflow rate and the airflow rate through the first naris.
8 . The method as defined in claim 7 further comprising:
determining an airflow rate through a second naris substantially simultaneously with determining the airflow rate through the first naris;
wherein calculating the value indicative of nasal resistance further comprises calculating using the oral airflow rate and a combined airflow rate of the first naris and the second naris.
9 . The method as defined in claim 8 further comprising calculating a value indicative of the nasal resistance by determining a percentage of the combined airflow rate in relation to the oral airflow rate.
10 . The method as defined in claim 7 further comprising calculating a value indicative of the nasal resistance of the first naris by determining a percentage of the airflow rate through the first naris in relation to the oral airflow rate.