Method and apparatus for predicting work of breathing

1. A method for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

receiving respiratory parameters of the patient;

calculating, with a processor, respiratory data from the respiratory parameters;

inputting the respiratory data into a mathematical model created using clinical data; and

providing at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

wherein the mathematical model is a neural network trained to provide said at least one output variable, wherein the training of the neural network comprises clinical testing of a test population of patients using esophageal pressure as clinical data input to the neural network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a drop in esophageal pressure is plotted on a pressure-volume plot and a loop is created and integrated with chest wall compliance line to calculate inspiratory work of breathing as one of said output variables.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the approximation of 0.1 L/cm H20 is used for chest wall compliance.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising calculating power of breathing as a per-minute average of work of breathing as one of said output variables.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising calculating Pressure Time Product (PTP) as one of said output variables.

6. A method for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

receiving respiratory parameters of the patient;

calculating, with a processor, respiratory data from the respiratory parameters;

inputting the respiratory data into a mathematical model created using clinical data;

providing at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

classifying the patient; and

selecting a mathematical model based on a classification of the patient.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the patient is classified according to pathophysiology and physiologic parameters related to the patient.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the physiologic parameters comprise lung resistance and compliance.

9. A method for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

receiving respiratory parameters of a patient, wherein the respiratory parameters comprise one or more of airway pressure, airway flow, airway volume, carbon dioxide flow, and pulse oximeter plethysmogram;

calculating, with a processor, respiratory data from the respiratory parameters, wherein the respiratory data comprises one or more of tidal volume, breathing frequency, peak inspiratory pressure, inspiratory time, occlusion pressure at 0.1 seconds after breath initiation trigger time, trigger depth, respiratory resistance, respiratory compliance, end-tidal carbon dioxide, variations in the pulse oximeter plethysmogram, and concavity/convexity of a pressure waveform;

inputting the respiratory data into a mathematical model configured from clinical data to predict effort of breathing; and

providing at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

wherein the mathematical model is a neural network trained to provide said at least one output variable, wherein the training of the neural network comprises clinical testing of a test population of patients using esophageal pressure as clinical data input to the neural network.

10. An apparatus for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

processing device for calculating respiratory data from respiratory parameters of the patient, wherein the respiratory parameters comprise one or more of airway pressure, airway flow, airway volume, carbon dioxide flow, and pulse oximeter plethysmogram, and wherein the respiratory data comprises one or more of tidal volume, breathing frequency, peak inspiratory pressure, inspiratory time, occlusion pressure 0.1 seconds after breath initiation trigger time, trigger depth, respiratory resistance, respiratory compliance, end-tidal carbon dioxide, variations in the pulse oximeter plethysmogram, and concavity/convexity of a pressure waveform;

a mathematical modeling device created using clinical data to receive the respiratory data and predict effort of breathing; and

an output signal that provides at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

wherein the mathematical modeling device is a neural network trained to provide said at least one output variable, wherein the training of the neural network comprises clinical testing of a test population of patients using esophageal pressure as clinical data input to the neural network.

11. A system for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

means for measuring respiratory parameters of the patient, wherein the respiratory parameters comprise one or more of airway pressure, airway flow, airway volume, carbon dioxide flow, and pulse oximeter plethysmogram;

means for calculating respiratory data from the respiratory parameters, wherein the respiratory data comprises one or more of tidal volume, breathing frequency, peak inspiratory pressure, inspiratory time, occlusion pressure at 0.1 seconds after breath initiation trigger time, trigger depth, respiratory resistance, respiratory compliance, end-tidal carbon dioxide, variations in the pulse oximeter plethysmogram, and concavity/convexity of a pressure waveform;

means for predicting effort of breathing using a mathematical model created using clinical data that receives the respiratory data; and

means for providing at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

wherein the mathematical model is a neural network trained to provide said at least one output variable, wherein the training of the neural network comprises clinical testing of a test population of patients using esophageal pressure as clinical data input to the neural network.

12. A computer readable medium for estimating effort of breathing of a patient, comprising:

code devices for receiving measured respirator parameters of the patient, wherein the respiratory parameters comprise one or more of airway pressure, airway flow, airway volume, carbon dioxide flow, and pulse oximeter plethysmogram;

code devices for calculating respiratory data from the respiratory parameters, wherein the respiratory data comprises one or more of tidal volume, breathing frequency, peak inspiratory pressure, inspiratory time, occlusion pressure at 0.1 seconds after breath initiation trigger time, trigger depth, respiratory resistance, respiratory compliance, end-tidal carbon dioxide, variations in the pulse oximeter plethysmogram, and concavity/convexity of a pressure waveform;

code devices for predicting effort of breathing using a mathematical model created using clinical data that receives the respiratory data; and

code devices for providing at least one output variable from the mathematical model corresponding to effort of breathing;

wherein the mathematical model is a neural network trained to provide said at least one output variable, wherein the training of the neural network comprises clinical testing of a test population of patients using esophageal pressure as clinical data input to the neural network.