System and method for monitoring breathing

1. A breathing monitoring system, comprising:

a) a first temperature sensor arranged to measure a patient's breathing-gas temperature;

b) a second temperature sensor arranged to measure an ambient temperature; and

c) a controller programmed to:

i) determine a plurality of breathing-gas temperatures over a time interval using a first set of signals received from the first temperature sensor;

ii) determine at least one ambient temperature during said time interval using a second signal received from the second temperature sensor;

iii) compute a maximum breathing-gas temperature and a minimum breathing-gas temperature from said first set of signals;

iv) calculate a difference between said maximum and minimum breathing-gas temperatures (“ΔTm”);

v) compute a temperature threshold difference (“threshold ΔTm”) as a function of the ambient temperature; and

vi) compare the threshold ΔTm to said ΔTm to determine a breathing status of said patient.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to analyze the plurality of breathing-gas temperatures by determining said maximum breathing-gas temperature and said minimum breathing-gas temperature during said time interval, the time interval corresponding to a period of the patient's inhalation/exhalation cycle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmed to analyze the plurality of breathing-gas temperatures by comparing the calculated ΔTm with said threshold ΔTm, wherein if the calculated ΔTm is less than the threshold ΔTm, the breathing status of the patient is unsatisfactory.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising an alarm in communication with the controller, wherein the controller is programmed to activate the alarm if the breathing status of the patient is unsatisfactory.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is programmed to:

(a) calculate a bias temperature (“Tbias”), Tbias being the mathematical difference of an average breathing-gas temperature and a time-based average ambient temperature; and

(b) determine the threshold ΔTm from the ambient temperature and Tbias.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller comprises a memory device having a pre-defined look-up table, and wherein the controller is programmed to determine the threshold ΔTm from the ambient temperature and Tbias by using the ambient temperature and Tbias to look up a threshold ΔTm in the look-up table.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller comprises a field-programmable gate array (“FPGA”), and the FPGA is programmed to determine the threshold ΔTm from the ambient temperature and Tbias.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the FPGA is programmed to use a decision-tree to determine the threshold ΔTm based on the values of the ambient temperature and Tbias.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller comprises a memory device having a pre-defined multi-dimensional look-up table, the look-up table relating a plurality of pre-defined program steps to particular combinations of ambient temperature, ΔTm, Tbias values, and the controller is programmed to determine a program step based on the measured ambient temperature and calculated ΔTm and Tbias.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is programmed to execute the determined program step.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is programmed to use a decision-tree to determine the threshold ΔTm based on the values of the ambient temperature and Tbias.

12. A method for monitoring the breathing of a patient, comprising the steps of:

a) using a first temperature sensor to measure the patient's breathing-gas temperature during a time interval;

b) using a second temperature sensor to measure an ambient temperature; and

c) providing a controller programmed for:

i) determining a plurality of breathing-gas temperatures over said time interval using a first set of signals received from the first temperature sensor;

ii) determining at least one ambient temperature using a second signal received from the second temperature sensor; and

iii) computing a maximum breathing-gas temperature and a minimum breathing-gas temperature from said first set of signals;

iv) calculating a difference between said maximum and minimum breathing-gas temperatures (“ΔTm”);

v) computing a temperature threshold difference (“threshold ΔTm”) as a function of the ambient temperature; and

vi) comparing the threshold ΔTm to said ΔTm to determine a breathing status of the patient.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein communicating the breathing status of the patient comprises using the controller to activate an alarm if the breathing status of the patient is determined to be unsatisfactory.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the controller is programmed to analyze the plurality of breathing-gas temperatures by determining said maximum breathing-gas temperature and a minimum breathing-gas temperature during said time interval, the time interval corresponding to a period of the patient's inhalation/exhalation cycle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is programmed to analyze the plurality of breathing-gas temperatures by comparing the calculated ΔTm with said threshold ΔTm, wherein if the calculated ΔTm is less than the threshold ΔTm, the breathing status of the patient is unsatisfactory.