Medical apparatus for breath detection

Abstract

A medical apparatus ( 10 ) for detecting a predetermined component of breath and producing a breath-component signal over a measurement time. Such breath-component signal may be related to a fat metabolism indicator.

1 . A hand-held medical apparatus comprising: 
 a. a housing;    b. an inlet for receiving a sample of user breath;    c. a sensor for detecting a pre-determined breath component of said user breath and producing a breath-component signal over a measurement time;    d. a sensing electrical circuit in electrical communication with said sensor for sensing said breath-component signal, wherein the magnitude of said breath-component signal is a function of the concentration of said pre-determined breath component in said breath sample to be received into said inlet;    e. an analog to digital converter in electrical communication with said sensing electrical circuit for converting said breath-component signal to a digital signal;    f. a microprocessor for processing said digital signal into at least one of a data signal and a user fat metabolism indicator; and    g. a display in electrical communication with said microprocessor for displaying said user fat metabolism indicator.    
     
     
         2 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor is an electrochemical biosensor.  
     
     
         3 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising means for removably retaining said electrochemical biosensor therewithin.  
     
     
         4 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor comprises: 
 a. means for removably receiving a disposable test matrix comprising an enzyme that selectively targets the pre-determined breath component as a substrate to produce a colored product, wherein the amount of said colored product produced is a function of the concentration of said pre-determined breath component in said breath sample introduced into said inlet;    b. a light source to illuminate said disposable test matrix; and    c. a light detector to detect light reflected from said disposable test matrix and to create said breath-component signal.    
     
     
         5 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor comprises: 
 a. means for removably receiving a disposable test matrix comprising an enzyme that selectively targets the pre-determined breath component as a substrate to produce a luminescent product, wherein the amount of said luminescent product produced is a function of the concentration of said pre-determined breath component in said breath sample introduced into said inlet; and    b. a light detector to detect light emitted from said disposable test matrix and to create said breath-component signal.    
     
     
         6 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a light source to illuminate said disposable test matrix.  
     
     
         7 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said disposable test matrix further comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode.  
     
     
         8 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a thermosensor system.  
     
     
         9 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said thermosensor comprises a reference thermosensor and working thermosensor.  
     
     
         10 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for receiving a compressible, porous material wetted with a liquid and retaining it adjacent to said disposable electrode or said disposable test matrix, such that said pre-determined breath component in said breath sample can partition into said liquid and then said liquid can be transferred to said disposable electrode or said disposable test matrix by compressing said compressible, porous material.  
     
     
         11 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising data storage means.  
     
     
         12 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a personal data assistant in electrical communication with said microprocessor.  
     
     
         13 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said personal data assistant further comprises a clock for associating the time at which said breath-component signal is produced.  
     
     
         14 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said personal data assistant further comprises user input means by which information may be inputted as user-input data, wherein said user-input data is stored and used to create a user fat metabolism indicator.  
     
     
         15 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said personal data assistant further comprises at least one of the following: 
 a. outgoing communication means by which data is transmittable to a computer external to said personal data assistant; and    b. incoming communication means by which information from a computer is receivable by said personal data assistant device as computer input data.    
     
     
         16 . The hand held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said inlet comprises a removable mouthpiece.  
     
     
         17 . The hand-held medical apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor integrates said digital as a function of said measurement time to generate said data signal.