Design of a respiratory monitor for the teaching laboratory

Abstract

The goal of this thesis was to develop a cost-effective, portable and user-friendlyrespiratory monitor that gives the opportunity to observe pressure, flow and volumewaveforms as well as time based ventilation data. An electronic hardware system has been built up in order to acquire analog pressure signals from the ventilator and transmit them toa PC properly. A software system has been developed in order to process the inputpressure signals; obtain flow, volume and time based ventilation data; and to display bothof the measured data at the user interface window. Also a mechanical adult lung simulation system has been adapted in order to give the occasion of evaluation at standardand realistic conditions. Analog pressure signals have been acquired by a differentialpressure sensor and digitalized through a standard analog to digital converter after beingamplified for precise measurements. Interface between the hardware and software systems has been achieved by standard parallel port communication. Data registers of the parallelport have been used for 8-bit differential pressure signal transmission. The softwaresystem of the respiratory monitor has been created by using LabVIEW program.