Nasal Flow Meter for Respiration Quality

Thread Starter

carloszoom3000

Joined Oct 14, 2015
20
Hi,

I would like to measure the nasal flow and eventually the temperature and speed of respiration when inhaling and exhaling.
I've seen neunomanometers that measure the quantity of air that comes in and goes out of the lungs.
Also putting an accelerometer in the neck could measure the respiratory activity with the movement of the trachea.

I appreciate your help.

Regards,
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Ever see a capnometer? It measures CO2 in exhaled air and part of that is measuring total flow. The amount of CO2 varies with the time in the breathing cycle, so you need to follow CO2 and volume versus time to get a useful result.
 

Thread Starter

carloszoom3000

Joined Oct 14, 2015
20
Thanks for replying.
I was checking on the Capnometers (some of them a little out of my budget).
I was wondering if there's a way to adapt a small turbine that releases a current proportional to the breathing speed.

Regards,
 

Thread Starter

carloszoom3000

Joined Oct 14, 2015
20
What's your budget?

For $109: https://www.co2meter.com/products/cozir-100-percent-co2-sensor

There might be a discount for educational institutions or demo models.
That price is within my budget.
One sceneario that shows the difference between the nasal cavities in terms of the air that comes out of them, is the mark that they leave on a glass when you breathe.

Do you think by using a pressure sensor (ex BMP180), could help me get some values?

Regards,
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Yes, flow rate and pressure are related. Not sure how big the differences will be nor why you need a continuous measure to detect medically significant obstruction.

I am thinking from the perspective that a temporary obstruction (snot) is not medically significant; whereas, a mass lesion that might be significant will not be intermittent. How will your data be used?
 
https://www.microlife.com/consumer-products/respiratory-care/asthma-monitor/pf-100

$60.00 USD.

It's not exactly what you want, but I threw it out.

Since the topic came up, check out www.lungflute.com It is a useful device. It uses a reed that causes a resonance in the lungs/throat that can loosen mucus. Prescription in the US. It can also help dislodge stuff from the throat. Kinda like a Heimlich maneuver without the discomfort.

From experience, I got something caught in my throat, but I wasn't choking, but I was creating a tremendous amount of mucous. It worked very well.

I asked my asthma/allergy doc about the device when I first learned about it and he said OK. I don't need it any more. Immunotherapy (shots) is working if I request changes based on my criteria. It won't work if you "go with the flow". You really can get better.
One tool I used is no longer provided by my State. www.Pollen.com is not specific or comprehensive enough.

You use the lack of symptoms (tired, runny nose) after you get a shot combined with days in which your symtomatic and what the allergens are for that day to ask for an increase in the strength of those allergens.

examples without those direct indicators:
Runny nose late August to first frost: Ragweed.
There is some times for Oak and Birch pollens. May & June.
After rain is an indication of mold activity.
 
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wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
Yes, flow rate and pressure are related.
Exactly right, and I think that's how I'd tackle this. Instead of some mechanical wheel to estimate volumetric flow, you could use pressure sensors and a slight orifice to produce a pressure drop. You'd have to calibrate it but I think it could be done with reasonable accuracy. The benefit is no moving parts and less restriction of flow, less chance of a choking hazard.
 

Thread Starter

carloszoom3000

Joined Oct 14, 2015
20
Yes, flow rate and pressure are related. Not sure how big the differences will be nor why you need a continuous measure to detect medically significant obstruction.

I am thinking from the perspective that a temporary obstruction (snot) is not medically significant; whereas, a mass lesion that might be significant will not be intermittent. How will your data be used?
Hi.
Basically there's a connection between the amount of air that comes out of a nasal cavity and the side of the brain that is mostly used in that moment.
Another test that i performed was to use a thermocouple to check the exhalation and inhalation temperatures on both nasal cavities.
This is test is not to get the exact numbers, but at least being able to tell the difference.
I'm currently using a DH11 (Temperature and humnidity) sensor, and i connected it to an Arduino UNO to display the temperature changes in its serial monitor.
While i'm getting closed values between the multimeter and the Thermometer, the DH11 shows 4 degrees less.

I will try another sensor (smaller and with more precision).

Regards,
 

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KMoffett

Joined Dec 19, 2007
2,918
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BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
I would think the the temperature difference would be because of detention time in cavities. Or how much the cavity is expanded or contracted.

I have read that these cavities alternate states and therefore airflow on a regular basis.
 

Phil-S

Joined Dec 4, 2015
238

Janis59

Joined Aug 21, 2017
1,834
Last month I produced a certain veterinary medicine oriented device doing just what you are looking for. It measures the flow (yet liquid flow but I am sure You can adapt it for gaseous flow as well) and precizion basal temperature.

The keywords are YFS201B or alternatively SEN-HZ83K for flow and for the temperature (plus minus 0,01 C digital value) G-NIMO-003 TSYS-02D. All data read via Atmel328. I was using unipolar Vcc 3v3 (avoiding 5V) thus the ZQ must stay 8 MHz instead of normal 16 MHz. Flow meter pass says the minimum voltage is 4V, but experimentally we found that even 3V the work is stable and metrologic graduation still is rather accurate.

System graphic color display I choose the enormously cheap because of tyrage is rather large, but pay for that was a damn sophisticated softwaring around it - DEM240-320-K1TMH (9 USD, 2,8 inch) - its controller is not the widespread ILI9341 but relatively unknown HX8347-A01.
 
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Thread Starter

carloszoom3000

Joined Oct 14, 2015
20
Last month I produced a certain veterinary medicine oriented device doing just what you are looking for. It measures the flow (yet liquid flow but I am sure You can adapt it for gaseous flow as well) and precizion basal temperature.

The keywords are YFS201B or alternatively SEN-HZ83K for flow and for the temperature (plus minus 0,01 C digital value) G-NIMO-003 TSYS-02D. All data read via Atmel328. I was using unipolar Vcc 3v3 (avoiding 5V) thus the ZQ must stay 8 MHz instead of normal 16 MHz. Flow meter pass says the minimum voltage is 4V, but experimentally we found that even 3V the work is stable and metrologic graduation still is rather accurate.

System graphic color display I choose the enormously cheap because of tyrage is rather large, but pay for that was a damn sophisticated softwaring around it - DEM240-320-K1TMH (9 USD, 2,8 inch) - its controller is not the widespread ILI9341 but relatively unknown HX8347-A01.
Thanks for replying.
I see those sensors are commonly used for liquid flow.
I will look for those locally.
Doing some research i found that piezoelectric materials can be usedor this test.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3911803/
Using this method puts away the cannula.
There could be noise (wind) that affects the readings, but in a lab environmentthat should be minimum.

Regards,
 
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