Patent ID: 7547931

Claim:
A capnometer; comprising: an airway adaptor having at least one channel configured for the passage of respiratory gas; at least one nanostructure sensor in fluid communication with the passage, the sensor configured to selectively respond to at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath comprising carbon dioxide; electronic hardware connected to the nanostructure sensor and configured to provide a signal indicative of a response of the sensor to the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath; wherein the at least one nanostructure sensor comprises: a substrate; a first nanostructure over the substrate; at least two conducting elements in electrical communication with the first nanostructure; and at least one recognition material operatively associated with the first nanostructure, wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of benzylamine, naphthalenemethylamine, antracene amine, and pyrene amine.