Patent ID: 8104471

Claim:
A method for evaluating a flow of breathable gas delivered to a patient through a gas delivery conduit or line, the method comprising: monitoring the flow of breathable gas that is delivered to a patient to obtain a flow signal; processing, via an electronic measurement data processor, the flow signal to obtain flow measurement data; dividing the flow measurement data into a plurality of segments, each one of the plurality of segments having at least some associated flow measurement data and also being associated with a time value along the flow signal; transforming the flow measurement data from each one of the plurality of segments into a frequency domain to obtain a plurality of frequencies per each one of the plurality of segments, each one of the plurality of frequencies having an associated frequency amplitude; associating the plurality of frequencies to the time value of the associated flow measurement data of the respective segment; storing the plurality of frequencies, the associated frequency amplitudes, and the time value for each one of the plurality of segments; and performing a process based on the association of at least one of the plurality of frequencies to the respective segment of the flow signal.