Patent ID: 7846739

Claim:
A device for diagnostic NO measurements, the device comprising: a combined inlet and outlet configured to provide NO-scrubbed inhalation air to a patient and to accept an exhalation air at an exhalation flow rate; a NO scrubber connected to the combined inlet and outlet along an inhalation flow path, the NO scrubber configured to provide NO-scrubbed air to the combined inlet and outlet; a buffer chamber connected to the combined inlet and outlet along an exhalation flow path, the buffer chamber configured to temporarily hold a sample of the exhalation air for a period of time; a flow regulator positioned between the combined inlet and outlet and the buffer chamber, the flow regulator configured to control the exhalation flow rate to 20-800 ml/s; an electrochemical NO sensor connected to the buffer chamber, the electrochemical sensor configured to receive the sample of exhalation air temporarily held by the buffer chamber; and means for feeding the temporarily held sample of the exhalation air from the buffer chamber to the electrochemical NO sensor at a suitable flow rate for the electrochemical NO sensor, wherein the suitable flow rate for the electrochemical NO sensor is lower than the exhalation flow rate.