Patent ID: 8545415

Claim:
A portable alveolar gas measurement device comprising: a structure that receives a sample portion of breath, the structure comprising one or more valves that are configured to close and to thereby trap a latter portion of the breath; a first gas sensor in communication with the structure that detects a first gas level of a first gas within the sample portion and provides a first signal indicative of the first gas level; a handheld computer including circuitry coupled at least indirectly to the first gas sensor, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive at least one of the first signal and a second signal that is related to the first signal, and wherein the circuitry is configured to provide at least some assistance in determining whether a portion of information provided by the at least one of the first signal and the second signal is an indication of a first alveolar gas level; and an output device coupled to the circuitry and configured to provide an output indicative of the first alveolar gas level as determined at least in part with the assistance of the circuitry; wherein the handheld computer device includes a display as part of the output device, wherein the circuitry on the handheld computer device is configured to cause the display to provide a visual indication of variation of the first gas level over time based upon the at least one signal to allow a determination that a steady state breath pattern has occurred and as a result determine that the portion of information within the at least one signal is indicative of the first alveolar gas level, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine the portion of the information to be at least one value of the first signal obtained during a first time period; and wherein the circuitry includes an operator-actuatable switch and is configured to determine the first time period based upon a triggering of the switch.