Patent ID: 7625345

Claim:
A spirometry system comprising: an air tube defining a substantially linear air passage, said air tube adapted at one end to receive a flow of air that is exhaled by a user of said air tube; a sensor operatively associated with said air tube for measuring the exhaled air flow through said air tube; a processor operatively associated with said sensor for processing the exhaled air flow measurements from said sensor to determine a peak flow rate of the exhaled air and a total volume of the exhaled air flow through said air tube, evaluating said determined peak flow rate relative to a goal value therefor, evaluating said determined total volume relative to a goal value therefore, and generating a motivational animation for display to the user reflective of said evaluations; and a display operatively associated with said processor for displaying said motivational animation to the user, said animation providing incentive to encourage users of said apparatus to maximize their performance while using said apparatus, in which said animation is defined by a first aspect that presents a relative evaluation of a determined peak expiratory flow rate to a goal value therefor and a second aspect separate from said first aspect that presents a relative evaluation of a determined total flow volume to a goal value therefor, each of said first and second aspects being presented based on a common animation theme and wherein reaching each of said goal values of peak expiratory flow rate and total volume rate combine to produce a tangible result in said animation wherein the second aspect of the motivational animation is not presented until a target flow rate represented by said first aspect is first achieved.