Patent ID: 7047969

Claim:
A monitoring system for use in a breathing circuit, said monitoring system being operable to monitor a patient's breathing, said monitoring system comprising: a nasal vestibular device comprising a nasal vestibular portion shaped and arranged to be inserted into and retained within a nasal vestibule of the patient without extending past the nasal vestibule towards the trachea of the patient, said nasal vestibular portion having a gas delivery port operable to deliver gas into the nasal vestibule, said nasal vestibular portion having a rigidity sufficient to cause said nasal vestibular portion to stay fixed in and to seal the nasal vestibule when gas is supplied to the nasal vestibule in an amount that causes pressure buildup that is sufficient to prevent obstruction of an airway in the patient during depression of at least a portion of the nervous system of the patient; a gas supply tube having a first end and a second end, said first end being connected to said nasal vestibular device to deliver gas to said nasal vestibular portion for effusion of the gas into the nasal vestibule via said gas delivery port; and a circuit stethoscope comprising a diaphragm and a t-connector having a first port, a second port and a third port, wherein said first port of said t-connector is designed to connect with a gas supply line of the breathing circuit, wherein said second port of said t-connector is connected to said second end of said gas supply tube, and wherein said diaphragm is disposed on said third port of said t-connector.