Patent ID: 8740808

Claim:
A device for determining a breathing cycle of a patient, the device comprising: a first sensing device for sensing pressure during the breathing cycle of the patient; and a second sensing device for sensing temperature of a respiratory airflow of the patient during the breathing cycle concurrently with pressure sensing, wherein the first sensing device for sensing pressure includes a cannula for receiving a sample of the respiratory airflow from the patient, and the second sensing device comprises at least one thermistor located along a respiratory airflow path of the patient for sensing temperature of the respiratory airflow, and the cannula includes an integral holster formed from the same material as the cannula so as to be integral with a body of the cannula, the holster extends away from the body of the cannula and comprises a sensor passage by which the holster directly secures the thermistor, relative to the cannula, to facilitate locating the thermistor in a desired region of the respiratory airflow path of the patient, the holster supports the thermistor such that a portion of the thermistor extends parallel to and along the cannula body so as to be positioned along the respiratory airflow path of the patient in a spaced relationship from both the patient and a first and a second nasal prongs, and the thermistor is T-shaped and comprises a first nasal branch, a second nasal branch and a lower branch, the lower branch is connected with both the first and second nasal branches, and the lower branch is located between the first and the second nasal prongs and extends through the holster perpendicularly with respect to the body of the cannula, and the device provides output signals concurrently indicating a measured pressure and a measured temperature of the breathing cycle.