Patent ID: 8201557

Claim:
A method to compensate for a non-zero mixed venous partial pressure of inert blood soluble gas when determining physical parameter(s) of a patient in successive inert gas rebreathing tests, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining a partial pressure of said inert blood soluble gas inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient during a period prior to one of said successive inert gas rebreathing tests; obtaining a partial pressure of said inert blood soluble gas inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient in said one of said successive inert gas rebreathing tests; determining said physical parameter(s) and using a processor in an iterative procedure including the steps of: extracting a first parameter using said obtained partial pressure of said inert blood soluble gas inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient in said one of said successive inert gas rebreathing tests; extracting a second parameter using said first parameter and said obtained partial pressure of said inert blood soluble gas inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient during said period prior to said one of said successive inert gas rebreathing tests; re-extracting said first parameter using said second parameter and said obtained partial pressure of said inert blood soluble gas inhaled and/or exhaled by said patient in said one of said successive inert gas rebreathing tests.