Patent ID: 7606668

Claim:
A monitoring system comprising: (a) an interface unit having a input coupling and an output; (b) a plurality of volumetric measurement systems, wherein each volumetric measurement system includes: (1) a gas measurement system, wherein the gas measurement system is adapted to be placed in fluid communication with an airway of a patient to measure at least one respiratory gas, and wherein each gas measurement system includes gas processing means for determining, from the respiratory gas, a respiratory variable of such a patient and (2) a flow measurement system, wherein each flow measurement system is adapted to measure a flow of gas, and wherein the flow measurement system includes flow processing means for determining a flow related variable of the flow of gas, and wherein each volumetric measurement system has an output coupling that is adapted to be removable coupled to the input coupling of the interface unit for providing an output of the gas measurement system and the flow measurement system to the interface unit via the output coupling; a display coupled to the output of the interface unit, wherein the display is adapted to display the respiratory variable, the flow related variable, or both provided by any one of the plurality of volumetric measurement systems.