Patent ID: 8491491

Claim:
A method of performing an inhalation test on a test subject, the method comprising: performing a calibration procedure comprising a) collecting respiration-related measurements for each of multiple respiration cycles from the test subject using a sensing device applied directly to the test subject, b) collecting corresponding respiration volume measurements for each of the multiple respiration cycles of the test subject by sensing atmospheric changes of a volume within a chamber in which the test subject is at least partially confined, and c) using the collected respiration-related and respiration volume measurements to calculate a calibration formula that correlates respiration-related measurements collected using the sensing device applied directly to the test subject to respiration volume measurements; performing an inhalation test on the test subject, during the inhalation test the test subject is at least partially confined within a test chamber and an inhalant substance is provided into the test chamber, wherein performing the inhalation test comprises a) collecting during the course of the inhalation test respiration-related measurements for respiration cycles of the test subject using the sensing device applied directly to the test subject, b) applying the calibration formula to the respiration-related measurements as they are collected during the inhalation test to determine, during the course of the inhalation test, a running measure of cumulative respiration volume for the test subject, and c) storing the running measure in computer storage memory.