Patent ID: 8396537

Claim:
A patient monitoring system comprising: a plurality of electrocardiogram (ECG) lead channels configured to communicate with a plurality of ECG electrodes configured to attach to a patient; an ECG respiration component to produce a first respiration signal based on variations detected in the ECG lead channels; a pressure measurement channel to communicate with a pressure sensor attached to the patient; a pressure respiration component configured to detect variations in the pressure measurement channel and to produce a second respiration signal based on pressure variations detected in the pressure measurement channel; a first respiration signal quality check component to determine a first signal quality corresponding to the first respiration signal; and a second respiration signal quality check component to determine a second signal quality corresponding to the second respiration signal; respiration decision logic configured to compare the first signal quality to the second signal quality and to produce a respiration rate from at least one of the first respiration signal and the second respiration signal based on the comparison of the first signal quality and the second signal quality; and a display device to provide indicia of the respiration rate.