EXPIRATORY FLOW LIMITATION DETECTION VIA FLOW RESISTOR ADJUSTMENT

摘要

A system for detecting EFL of a patient is provided. The system comprises an inhalation passage; an exhalation passage; a sensor for measuring flow-volume information of the exhaled air through an exhalation passage; a flow resistor positioned in the exhalation passage and being adjustable to provide an exhalation resistance in the exhalation passage; and a computer system. In one embodiment, one or more physical processors of the computer system are programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed cause the computer system to: determine a reference expiratory flow-volume curve using flow-volume information of the exhaled air through the exhalation passage when a reference exhalation resistance is provided by the flow resistor in the exhalation passage; and determine a perturbed expiratory flow-volume curve using flow-volume information of the exhaled air through the exhalation passage when a lowered exhalation resistance is provided by the flow resistor in the exhalation passage.