Method for determining respiratory timing parameters from respiratory monitoring measurements of a subject

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method (MO) for providing respiratory timing parameters from respiratory monitoring measurements of a subject, the method comprising the steps of: providing (M) a respiratory effort signal (E) and a respiratory flow signal (F) of a subject; determining (M) an ensemble of peaks (pE) in the respiratory effort signal (E) and determining (M) an ensemble of valleys (vE) in the respiratory effort signal (E); and identifying (M) times associated with the valleys (vE) as preliminary inspiratory onset times (t'io); refining (M) preliminary inspiratory onset times (t′io) within respective peak-to-peak time intervals (Tpp) of the respiratory effort signal (E) by: determining (M) first derivative (F) of the respiratory flow signal (F) in a respective peak-to-peak interval (Tpp); determining (M) local peaks (pF) and valleys (vF) in the respiratory flow signal first derivative (F); determining (M) a time midpoint (tmid) between the time of a local valley (vF) in the respiratory flow signal first derivative (F) closest in time to the later endpoint in the respective peak-to-peak time interval (Tpp) and the time of a local peak (pF) in the respiratory flow signal derivative (F) in the respective peak-to-peak time interval (Tpp); evaluating (M) whether the respiratory effort signal (E) at the determined time midpoint (tmid) satisfies a predetermined inspiratory onset time condition, and if satisfied, selecting (M) the determined time midpoint (tmid) as an inspiratory onset time (tio) instead of the preliminary inspiratory onset time (t′io) for that peak-to-peak interval (Tpp), whereas if the condition is not satisfied, keep the preliminary inspiratory onset time as the inspiratory onset time for that peak-to-peak interval.