US Patent 7547931 - Nanoelectronic capnometer adaptor

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7547931.html

Capnography involves the measurement of carbon dioxide in air samples which is important to monitoring patients in a hospital. This patent from Nanomix teaches using nanostructured material to increase the responsiveness and reduce the cost of capnography sensors. Claim 1 reads:

1. A capnometer comprising:

an airway adaptor having at least one channel configured for the passage of respiratory gas;

at least one nanostructure sensor in fluid communication with the passage, the sensor configured to selectively respond to at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath comprising carbon dioxide;

electronic hardware connected to the nanostructure sensor and configured to provide a signal indicative of a response of the sensor to the at least one gaseous constituent of exhaled breath;

wherein the at least one nanostructure sensor comprises:

a substrate;

a first nanostructure over the substrate;

at least two conducting elements in electrical communication with the first nanostructure; and

at least one recognition material operatively associated with the first nanostructure, wherein the at least one recognition material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of benzylamine, naphthalenemethylamine, antracene amine, and pyrene amine.