1. A method of measuring an absolute lung volume, comprising:
connecting a one-way valve to a subject so as to separate an inspiration path from an expiration path;
measuring a flow rate of respiratory gas using a flow sensor, which is provided in the expiration path;
continuously measuring a concentration (FO2) of oxygen and a concentration (FCO2) of carbon dioxide using O2 and CO2 sensors provided in the expiration path;
correcting dynamic characteristics of the concentration (FO2) of oxygen and the concentration (FCO2) of carbon dioxide so that the dynamic characteristics agree with each other in terms of time; and
analyzing oxygen and carbon dioxide gases using a following Equation
FRC
=
1
0.79
\u2062
\u222b
(
1
–
(
F
O2
–
F
CO2
)
)
\u2062
F
\u2062
\u2146
t
(wherein, the FRC is a functional residual capacity).
2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein step response signals output from the O2 sensor are shifted on a time axis so as to agree with step response signals from the CO2 sensor in terms of time, the shifted step response signals of the O2 sensor are differentiated to extract rapidly changed high frequency components, the extracted components are multiplied by a predetermined gain constants (K), a 5 point moving average of output signals, which are multiplied by the gain constant (K), is performed to remove noise, and compensated signals having no noise are added to step response signals of the O2 sensor, thereby achieving compensation.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the step response signals of the CO2 sensor are subtracted from the compensated step response signals of the O2 sensor, the resulting signals are squared, the squared signals are integrated, a square root of an average value of the integrated signals is extracted to produce a root-means-square (RMS) error, and the gain constant (K) is a value when the RMS error is minimized.
4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the concentration (FO2) of oxygen and the concentration (FCO2) of carbon dioxide are substituted into the following Equation so as to indirectly measure a concentration (FN2) of nitrogen
FN2=1\u2212(FO2+FCO2).
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A process for the saponification of a compound comprising a lactone to produce a reaction product, wherein said process comprises the steps of continuously reacting the reagents: about one equivalent of a lactone; and about one equivalent of an aqueous base; by
mixing said lactone with said aqueous base to form a mixture,
optionally titrating said mixture to ensure an equimolar ratio of reactants,
optionally adjusting the pH of said mixture by addition of reactant, and
concentrating said mixture.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the temperature of said mixture is controlled between the freezing point of the process stream and 150\xb0 C.
3. The process of claim 2, wherein the temperature of said mixture is controlled between about 0\xb0 C. and about 100\xb0 C.
4. The process of claim 1 in which the reaction mixture is further processed in a continuous, semi-continuous, andor batch-wise manner after substantial consumption of any reagent.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the further processing comprises batch-wise processing after at least about 90% consumption of any reagent.
6. The process of claim 1 wherein said mixture is concentrated to between about 40% by weight to about 60% by weight of said reaction product to produce an aqueous concentrate form of the compound.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein said mixture is concentrated by use of a spray-dryer to solid form.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein said compound comprises a lactone having three, four, five, six, seven or eight members of general formula (IV):
9. The process of claim 1, wherein the pH of said mixture is adjusted to within the range of about 8 to about 10.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein the pH of said mixture is adjusted to about 9.
11. A process for the formation of a compound having general formula (I):
by alkaline hydrolysis of a compound having formula (II):
comprising
continuously reacting about one equivalent of compound (II); and about one equivalent of an aqueous base having, a formula of M-OH (III), wherein M is a cationic species; by mixing said compound (II) with said aqueous base (III) to form a mixture, optionally titrating said mixture to ensure an equimolar ratio of reactants, optionally adjusting the pH of said mixture by addition of reactant, optionally processing the reaction in a continuous, semi-continuous, or batch-wise manner after substantial consumption of (II) andor (III), and concentrating said mixture.
12. The process of claim 11, wherein said compound (II) is evaporatively isolated and optionally crystallized.
13. The process of claim 11, wherein said compound (II) is crystallized.
14. The process for the formation of a compound having general formula (I):
wherein M is Na, by alkaline hydrolysis of a compound having formula (II):
comprising
continuously reacting about one equivalent of compound (II); and about one equivalent of an aqueous base having a formula of Na\u2014OH (III); by
mixing said compound (II) with said aqueous base (III) to form a mixture,
optionally titrating said mixture to ensure an equimolar ratio of reactants,
optionally adjusting the pH of said mixture by addition of reactant,
optionally processing the reaction in a continuous, semi-continuous, or batch-wise manner after substantial consumption of (II) andor (III), and concentrating said mixture.
15. The process of claim 14 wherein said mixture is concentrated to between about 40% by weight to about 60% by weight of the compound of formula (I) to produce an aqueous concentrate form of the compound.
16. The process of claim 15 wherein said mixture is concentrated by a concentration means to a solid form.
17. The process of claim 16 wherein said concentration means is selected from the group consisting of spray-drying, freeze drying (lyophilization), and azeotropic drying.
18. The process of claim 14 wherein said mixture is substantially dried to produce a dry product comprising compound of formula (I).
19. The process of claim 14 wherein said mixture is titrated to a pH within the range of about 8 to about 10.
20. The process of claim 14 wherein said mixture is titrated to a pH of about 9.
21. The process of claim 14 wherein said compound (II) is evaporatively isolated and optionally crystallized.
22. The process of claim 14 wherein said compound (II) is crystallized.
23. The process of claim 1, wherein the two reactants are mixed in a mixing device and then introduced into a continuous reactor.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein the mixing device is a passive mixing device.
25. The process of claim 24 wherein the passive mixing device is selected from the group consisting of a laminar flow mixing device and an in-line static mixing device.
26. The process of claim 23 wherein the mixing device is an active mixing device.
27. The process of claim 26 wherein the active mixing device is selected from the group consisting of a powered agitation mixing device, a high-shear mixing device, and a high shear reactor.