Automatic oxygen supply regulation system

Abstract

This disclosure provides an automatic oxygen supply regulation system, including an oxygen saturation detection unit, a belt assembly, an oxygen supply regulation unit, and a processing unit. The oxygen saturation detection unit detects the user's oxygen saturation; the belt assembly acquires changes in belt parameters caused by the user's breathing; the oxygen supply regulation unit regulates the oxygen supply from the oxygen supply source to the user interface unit; the processing unit determines the optimal oxygen flow rate based on the oxygen saturation, establishes a correlation between tidal volume changes and belt parameter changes based on changes in belt parameters corresponding to different breathing states, and further determines the target oxygen flow rate based on the user's real-time breathing state according to the correlation, and controls the oxygen supply regulation unit to adjust the oxygen supply to the user interface unit to achieve the target oxygen flow rate. Furthermore, to achieve the optimal correlation between belt parameter changes and tidal volume changes, this disclosure also incorporates pulmonary function tests and applies the belt assembly to confirm the correspondence between tidal volume and belt parameter changes obtained from different pulmonary function tests, serving as the basis for subsequent oxygen supply regulation unit adjustments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of oxygen supply, and in particular to an automatic oxygen supply regulation system that uses belt parameter measurement and the tidal volume change it represents, combined with oxygen saturation detection, to determine the oxygen supply flow rate, with the main purpose of reducing oxygen consumption. Prior Technology

[0002] For many groups with symptoms of low oxygen saturation, such as those with poor cardiopulmonary function, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high-intensity exercisers, and mountaineers, hypoxia may occur before, during, or after activities due to daily life, altitude, or exercise. Therefore, adequate oxygen supply to meet the body's needs can prevent physical damage caused by hypoxia.

[0003] Conventional oxygen supply systems are mostly designed to provide continuous oxygen. However, since users only need oxygen for oxygen exchange during the inhalation phase, and not during the exhalation and breath-holding phases, continuous oxygen supply systems still supply oxygen to the user during the exhalation and breath-holding phases. This easily leads to wasted oxygen and shortens the available oxygen supply time.

[0004] In addition, conventional oxygen supply systems usually provide a fixed amount of oxygen each time they supply oxygen. If the user is exercising or in other different physiological conditions, the increased exercise intensity may lead to increased oxygen consumption and require an increased oxygen supply. However, conventional oxygen supply systems may not be able to respond to the user's needs in time, which may result in insufficient oxygen supply and lead to hypoxia in the user, which may cause potential damage to the body such as myocardial infarction and lactic acid buildup.

[0005] Therefore, designing an automatic oxygen supply regulation system that can effectively improve the aforementioned problems is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides an automatic oxygen supply regulation system that automatically regulates the oxygen supply flow rate by assessing the tidal volume and chest wall changes of the user under different breathing states.

[0007] This disclosure describes an automatic oxygen supply regulation system that, when the user is in a calm breathing state or an exercise breathing state, can dynamically adjust the oxygen supply flow rate in advance according to the different tidal volume requirements generated by the user in response to different exercise intensities, so as to maintain the user's oxygen saturation stability.

[0008] This disclosure describes an automatic oxygen supply regulation system based on the aforementioned system, which uses a strap assembly to measure changes in the chest cavity during different breathing states of the user to determine the inspiratory and expiratory phases, and provides oxygen supply only during the inspiratory phase.

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the disclosed automatic oxygen supply regulation system includes an oxygen saturation detection unit, a belt assembly, an oxygen supply regulation unit, and a processing unit. The oxygen saturation detection unit detects the user's oxygen saturation. The belt assembly acquires changes in belt parameters caused by the user's breathing. The oxygen supply regulation unit regulates the oxygen supply from the oxygen supply source to the user interface unit. The processing unit determines the optimal oxygen flow rate based on the oxygen saturation and establishes a correlation between tidal volume changes and belt parameter changes based on changes in belt parameters corresponding to different breathing states of the user. The processing unit further determines the target oxygen flow rate based on the correlation and the user's real-time breathing state, and controls the oxygen supply regulation unit to adjust the oxygen supply to the user interface unit to achieve the target oxygen flow rate.

[0010] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit further establishes a correlation between changes in tidal volume and changes in band parameters based on changes in tidal volume and band parameters of the user during calm breathing and changes in tidal volume and band parameters of the user during exercise breathing.

[0011] In at least one embodiment disclosed herein, the strap parameter variation is at least one of the length variation and tension variation of the strap assembly.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the oxygen saturation detection unit determines the optimal flow rate of supplied oxygen by detecting the user's oxygen saturation during calm breathing, and uses the corresponding strap parameters as a reference value for tidal volume breathing.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit estimates the percentage increase in oxygen flow required by the user during exercise breathing based on the correlation between tidal volume changes and belt parameter changes, and determines the oxygen flow rate to be increased based on the optimal oxygen flow rate and the percentage increase in oxygen flow rate.

[0014] In at least one embodiment, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein further includes a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein the two ends of the first pipeline are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulation unit and the oxygen supply source gas, and the two ends of the second pipeline are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulation unit and the user interface unit gas.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein further includes a third pipeline, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulation unit and the atmospheric environment gas, wherein the processing unit controls the oxygen supply regulation unit to introduce ambient air from the third pipeline and mix it into the second pipeline, so as to adjust the percentage of oxygen after mixing.

[0016] In at least one embodiment disclosed herein, the processing unit further determines the inspiratory and expiratory phases based on the changes in the band parameters of the band assembly caused by breathing, and the processing unit controls the oxygen supply regulating unit to perform oxygen supply during the inspiratory phase and controls the oxygen supply regulating unit to stop oxygen supply during the expiratory phase.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the oxygen supply regulating unit includes a first flow valve. The processing unit sends a control signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit during the inhalation phase to regulate at least one of the opening time and opening degree of the first flow valve, and sends a closing signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit during the exhalation phase to close the first flow valve.

[0018] In at least one embodiment disclosed herein, the tidal volume of the user under different respiratory states and the correlation between changes in tidal volume and changes in band parameters are obtained after performing pulmonary function measurements on the user. Pulmonary function measurements can measure the user's tidal volume. During operation, the user is asked to perform calm breathing or deep breathing to confirm the correlation between tidal volume and changes in band parameters; that is, when the tidal volume volume represented by the measured changes in band parameters can be determined, the tidal volume under each change in band parameters can be predicted, and the oxygen flow rate can be increased accordingly to reduce the risk of hypoxia caused by insufficient oxygen supply.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the strap assembly includes a first strap, and the first strap is provided to obtain changes in strap parameters in the user's chest area due to breathing.

[0020] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the strap assembly further includes a second strap, which is used to obtain changes in strap parameters in the abdominal region adjacent to the user's chest due to breathing. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0021] This disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following description of specific embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein.

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of yet another embodiment of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein. Implementation

[0025] Since the various configurations and embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive, those skilled in the art, upon reading this specification, may understand that other configurations and embodiments exist without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The features and advantages of these embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the claims.

[0026] Throughout this document, the terms "a" or "an" are used to describe the elements and components described herein. This is used for convenience only and to provide a general meaning regarding the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, unless it is clearly intended otherwise, this description should be understood to include one or at least one, and the singular includes the plural.

[0027] In this document, the terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” or any other similar terms are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, an element or structure containing a plurality of elements is not limited to those listed herein, but may include other elements not expressly listed but which are generally inherent to the element or structure.

[0028] The automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein dynamically adjusts the oxygen flow from the oxygen supply source to the user interface unit worn by the user based on the user's current breathing status, thereby reducing the user's risk of hypoxia. Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein. As shown in Figure 1, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 disclosed herein includes an oxygen saturation detection unit 10, a strap assembly 20, an oxygen supply regulation unit 30, and a processing unit 40. In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 is electrically connected to the oxygen saturation detection unit 10, the strap assembly 20, and the oxygen supply regulation unit 30. In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 can transmit signals bidirectionally to the oxygen saturation detection unit 10, the strap assembly 20, and the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 via wireless or wired transmission methods.

[0029] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the oxygen saturation detection unit 10 is used to detect the user's oxygen saturation in real time or periodically. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the oxygen saturation detection unit 10 may employ a common oxygen saturation detector or a similar device, and there are no particular limitations in this disclosure. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the oxygen saturation detection unit 10 can detect the user's oxygen saturation in different breathing states (e.g., calm breathing state or exercise breathing state), and assist the system in establishing a criterion for determining whether the basic oxygen supply needs to be increased further. The aforementioned calm breathing state can be defined as the breathing action performed by the user in a normal resting state, while the exercise breathing state can be defined as the breathing action performed by the user while exercising or active. For example, by obtaining the user's oxygen saturation in different breathing states and cross-referencing it with the oxygen flow rate supplied in the corresponding state, the most suitable oxygen flow rate for the user in the corresponding state can be determined to meet the oxygen saturation requirement in that state.

[0030] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the band assembly 20 can acquire changes in band parameters caused by the user's breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the band assembly 20 includes a first band 21, which is used to partially or fully wrap around and fix to the user's chest cavity to acquire changes in band parameters caused by the user's breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the body of the first band 21 may be made of a material with elasticity, and one or more sensing elements are disposed inside the first band 21. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first band 21 undergoes elastic deformation with the rise and fall of the chest cavity caused by the user's breathing, thereby generating changes in the band parameters of the first band 21. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned changes in the band parameters of the first band 21 may be changes in the length and / or tension of the first band 21. Therefore, the changes in band parameters detected by the aforementioned sensing elements can serve as a reference for subsequent oxygen supply.

[0031] For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the changes in the aforementioned strap parameters can be used as a basis for subsequently determining whether the user is in the inspiratory or expiratory phase of breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the changes in the thoracic cavity reflected by the changes in the aforementioned strap parameters can be used as a reference for subsequently assessing the changes in the user's tidal volume during breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the changes in the thoracic cavity can be calculated by measuring changes in the circumference of the user's thoracic cavity, the diameter of the thoracic cavity, the major axis of the thoracic cavity, the minor axis of the thoracic cavity, or any combination thereof, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0032] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the oxygen supply regulating unit 30 is in fluid communication with both the oxygen supply source 50 and the user interface unit 60 worn by the user, to regulate the oxygen supply from the oxygen supply source 50 to the user interface unit 60. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the oxygen supply regulating unit 30 may include a first flow valve 31, which controls the connection between the gas line connected to the oxygen supply source 50 and the gas line connected to the user interface unit 60. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the oxygen supply regulating unit 30 may receive signals from the processing unit 40 to control the opening and closing of the first flow valve 31, and / or adjust the opening degree and / or opening time of the first flow valve 31. In some embodiments, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 disclosed herein further includes a first pipeline P1 and a second pipeline P2, wherein the two ends of the first pipeline P1 are respectively connected to the first flow valve 31 of the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 and the oxygen supply source 50, and the two ends of the second pipeline P2 are respectively connected to the first flow valve 31 of the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 and the user interface unit 60, so that the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 can receive oxygen from the oxygen supply source 50 through the first pipeline P1 and deliver oxygen to the user interface unit 60 through the second pipeline P2.

[0033] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the oxygen supply source 50 is used to supply oxygen, and the oxygen supply source 50 can be a general oxygen cylinder, a portable oxygen canister, or an oxygen supply system in a medical institution; there are no particular limitations in this disclosure. In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the user interface unit 60 is used for the user to wear and output oxygen from the oxygen supply source 50, and the user interface unit 60 can be a nasal cannula or a breathing mask; there are no particular limitations in this disclosure.

[0034] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 receives the oxygen saturation measured by the oxygen saturation detection unit 10, and determines the most suitable flow rate of oxygen to be supplied to the user based on the oxygen saturation. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 detects the user's oxygen saturation in a calm breathing state using the oxygen saturation detection unit 10, and compares it with the oxygen flow rate supplied in the calm breathing state to determine the most suitable flow rate of oxygen to be supplied to the user to achieve the required oxygen saturation in the calm breathing state. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 may be configured as hardware (e.g., a computer host, server, processor, or similar device), software (e.g., computer software or application), or a combination of the aforementioned hardware and software.

[0035] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 can then establish a correlation between tidal volume changes and band parameter changes based on the changes in band parameters corresponding to different breathing states of the user. In some embodiments of this disclosure, when a user uses the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 of this disclosure for the first time, pulmonary function measurements can be performed to obtain the user's tidal volume and band parameter changes under calm breathing conditions, and the maximum amount of chest circumference expansion obtained through deep breathing, as the tidal volume and band parameter changes of the user under exercise breathing conditions. Accordingly, the processing unit 40 can apply relevant formulas to estimate the correlation between tidal volume changes and band parameter changes. For example, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the proportional relationship between the chest circumference change caused by the user's breathing and the band parameter changes and chest volume changes can be established respectively, thereby estimating the correlation between tidal volume changes and band parameter changes.

[0036] Specifically, in some embodiments disclosed herein, since changes in the user's thoracic cavity can represent changes in its circumference, the circumference of the thoracic cavity can be calculated as 2πr, where r is the radius of the circle, if the thoracic cavity is ideally estimated to be circular. Furthermore, the user's respiration is a volume change, which can theoretically be calculated as πr² × thoracic cavity height. Since the thoracic cavity height of the same user is roughly fixed, the change in tidal volume can be further calculated using the quadratic concept based on the aforementioned calculation formula and the measured proportion of change in thoracic cavity circumference. For example, assuming a 1.2-fold change in thoracic cavity circumference, the change in tidal volume is approximately 1.44 times the original tidal volume; and assuming a 1.5-fold change in thoracic cavity circumference, the change in tidal volume is approximately 2.25 times the original tidal volume. The aforementioned existing calculation formula can be applied to most users; however, since the user's thoracic cavity volume is affected by the organs within the thoracic cavity, the final conversion ratio will still be corrected through the aforementioned lung function measurements. In addition, the correlation between changes in thoracic volume and changes in tidal volume can be found in published journal articles (such as Padkao et al., “Relationships between respiratory muscle strength, chest wall expansion, and functional capacity in healthy nonsmokers”, Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation 2020;16(2):189-196).

[0037] In clinical applications, users can perform pulmonary function measurements using standard pulmonary function measuring instruments. During the measurement process, users are asked to take shallow or deep breaths to represent the lung volume required by the user in a calm breathing state and an exercise breathing state, respectively. The measured values ​​can correspond to the predicted volume changes under changes in the thoracic cavity. The processing unit 40 uses Boyle's law to perform relevant calculations to obtain the proportional relationship between tidal volume changes and band parameter changes (i.e., the aforementioned correlation), which then serves as the basis for the subsequent conversion of the required oxygen flow rate.

[0038] In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 determines the target oxygen flow rate based on the correlation between the aforementioned tidal volume change and the bandage parameter change, taking into account the user's immediate breathing state, and controls the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 to adjust the oxygen supply to achieve the target oxygen flow rate. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 estimates the required oxygen flow rate increase ratio for the user's immediate breathing state based on the correlation between the tidal volume change and the bandage parameter change, and determines the target oxygen flow rate based on the optimal oxygen flow rate and the oxygen flow rate increase ratio. For example, when the user suddenly enters a state of exercise breathing and the oxygen demand will increase significantly, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 of this disclosure can estimate the oxygen flow rate increase ratio corresponding to the user's immediate breathing state based on the aforementioned correlation, and use the set optimal oxygen flow rate as the base supply flow rate, calculate the required increase in oxygen flow rate based on the oxygen flow rate increase ratio, and add the two to determine the final target oxygen flow rate. Accordingly, the processing unit 40 can send a signal to the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 to control the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 to adjust the current oxygen supply to the target oxygen flow rate.

[0039] As previously described, in some embodiments, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 disclosed herein can measure and record changes in the band parameters during calm breathing, inhalation and / or exhalation, and exercise breathing using the band assembly 20. Accordingly, the processing unit 40 can assess changes in the user's thoracic circumference based on the measured changes in band parameters under different conditions, thereby determining the inspiratory and expiratory phases of the user's breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the processing unit 40 can control the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 to supply oxygen only during inhalation and stop oxygen supply during exhalation to conserve oxygen and extend the oxygen supply time. Specifically, in some embodiments disclosed herein, the processing unit 40 sends a control signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit 30 during the inhalation phase to adjust the opening time and / or opening degree of the first flow valve 31, thereby achieving the target flow rate of oxygen to be supplied; in other embodiments, the processing unit 40 sends a shut-off signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit 30 during the exhalation phase to reduce or even shut off the first flow valve 31, thereby achieving the effect of saving excess oxygen consumption.

[0040] For example, the oxygen supply flow rate calculated by the processing unit 40 is estimated using a fixed oxygen fraction as the target for normal oxygen supply. Since the proportion of pure oxygen in the air is 21%, and the supplied oxygen is pure oxygen, the proportion of oxygen entering the lungs will affect the final oxygen saturation. Specifically, assuming the user uses a pure oxygen supply of 2 liters per minute (i.e., 2 L / min), the pure oxygen supply per second is 33.33 mL (i.e., 33.33 mL / sec); further assuming the user's tidal volume is 300 mL, after deducting 33.33 mL of pure oxygen, the remaining air mixed in is 266.67 mL. The calculated proportion of oxygen entering the lungs with each breath will be: (33.33 × 100% + 266.67 × 21%) / 300 = 29.7769%, which is the so-called fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2).

[0041] To maintain sufficient oxygen saturation for the user during exercise, the oxygen supply must be increased accordingly to maintain a FiO2 of 29.7769% to match the increased air volume (FiO2 of 21%). Assuming the user's tidal volume increases to 400 mL, the required pure oxygen supply per second to maintain the aforementioned FiO2 would be: 400 mL × 29.7769% = 119.1076 mL. In a conventional oxygen supply system, this would translate to a pure oxygen supply rate of: 119.1076 mL / sec × 60 sec = 7146.456 mL, or approximately 7.146456 L of pure oxygen per minute. In contrast, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 disclosed herein supplies oxygen only during the inhalation phase. Assuming the user's breathing rate increases to 25 breaths per minute during exercise, while maintaining a pure oxygen supply of 119.107 mL / sec, with each inhalation lasting approximately 1 second and a total inhalation time of approximately 25 seconds per minute, only about 2977.675 mL of oxygen is consumed per minute, equivalent to approximately 2.977675 L. Therefore, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1 disclosed herein can maintain the corresponding oxygen supply demand, and because oxygen is supplied only during the inhalation phase, the oxygen consumption per minute is reduced from 7.146456 liters to 2.977675 liters, requiring only about 40% of the oxygen consumption, significantly reducing oxygen consumption by about 60%, thus greatly improving the usable oxygen time.

[0042] Please also refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1a disclosed herein. As shown in Figure 2, in at least one embodiment, the band assembly 20a of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1a disclosed herein further includes a second band 22, which is used to partially or fully wrap around and fix to the user's abdominal cavity near the chest cavity (i.e., near the diaphragm) to obtain changes in band parameters of the corresponding part of the user (such as the rise and fall of the diaphragm) caused by breathing. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the body of the second band 22 may also be made of a material with elasticity, and one or more sensing elements are disposed inside the second band 22. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the second band 22 will elastically deform with the rise and fall of the abdominal cavity caused by the user's breathing, thereby generating changes in the band parameters of the second band 22. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned changes in the band parameters of the second band 22 may be changes in the length and / or tension of the second band 22.

[0043] Many users habitually use diaphragmatic breathing, causing both chest and abdominal cavities to rise and fall during respiration, especially during exercise. Since the chest cavities sensed by the first strap 21 vary depending on the user's body type and / or the fixed position of the first strap 21 on the chest (e.g., upper chest, middle chest, or lower chest), the changes in strap parameters obtained by sensing the abdominal cavities adjacent to the chest area using the second strap 22 can be combined with the changes in strap parameters obtained by the first strap 21 to further calculate related volume changes and tidal volume changes, thereby improving the accuracy of estimating the correlation between the aforementioned tidal volume changes and strap parameter changes.

[0044] Please also refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1b disclosed herein. As shown in Figure 3, in at least one embodiment, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system 1b disclosed herein further includes a third conduit P3. In at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the two ends of the third conduit P3 are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulation unit 30a and the ambient air. Accordingly, the processing unit 40 can not only control the oxygen supply regulation unit 30a to input oxygen from the oxygen supply source 50 via the first conduit P1, but also control the oxygen supply regulation unit 30a to input ambient air from the ambient air via the third conduit P3 and mix it into the second conduit P2, and finally deliver the mixture of oxygen and ambient air to the user interface unit 60 via the second conduit P2. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the oxygen supply regulation unit 30a further includes a second flow valve 32, which is used to control the connection state between the third conduit P3 connected to the ambient air and the second conduit P2 connected to the user interface unit 60. In some embodiments disclosed herein, the oxygen supply regulating unit 30a may receive signals from the processing unit 40 to control the opening and closing of the second flow valve 32, and / or adjust the opening time and / or opening degree of the second flow valve 32.

[0045] As previously mentioned, in some embodiments disclosed herein, the processing unit 40 may send a signal to control the oxygen supply regulating unit 30a, thereby adjusting the opening time and / or opening degree of the first flow valve 31 and the second flow valve 32, thereby controlling the oxygen flow rate supplied by the oxygen supply source 50 to the user interface unit 60, and / or the flow rate of ambient air mixed in with the oxygen, thereby adjusting the oxygen ratio after the oxygen is mixed with the ambient air.

[0046] In some embodiments of this disclosure, when using any of the aforementioned automatic oxygen supply regulation systems 1, 1a, or 1b, the user can first wear the harness assembly 20 or 20a and use the oxygen saturation detection unit 10 to detect the user's oxygen saturation to determine the most suitable flow rate for the required oxygen supply. Then, the user can undergo pulmonary function measurement to obtain changes in tidal volume and harness parameters under different breathing states. The processing unit 40 then estimates the proportional relationship between the tidal volume change and the harness parameter change, and applies Boyle's law to determine the target oxygen flow rate required for the user's current breathing state. Finally, the oxygen supply regulation unit 30 or 30a is controlled to adjust the oxygen supply from the current flow rate to the target flow rate. Because the oxygen flow rate provided by the automatic oxygen supply regulation system of this disclosure is dynamically regulated and can pre-increase the oxygen supply value according to the user's different physiological conditions, it can avoid insufficient oxygen supply under higher oxygen demand, thus preventing cardiopulmonary problems that may be caused by hypoxia.

[0047] Through the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein, users can monitor their oxygen saturation level using an oxygen saturation detection unit. The system uses a belt assembly to assess the ratio of inhalation to exhalation during breathing, allowing for pre-emptive increases in oxygen supply flow when tidal volume increases during exercise or activity. If oxygen saturation decreases despite the increased oxygen supply flow during exercise or activity, the system will further increase the oxygen supply flow. Another feature of this automatic oxygen supply regulation system is its ability to predict the inspiratory and expiratory phases using the belt assembly, providing oxygen only during the inspiratory phase. This effectively reduces the undue oxygen consumption during the expiratory phase, as is common in conventional technologies, extending the supply time of fixed-volume oxygen supplies such as oxygen tanks, while preventing user injury caused by excessively high or low oxygen levels. This automatic oxygen supply regulation system can also utilize the circumference and / or diameter expansion of the thoracic cavity during inspiration, combined with pulmonary function measurements, to determine the correlation between changes in inspiratory tidal volume and belt parameter changes under different conditions, thereby deciding whether to increase oxygen output during oxygen supply. For example, when a user is exercising, the oxygen supply flow can be automatically increased in real time to reduce the risk of hypoxia.

[0048] Accordingly, the disclosed automatic oxygen supply regulation system only delivers oxygen when the user inhales, thus effectively reducing oxygen consumption. Furthermore, the system detects chest wall differences caused by changes in the user's breathing depth using a strap assembly, calculating the appropriate increase in oxygen supply for that user when needed, thereby preemptively increasing oxygen supply to reduce the risk of hypoxia. This automatic oxygen supply regulation system can be applied to individuals requiring oxygen supply, such as those with illnesses, mountaineers, and athletes. Moreover, the strap assembly's detection of breathing movements can indicate whether insufficient oxygen saturation is due to insufficient inhalation intensity, and can provide clinical alerts to nearby or background users regarding abnormal oxygen supply. In addition, the disclosed automatic oxygen supply regulation system reduces clinical risks, improves performance during exercise, and reduces potential adverse effects on the cardiopulmonary system during exercise. Furthermore, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system disclosed herein can be used in medical institutions to improve the safety of oxygen supply for hospitalized patients, avoid the harm caused by excessive or insufficient oxygen, and prevent the potential problem of sudden death in patients.

[0049] The above embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application of such embodiments. Furthermore, although at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood that numerous variations are possible with respect to this disclosure. Similarly, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, use, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing embodiments will provide a simple guide for those skilled in the art to implement one or more of the described embodiments. Moreover, various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, and the claims include known equivalents and all foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing of this patent application.

[0050] 1, 1a, 1b: Automatic oxygen supply regulation system 10: Oxygen saturation detection unit 20, 20a: Strap assembly 21: First band 22: Second band 30, 30a: Oxygen supply regulation unit 31: First flow valve 32: Second flow valve 40: Processing Unit 50: Oxygen supply source 60: User Interface Unit P1: First pipeline P2: Second pipeline P3: Third pipeline

Claims

1. An automatic oxygen supply regulation system for regulating the oxygen flow rate supplied from an oxygen supply source to a user interface unit worn by a user, the automatic oxygen supply regulation system comprising: The strap assembly is for the user to wear in order to obtain changes in the strap parameters caused by the user's breathing; The system includes an oxygen saturation detection unit, which detects the user's oxygen saturation after the user wears the strap assembly; an oxygen supply regulation unit, which is fluidly connected to both the oxygen supply source and the user interface unit, to regulate the oxygen supply from the oxygen supply source to the user interface unit; and a processing unit, which is electrically connected to the oxygen saturation detection unit, the strap assembly, and the oxygen supply regulation unit. The processing unit determines the optimal oxygen flow rate based on the oxygen saturation and establishes a correlation between tidal volume changes and strap parameter changes based on the changes in the user's strap parameters under different breathing states. The processing unit further determines the target oxygen flow rate based on the correlation for the user's real-time breathing state and controls the oxygen supply regulation unit to adjust the oxygen supply to the user interface unit to achieve the target oxygen flow rate. The oxygen saturation detection unit determines the optimal oxygen flow rate by detecting the user's oxygen saturation under different breathing states and uses the corresponding strap parameter changes as a reference value for tidal volume breathing.

2. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 1, wherein, The processing unit further establishes the correlation between the tidal volume change and the band parameter change based on the changes in tidal volume and band parameter during the user's calm breathing state and during the user's exercise breathing state.

3. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 1, wherein, The change in the strap parameter is at least one of the changes in the length and tension of the strap assembly.

4. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 1, wherein, The processing unit further estimates the percentage increase in oxygen flow required by the user during exercise breathing based on the correlation between the tidal volume change and the band parameter change, and determines the target oxygen flow based on the optimal oxygen flow rate and the percentage increase in oxygen flow rate.

5. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 1, further comprising a first pipeline and a second pipeline, wherein, The two ends of the first pipeline are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulating unit and the oxygen supply source gas, and the two ends of the second pipeline are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulating unit and the user interface unit gas.

6. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 5, further comprising a third conduit, wherein, The two ends of the third pipeline are respectively connected to the oxygen supply regulating unit and the atmospheric environment gas, and the processing unit controls the oxygen supply regulating unit to introduce ambient air from the third pipeline and mix it into the second pipeline to adjust the percentage of oxygen after mixing.

7. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 1, wherein, The processing unit further determines the inspiratory and expiratory phases based on the changes in the band parameters of the band assembly caused by breathing, and wherein the processing unit controls the oxygen supply regulating unit to perform oxygen supply during the inspiratory phase and controls the oxygen supply regulating unit to stop oxygen supply during the expiratory phase.

8. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 7, wherein, The oxygen supply regulating unit includes a first flow valve, and wherein the processing unit sends a control signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit during the inhalation phase to adjust at least one of the opening time and opening degree of the first flow valve, and sends a closing signal to the oxygen supply regulating unit during the exhalation phase to close the first flow valve.

9. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The tidal volume of the user in different respiratory states and the correlation between the changes in tidal volume and the changes in the band parameters were obtained after performing pulmonary function measurements on the user.

10. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The strap assembly includes a first strap, which is configured to acquire changes in strap parameters in the user's chest area due to breathing.

11. The automatic oxygen supply regulation system as described in claim 10, wherein, The strap assembly further includes a second strap, which is used to obtain changes in strap parameters of the abdominal region adjacent to the chest cavity caused by breathing.

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