Respiratory Acoustic Sensor Membrane for Humid Air Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory support devices face contamination issues due to humidified air affecting acoustic sensors, which can harm subjects and impair signal detection accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A respiratory support device design with a membrane covering the conduit opening to separate the acoustic sensor from airflow, allowing the sensor to detect acoustic signals accurately while preventing contamination, using a membrane that resonates at the acoustic frequency and is pretensioned or electroactive to adjust frequency response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the acoustic sensor is placed inside the conduit to detect acoustic signals, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the sensor is exposed to humidified air which causes contamination and particle release
Solution Approach 1:
A membrane is introduced as an intermediary element between the acoustic sensor and the humidified air flow. The membrane allows acoustic signals to pass through to the sensor while blocking the humidified air, thus preventing contamination. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling signal detection without direct exposure to harmful environmental factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin membrane film to cover the conduit opening, allowing acoustic waves to propagate through it while maintaining physical separation from the humidified air. The membrane's flexibility and thinness permit acoustic transmission while its integrity prevents particle generation and sensor contamination.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a membrane is introduced to separate the sensor from airflow, then contamination is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane serves as a simple yet effective separation element that prevents contamination without requiring complex sealing mechanisms or multiple components. Its thin-film nature allows it to be integrated into the existing conduit structure with minimal additional complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a physical barrier against humidified air, allows acoustic signal transmission, and can be positioned at the conduit opening without requiring additional housing or mounting structures. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the membrane is made rigid to block airflow effectively, then contamination is prevented, but acoustic signal transmission is attenuated
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is designed with specific mechanical properties that allow it to be sufficiently rigid to block humidified air flow while remaining thin and flexible enough to permit acoustic wave transmission. The thin-film structure provides adequate airflow resistance without significantly attenuating acoustic signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane's physical parameters (thickness, material composition, tension) are optimized to achieve the right balance between airflow blocking and acoustic transmission. By adjusting these parameters, the membrane can effectively prevent contamination while maintaining high-fidelity acoustic signal passage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents contamination of the acoustic sensor by airflow, ensuring accurate detection of inaudible acoustic signals without disturbing the user, particularly during sleep.
Implementation Method 1
The membrane is adapted to resonate at the acoustic frequency
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a respiratory support device for providing pressurized air to a subject. The respiratory support device comprises a conduit, an acoustic generator, and an acoustic sensor. The conduit is for conveying an airflow. The conduit has an opening. The acoustic generator is adapted to generate an acoustic signal in the conduit at an acoustic frequency. The acoustic sensor is arranged outside the conduit. The acoustic sensor is adapted to generate a sensor signal representative of the acoustic signal. The respiratory support device comprises a membrane arranged to cover the opening to separate the acoustic sensor and the airflow from each other. The membrane is adapted to resonate at the acoustic frequency.