Aerosol Generator Control for Breath-Synced Dose Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerosol delivery devices face challenges in maintaining dosage accuracy and consistency due to aerosol losses during exhalation and interruptions in user/patient respiration, particularly in continuous and breath-triggered nebulizers, which affect the efficiency and effectiveness of aerosol treatment.
Innovation Solution
An aerosol delivery device equipped with a sensor to detect use for aerosol treatment and a controller to deactivate the aerosol generator during interruptions, minimizing aerosol losses by ensuring precise and consistent dosage through quick activation and deactivation based on user/patient respiration patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If continuous nebulisation is used, then simple structure and quick administration are achieved, but substantial aerosol losses occur during exhalation and interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The aerosol generator is operated in periodic pulses synchronized with the user's inhalation phases rather than continuously. The controller activates the aerosol generator only during detected inhalation events, creating periodic action that matches the respiratory cycle. This eliminates aerosol losses during exhalation while maintaining quick administration capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor detects the user's respiration pattern and provides feedback to the controller, which adjusts aerosol generation accordingly. The controller receives real-time information about inhalation phases and modulates the aerosol generator activation based on this feedback, ensuring aerosol is delivered only when the user is inhaling.
2Loss of substance
If breath-triggered nebulisation is used, then aerosol losses during exhalation are minimised, but administration time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsed aerosol generation triggered by detected inhalation events rather than waiting for complete breath cycles. This reduces the effective administration time while still minimizing aerosol losses, as aerosol is generated only during inhalation phases without requiring full breath-triggered delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor continuously monitors for inhalation onset and prepares the controller to activate the aerosol generator at the optimal moment. This preliminary detection allows the system to respond immediately when inhalation begins, reducing overall administration time while maintaining efficient aerosol delivery.
3Loss of substance
If manual pause function is used, then aerosol losses during interruptions are minimised, but pausing is not sufficiently quick and reliable
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects interruptions in respiration through the sensor and autonomously pauses aerosol generation without requiring manual user input. The controller monitors the respiratory signal and self-adjusts the aerosol generation based on detected interruptions, making the system self-regulating and highly reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor provides continuous feedback about the presence or absence of respiration to the controller. When respiration is interrupted or stopped, the feedback signal triggers automatic pausing of aerosol generation. This closed-loop control ensures rapid and reliable response to interruptions without manual intervention.
4Productivity
If aerosol generator is continuously operated, then quick administration is achieved, but dosage accuracy decreases during interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor continuously monitors respiration and provides feedback to the controller to track the actual number and duration of inhalation events. This feedback allows the system to calculate and adjust the total aerosol dosage delivered, ensuring measurement precision even when interruptions occur during treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
By operating the aerosol generator in periodic pulses synchronized with each detected inhalation, the system creates a countable series of dosing events. This periodic operation allows precise tracking of the number of inhalations and corresponding aerosol delivery, improving dosage accuracy while maintaining quick administration through immediate response to each breath.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an aerosol delivery device comprising an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol in the aerosol delivery device, a sensor configured to detect a use of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol treatment, and a controller configured to deactivate the aerosol generator if no use of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol treatment is detected by the sensor. Further, the invention relates to a method for operating an aerosol delivery device, comprising the steps of operating an aerosol generator for generating an aerosol in the aerosol delivery device, detecting a use of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol treatment by means of a sensor, and deactivating the aerosol generator by means of a controller if no use of the aerosol delivery device for aerosol treatment is detected by the sensor.