Atomized Water Humidification for Ventilator Rainout Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical ventilator humidifiers often over- or under-humidify breathing gases, leading to rainout in the patient circuit or lung, which can cause infections and airway damage, and lack separate control over water and heat introduction.
Innovation Solution
A system that controls the amount of water and heat added to the patient circuit based on the patient's actual temperature, using a hollow cone atomizer and heating system to vaporize water droplets, monitoring exhaled gases for feedback, and adjusting humidity and temperature settings to prevent rainout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a traditional humidifier is used to humidify breathing gases, then humidity is added to the gas, but rainout occurs in the patient circuit or lung causing infections and airway damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature and humidity parameters based on patient's actual temperature measurements. By changing these parameters in real-time according to patient condition, the system prevents rainout while maintaining appropriate humidity levels in the breathing gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from temperature sensors measuring patient's actual temperature to continuously adjust the humidification and heating. This closed-loop control ensures that humidity and temperature are optimized to prevent rainout while maintaining patient comfort and safety.
2Quantity of substance
If more water is added to increase humidity, then humidity increases, but filter saturation occurs and rainout risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system optimizes water addition by dynamically adjusting humidity parameters based on patient temperature and breathing conditions. This prevents over-humidification that would lead to filter saturation and unnecessary water consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors and adjusts humidification levels based on patient condition, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The self-regulating mechanism prevents water waste through filter saturation while maintaining appropriate humidity.
3Temperature
If heating is increased to prevent rainout, then temperature increases, but unintentional patient heating or cooling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from patient temperature measurements to continuously adjust heating levels. This closed-loop control ensures that breathing gas temperature is optimized to prevent rainout while avoiding unintentional patient heating or cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature parameters based on patient's actual temperature, transforming the static heating approach into a responsive system that adapts to patient condition changes.
4Manufacturing precision
If separate control over water and heat introduction is implemented, then precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines water vaporization and heating functions into an integrated humidifier assembly. This merging of functions achieves separate control precision while reducing overall system complexity compared to independent water and heat control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parameter changes in the breathing gas (temperature and humidity) as indicators to control water and heat addition, eliminating the need for complex direct measurement and control systems.
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
Reduces the likelihood of rainout, minimizes unintentional patient heating or cooling, and allows therapeutic temperature adjustments, while reducing water and filter saturation.
Implementation Method 1
vaporize the water droplets upon contact of the water droplets with a heating tube in the flow path downstream of the atomizer to form humidified breathing gases
Implementation Method 2
controlling a temperature of at least one of a heating tube or a heating circuit; vaporizing the atomized water upon contact of the water with a heating tube in the flow path downstream of the atomizer
Data Source
AI summary
A humidifier, for a ventilation system, that includes an atomizer configured to deliver water droplets into a flow of breathing gases and a heating element configured to vaporize the water droplets emitted from the atomizer. The humidifier may be configured to set a target inhalation gas temperature based on internal temperature of a patient. Further, based on inspiratory flow and humidity data about breathing gases upstream of the atomizer of the humidifier, the humidifier may calculate and deliver an amount of water in one or more bursts of atomized water. Based on the target inhalation gas temperature, the humidifier may control a temperature of the heating element.