Bi-level Positive Pressure Support for Asthma and COPD
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current asthma treatments, primarily relying on medication, are not effective for all patients and can cause adverse side effects, necessitating alternative therapies to manage airway inflammation and improve pulmonary mechanics.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine parameters of pulmonary mechanics, such as airway resistance or lung compliance, to deliver bi-level positive pressure support during inspiratory and expiratory phases, adjusting pressure levels dynamically to optimize breathing assistance and potentially reduce medication reliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medication is used to treat asthma and COPD, then airway inflammation is reduced and symptoms are managed, but adverse side effects occur and some patients do not respond completely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces positive pressure support as an intermediary therapeutic modality between medication and invasive mechanical ventilation. This mediator approach provides respiratory assistance through pressure control rather than direct drug administration, reducing reliance on medications with adverse side effects while managing airway inflammation and respiratory mechanics
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes pressure parameters (IPAP and EPAP levels) based on patient response and pulmonary mechanics. By adjusting these physical parameters rather than relying solely on pharmacological dosing, the treatment can be optimized for each patient without the fixed side effect profile associated with medications
2Reliability
If high doses of medication are administered to ensure effectiveness, then symptom control improves, but adverse side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic parameter adjustment of positive pressure support levels based on real-time assessment of pulmonary mechanics and patient response. This allows optimization of therapeutic effect while minimizing intervention intensity, analogous to using the minimum effective medication dose but with adjustable physical parameters rather than fixed pharmacological dosing
3Ease of operation
If positive pressure support is delivered without personalized pressure adjustment, then treatment simplicity is maintained, but treatment efficacy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that assess patient response to positive pressure support and automatically adjust pressure parameters. This closed-loop control maintains treatment simplicity from the user perspective while internally optimizing efficacy through continuous monitoring and adjustment based on patient-specific pulmonary mechanics
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment of pressure parameters based on patient response, reducing the need for continuous manual intervention. The device serves itself by monitoring treatment effectiveness and autonomously optimizing pressure delivery to match individual patient needs
Data Source
AI summary
A method of treating lung disease, such as asthma or COPD, is provided that includes determining a parameter indicative of a patient's pulmonary mechanics (such as, without limitation, airway resistance or lung compliance), and delivering positive pressure support to the airway of the patient, wherein the pressure level (which may be constant or variable) of the positive pressure support during at least a portion of the inspiratory phase of the patient is determined based on the determined parameter.