Breathing Control Assembly for Eustachian Tube Pressure Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventilation therapy apparatuses pose a safety risk due to potential ear perforation and hearing loss when the eustachian tube is open during positive pressure ventilation, as they continue to transport airflow despite the tube's inability to close under pressure.
Innovation Solution
A respiratory control assembly with an acquisition module to collect gas parameters, a control module to determine eustachian tube opening and closing states, and a gas transmission module to adjust airflow based on these states, ensuring safe operation by stopping airflow when the tube is open and resuming when closed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If positive pressure airflow is continuously transported to the user during ventilation therapy, then ventilation therapy effectiveness is improved, but the risk of ear perforation and hearing loss increases when the eustachian tube is open
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the acoustic wave detector continuously monitors the user's respiratory sounds and sends signals to the control module. The control module adjusts the gas transmission module's operation based on this feedback, stopping airflow when swallowing/yawning is detected (indicating open eustachian tube) and resuming when normal breathing is detected (indicating closed eustachian tube), thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining ventilation effectiveness and preventing ear damage
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the user's own physiological signals (acoustic waves from breathing and swallowing) to automatically control the ventilation device's operation. The control module interprets these self-generated signals to regulate airflow, eliminating the need for external monitoring and allowing the system to self-adjust based on the user's real-time physiological state
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the eustachian tube is monitored to prevent ear damage, then safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional detection and control components
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic wave detector serves multiple functions: it detects normal breathing sounds to confirm eustachian tube closure and detects swallowing/yawning sounds to identify eustachian tube opening. This multi-functional detection capability allows the system to monitor eustachian tube status without requiring separate specialized sensors, thereby improving safety while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The control module acts as an intermediary that processes acoustic wave signals from the detector and translates them into appropriate control commands for the gas transmission module. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the decision-making logic, making the detection and control system more manageable despite the added complexity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If airflow is stopped when eustachian tube is open, then safety is improved, but treatment continuity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic monitoring of acoustic waves from the user's respiratory system. By continuously detecting the rhythm and pattern of breathing sounds, the control module can identify temporary disruptions (swallowing/yawning) and resume airflow automatically when normal breathing patterns return. This periodic detection approach ensures safety during brief interruptions while maintaining overall treatment continuity
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
Enhances treatment reliability and safety by preventing ear damage and ensuring continuous treatment by automatically adjusting airflow based on eustachian tube status, improving safety for users with and without autonomous abilities.
Implementation Method 1
the gas parameter is an air pressure of an external auditory canal connected with the eustachian tube, and the air pressure detector is used for collecting the air pressure of the external auditory canal
Implementation Method 2
the acquisition module includes an acoustic wave detector and a patch structure for accommodating the acoustic wave detector, wherein the acoustic wave detector is used for collecting acoustic wave information of breathing airflow
Data Source
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AI summary
A breathing control assembly (30) and a ventilation therapy device. The breathing control assembly (30) comprises a collection module (302), a control module (304) and an air conveying module (306), wherein the collection module (302) and the control module (304) are connected in communication, and the collection module (302) is used for collecting an air parameter of an auditory tube of a user and sending the air parameter to the control module (304); and the control module (304) and the air conveying module (306) are connected in communication, and the control module (304) is used for determining an opening/closing state of the auditory tube according to the air parameter and configuring an air conveying state of the air conveying module (306) according to the opening/closing state. By means of the technical solution in the present application, when it is detected that an auditory tube of a user is open, the conveyance of an airflow to the user can be stopped; and when it is detected that the auditory tube of the user is closed, the conveyance of air is resumed, such that when the user uses the breathing control assembly (30), hidden dangers to health can be eliminated.