Breathing Protector Closure for Clean HME Speech Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing protectors for laryngectomized or tracheotomized individuals face challenges in providing effective moisture exchange, particle filtration, and ease of use, often requiring manual closure with fingers that contaminate the filter and offer limited antibacterial efficacy.
Innovation Solution
A breathing protector with a housing containing a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) and air filter, featuring a separate closing member and closing valve mechanism that allows for easy closure without finger contact, ensuring minimal contamination and enhanced filtration efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a finger or thumb is held over the device to obstruct air flow for speech, then the air flow can be controlled for speaking, but the filter becomes contaminated by transfer of impurities from the user's finger
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional components: a closing member for controlling air flow and a filter for filtration. The closing member can be actuated independently without contacting the filter, allowing speech control while maintaining filter cleanliness.
Solution Approach 2:
A closing member acts as an intermediary between the user and the filter. This intermediate component allows the user to control air flow for speech without directly contacting or contaminating the filter surface.
2Reliability
If the surface area of the device is increased to improve moisturizing and removal effects, then the filtration and moisture exchange performance improves, but the resistance over the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is configured in a three-dimensional pleated structure that expands the filtration surface area vertically rather than horizontally. This allows increased filtering capacity without proportionally increasing the device's footprint or resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter is divided into multiple pleated sections that create numerous small flow paths. This segmentation increases the total surface area for filtration and moisture exchange while distributing the resistance across multiple parallel channels.
3Volume of moving object
If the size of the device is reduced to make it compact, then the device becomes more comfortable for the user, but the surface area for moisturizing and removal effects is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pleated filter structure utilizes the vertical dimension to expand surface area within a compact horizontal footprint. This allows the device to remain small and comfortable while providing sufficient filtration and moisture exchange surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The pleated filter structure nests multiple layers of filtration material within a compact housing, allowing the surface area to be multiplied through folding and pleating rather than requiring a proportionally larger external size.
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
The design provides a compact, efficient breathing protector with high filtration efficacy, tactile confirmation of closure state, and reduced resistance, maintaining filter cleanliness and user comfort during speech and normal breathing.
Implementation Method 1
a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) and an air filter, such that said air flow will pass through said HME and said air filter
Implementation Method 2
an air filter, such that said air flow will pass through said HME and said air filter when said air flow in use passes through said inlet to said outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A breathing protector for a laryngectomized or tracheotomised person includes a housing, a heat and moisture exchanger (HME), an air filter, a cover, and a closing valve. The housing has a side wall extending from a proximal lower portion adapted to couple to a stoma of the laryngectomized or tracheotomised person to a distal upper portion. The HME is disposed within the housing and the air filter is disposed within the housing distal relative to the HME. The cover is separate from and movable relative to the distal upper portion of the housing. During use of the breathing protector, air intake is guided along a path entering a first air inlet, through the air filter and the HME, and exiting an air outlet and into a trachea of the person.