Medical Breathing Apparatus Regulator with Disposable Outlet Unit
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical breathing apparatus regulators face challenges in preventing cross-infection due to the risk of infectious particles being transferred from patients, and current in-line filters are bulky, uncomfortable, and inefficient at high flow rates, leading to increased resistance and discomfort for patients.
Innovation Solution
A medical breathing apparatus with a removable outlet unit featuring a contamination barrier that prevents exhaled air from contacting the regulator, using a disposable exhale valve downstream of the filter to bypass contaminated gas, and a valve mechanism with reduced mechanical advantage at higher flow rates to minimize resistance and improve comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an in-line filter is used on the regulator outlet, then cross-infection prevention is improved, but the device becomes bulky and unwieldy
Solution Approach 1:
The regulator system is divided into two separate components: a compact regulator body and a removable outlet unit containing the filter. The outlet unit can be detached and replaced, allowing the filter to be disposed of after single use while keeping the regulator body compact and reusable.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet unit containing the filter is designed as a disposable component that is replaced between patients. This eliminates the need for a large permanent filter installation, as the disposable unit is compact yet provides adequate filtration for single-use scenarios.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an in-line filter is used on the regulator outlet, then cross-infection prevention is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates due to increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The filter design parameters are optimized for the specific flow rates and pressure conditions of the regulator outlet, rather than being designed for general respiratory circuit use. This allows the filter to provide adequate protection while maintaining lower resistance at the higher flow rates typical of regulator operation.
3Ease of operation
If a large area filtration medium is used to reduce resistance at high flows, then breathing comfort is improved, but the filter becomes impractically large
Solution Approach 1:
The filter medium parameters (area, porosity, thickness) are specifically optimized for the high flow rate conditions at the regulator outlet. The compact filter achieves adequate performance at high flows by adjusting these parameters, eliminating the need for large filtration areas while maintaining patient comfort.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the regulator is taken apart for cleaning between patients, then cross-infection prevention is improved, but time consumption and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet unit containing the filter is designed as a disposable component that is replaced between patients rather than cleaned. This eliminates the time-consuming disassembly and cleaning process while ensuring effective cross-infection prevention through single-use components.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of cleaning and reusing the outlet unit and filter, the system is designed to discard the disposable outlet unit after single use. The regulator body is retained and reused, while the contaminated outlet unit is disposed of, eliminating cleaning requirements.
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 solution effectively reduces the risk of cross-contamination by ensuring all parts in contact with exhaled breath are disposable, and the design minimizes resistance and bulk, enhancing patient comfort and practicality while maintaining effective filtration.
Implementation Method 1
a contamination barrier arranged such that clean gas from the regulator passes through the contamination barrier, and contaminated exhaled gas bypasses the contamination barrier
Implementation Method 2
maintaining a roughly constant pressure that is in keeping with what can readily be drawn by a patient (in the region of 250 Pa-1000 Pa below atmospheric)
Implementation Method 3
a valve mechanism with reduced mechanical advantage at higher flow rates to minimize resistance and improve comfort
Data Source
AI summary
A medical breathing apparatus incorporating a regulator for supplying breathing gas to a patient from an air hose (11). The regulator supplies breathing gas on demand to the patient via a mouthpiece or similar attached to an output connector (55). The connector forms part of a removable output unit (4) incorporating a filter (53) and an exhale flap valve (57/58) on the patient side of the filter. When the patient exhales, exhaled gas entering the connector (55) exits to atmosphere via the exhale valve without passing through the filter into the interior of the regulator, thus reducing cross-contamination between patients. Also described is an improved valve seat (16)/valve member (18) assembly in which multiple spaced pivot points (22, 23) are defined to cause the mechanical advantage for operating the valve member to reduce as the valve opens, thus reducing the force needed to operate the valve at lower flow rates.