Breathing Tube Filter Diffusor Zone Low Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing tube arrangements for lung function diagnostics devices often increase breathing resistance due to the use of filter elements, which can lead to discomfort and inaccurate measurements, and existing solutions fail to efficiently reduce infection risk while maintaining low resistance.
Innovation Solution
A breathing tube arrangement with a distally positioned filter element and a diffusor zone that reduces breathing resistance by expanding the gas flow path, allowing for efficient filtration and lower resistance than filter-equipped tubes in prior art.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a filter element is added to the breathing tube, then infection risk is reduced, but breathing resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter element is extracted from the conventional proximal position (between mouthpiece and analysis zone) and relocated to the distal end of the breathing tube. This spatial extraction allows the filter to perform its protective function while being isolated from the critical measurement zone, thereby maintaining low breathing resistance in the analysis path while still providing effective filtration
Solution Approach 2:
The distally positioned filter element acts as an intermediary component that separates the contaminated exhaled air path from the clean inhalation and measurement paths. By placing the filter at the distal end, it mediates between the subject's exhaled air and the external environment, allowing filtered air to flow through the flow sensor without contamination while maintaining low resistance in the measurement path
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a filter element with big diameter is used to achieve low breathing resistance, then device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reducing the filter diameter to lower complexity (which would increase breathing resistance), the invention inverts the conventional approach by relocating the filter to the distal end where it can maintain a larger effective filtration area without interfering with the measurement path. This inversion of the filter's positional role allows both low resistance and simplified design
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 significantly reduces breathing resistance and maintains or enhances filtration efficiency, making the breathing tube arrangement more comfortable and accurate for lung function diagnostics while minimizing infection risk for both subjects and medical staff.
Implementation Method 1
a filter element (1) connected to a distal end (17) of the breathing tube (15)... the filter element comprises a filter material... efficiently reduces the infection risk
Implementation Method 2
a diffusor zone (5) arranged proximally of the filter material (9)... the diffusor zone comprises a proximal end (6) with a first proximal cross-sectional area and a distal end (7) with a first distal cross-sectional area... the first distal cross-sectional area is bigger than the first proximal cross-sectional area
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 1D~1E
AI summary
The invention relates to a breathing tube arrangement (14) for a lung function diagnostics device, comprising a breathing tube (15) defining a guiding path for breathing air to be analyzed by a lung function diagnostics device, the breathing tube (15) having a proximal end (16), a distal end (17) and an analysis zone (18) located between the proximal (16) end and the distal end (17). According to an aspect of the invention, the breathing tube arrangement (14) comprises a filter element (1) having a filter material (9), a breathing air releasing region (30) arranged distally of the filter material (9), and a diffusor zone (5) arranged proximally of the filter material (9), wherein the diffusor zone (5) comprises a proximal end (6) having a first proximal cross-sectional area (61) and a distal end (7) having a first distal cross-sectional area (71) that is bigger than the first proximal cross-sectional area (61), and wherein the breathing air releasing region (30) has a second distal cross-sectional area (31), wherein the second distal cross-sectional area (31) is bigger than the first proximal cross-sectional area (61) and at least as big as the first distal cross-sectional area (71), wherein a ratio between the first proximal cross-sectional area (61) and the second distal cross-sectional area (31) lies in a range of between 1:2 to 1:20.