Corrugated Heat and Moisture Exchanger for Low-Impedance Humidification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory therapy devices, particularly patient interfaces and heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs), suffer from discomfort, inefficiency, and poor fit, leading to reduced patient compliance and inadequate humidification, which affects the effectiveness of treatments for respiratory disorders.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface with a corrugated heat and moisture exchanger (HME) that includes corrugated structures to increase surface area for moisture retention and humidification, oriented to minimize flow impedance and positioned to avoid facial contact, along with a removable design for improved fit and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a traditional flat HME is used, then the device structure is simple, but the humidification performance is inadequate due to insufficient surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The HME structure transitions from a flat two-dimensional configuration to a three-dimensional corrugated configuration with multiple layers stacked together. This dimensional change dramatically increases the surface area available for heat and moisture exchange between the exhaled and inhaled gas streams, thereby improving humidification performance without proportionally increasing the device's external footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple corrugated layers are nested within each other in a compact stacked arrangement. Each layer contains corrugations that create internal channels for gas flow, and the layers are positioned such that they nest together efficiently. This nesting approach maximizes the internal surface area for moisture exchange while minimizing the overall volume occupied by the HME device.
2Manufacturing precision
If the HME is positioned to maximize moisture exchange, then humidification improves, but flow impedance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The corrugated structure creates localized regions of high surface area density where moisture exchange occurs most efficiently. The channels between corrugations are designed with specific dimensions and configurations that optimize the balance between surface area for exchange and flow resistance. Different sections of the HME may have varying corrugation densities to locally optimize for either exchange or flow characteristics depending on the gas flow direction.
Solution Approach 2:
By transitioning to a three-dimensional corrugated structure with multiple stacked layers, the HME increases the surface area available for moisture exchange in the vertical dimension without significantly increasing the horizontal flow path length. This allows more exchange surface to be accessed perpendicular to the main gas flow direction, reducing the impact on flow impedance while enhancing humidification.
3Ease of operation
If the HME structure is made more complex to improve fit, then patient comfort improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The HME is designed as a removable, separable component that can be independently attached to and detached from the patient interface system. This segmentation allows the HME to be optimized for comfort and performance without complicating the overall patient interface design. The modular HME can be easily replaced or adjusted without affecting other components of the respiratory therapy system.
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 corrugated HME enhances humidification performance, reduces flow impedance, and improves patient comfort, thereby increasing compliance and treatment efficacy for respiratory disorders.
Implementation Method 1
The corrugated structure retains moisture from a flow of expiratory gas, and the retained moisture is provided to the flow of breathable gas for humidification
Implementation Method 2
Heat and moisture exchanger (HME) that includes corrugated structures to increase surface area for moisture retention and humidification
Data Source
AI summary
A patient interface for supplying a flow of breathable gas to the airways of a patient may comprise a heat and moisture exchanger (HME). The HME may be positioned in a flow path of the flow of breathable gas. The HME may absorb heat and moisture from gas exhaled by the patient and the incoming flow of breathable gas to be supplied to the patient's airways may be heated and moisturized by the heat and moisture held in the HME.