Dual Control Interface for Medical Ventilator Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In medical ventilator control systems, having a single interface within an isolation room poses challenges when medical practitioners need to urgently manage the ventilator or perform tasks outside the room, as donning personal protective equipment delays response times due to the risk of biohazard exposure and radiologic hazards.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual control system with a primary interface inside the isolation room and a secondary interface outside, connected via communication paths that allow for remote control and monitoring, ensuring timely and safe operation while minimizing exposure to hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single control interface is provided inside the isolation room, then the medical ventilator can be controlled directly at the patient bedside, but medical practitioners must don personal protective equipment before entering the isolation room which delays urgent response times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication device as an intermediary that enables control of the ventilator from outside the isolation room. The communication device receives commands from external input devices and transmits them to the ventilator controller, allowing medical practitioners to operate the ventilator without physically entering the isolation room, thus eliminating the time required to don PPE while maintaining control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into separate functional components located in different zones. The input device is positioned outside the isolation room while the communication device and ventilator controller remain inside. This spatial segmentation allows operators to interact with the system from a safe zone while the critical control functions remain accessible within the isolation environment
2Reliability
If a single control interface is provided inside the isolation room, then control is maintained at all times, but medical practitioners are exposed to biohazard and radiologic hazards when they must enter the isolation room
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device serves as a mediator that transmits control signals and data between the external input device and the internal ventilator controller. This intermediary mechanism enables continuous monitoring and control of the ventilator without requiring medical practitioners to physically enter the hazardous isolation room, thereby eliminating exposure to biohazard and radiologic hazards while maintaining system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a functional copy of the control interface outside the isolation room. The external input device replicates the essential control functions, allowing operators to interact with the ventilator settings and monitoring data from a safe location, effectively duplicating the control experience without the associated hazards
3Speed
If a single control interface is provided at the patient bedside, then urgent maneuvers can be performed quickly, but the interface must be accessible which requires entering the isolation room
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device acts as a real-time intermediary that instantly transmits control commands from the external input device to the ventilator controller. This direct communication pathway eliminates the time delay associated with donning PPE and physically accessing the bedside interface, enabling urgent ventilator maneuvers to be executed with the same speed as direct bedside control
Data Source
AI summary
Examples described herein include multiple control systems for medical devices, such as medical ventilators. Examples of multiple control of a medical ventilator in an isolation room are described.