Electrostatic Air Filter for Ventilator Circuit Blockage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air filters in ventilator breathing circuits become blocked with nebulized drugs and waste material within 24-48 hours, requiring frequent replacement and posing risks during filter installation and environmental exposure.
Innovation Solution
An air filter with an electrostatically charged medium positioned to treat incoming air, which attracts and retains liquid and particles, slowing airflow and diverting it through a pleated HEPA filter material to extend filter life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional filter is used in the breathing circuit, then the filter removes drugs and waste material from exhaled air, but the filter becomes blocked within 24-48 hours requiring frequent replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The electrostatically charged material is positioned upstream of the filter material to pre-treat the inlet air by attracting and retaining liquid and particles before they reach the filter. This preliminary action prevents the filter material from becoming blocked, extending its operational life from 24-48 hours to potentially several days or weeks.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrostatically charged material acts as an intermediary between the exhaled air and the filter material. It intercepts and retains drugs and waste material through electrostatic attraction, preventing these contaminants from directly blocking the filter material, thus extending filter life.
2Reliability
If the filter is replaced frequently, then the filter maintains optimal performance, but the breathing circuit must be broken and drugs may be released into the environment exposing staff to risk
Solution Approach 1:
The electrostatically charged material pre-treats the air stream by capturing particles and liquids before they reach the filter. This prevents filter blockage and maintains optimal performance over extended periods, reducing the frequency of filter replacements and minimizing the risk of drug release during replacement procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrostatically charged material converts the harmful effect of drug-laden air into a beneficial pre-filtration process. By using electrostatic attraction to capture contaminants upstream, it protects the main filter from blockage, reducing replacement frequency and associated environmental exposure risks.
3Measurement precision
If the filter material is made finer to improve filtration, then particle removal efficiency increases, but the filter becomes more susceptible to blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The electrostatically charged material performs preliminary particle capture upstream of the fine filter material. By removing a significant portion of particles and liquids before they reach the fine filtration medium, it prevents blockage while maintaining high particle removal efficiency through the combination of electrostatic attraction and fine filtration.
Solution Approach 2:
The filtration process is segmented into two stages: first, electrostatic attraction captures particles and liquids in the electrostatically charged material; second, the fine filter material provides additional filtration. This segmentation allows the fine filter to operate at optimal efficiency without becoming quickly blocked.
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 electrostatic filter medium significantly extends the filter's operational life by preventing particle and liquid passage, maintaining airflow integrity for up to 5 days without significant pressure loss, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing environmental exposure.
Implementation Method 1
the electrostatic medium is capable of attracting (and retaining) both liquid and particles so as to prevent their further travel into the filtration medium
Implementation Method 2
the electrostatically charged medium may be absorbent and therefore retain moisture
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
An air filter (1) particularly for use in a ventilator device for assisting respiratory function comprises: (i) a housing (3) with an air inlet (4) and an air outlet (6), and (ii) a filter material (8) in the path of air flow from the inlet (4) to the outlet (6). The filter material (8) is formed as a tubular body located at one of its ends around the air outlet (6) and being blanked (13) at its end opposite the air outlet (6). The air filter (1) further incorporates an electrostatically charged material (10) positioned at the blanked end (13) of the tubular body (8) to treat inlet air to the housing (3). This improves the life of the filter.