Esophageal Sensor Diaphragm Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mechanically ventilated patients face challenges in weaning due to the difficulty in detecting natural breathing tendencies, as the ventilator's forced breathing signals overpower the patient's natural diaphragm movement, making it hard to synchronize ventilation rates effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system with sensors placed at the lower esophageal sphincter and in proximity, monitoring diaphragm movement frequency through impedance and pressure sensors, and adjusting mechanical ventilator parameters to match the patient's natural breathing rhythm, using Fourier transforms and band pass filters to filter out interference and accurately track diaphragm motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical ventilation is applied to support patient breathing, then patient survival and recovery are improved, but the patient's natural breathing tendencies are overpowered and difficult to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an esophageal balloon as an intermediary device placed between the diaphragm and the external environment. The balloon detects diaphragm movement indirectly through pressure changes in the esophagus, allowing the natural breathing signal to be measured without being overpowered by the mechanical ventilation. This intermediary approach enables accurate detection of spontaneous breathing efforts while the patient remains on mechanical ventilation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If ventilation rate is increased to support patient breathing, then oxygenation is improved, but synchronization with patient's natural breathing rhythm becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where the detected diaphragm movement frequency and pattern are used to automatically adjust the mechanical ventilator settings. The system continuously monitors the patient's natural breathing rhythm through the esophageal balloon and provides real-time feedback to synchronize the ventilator's delivery rate with the patient's spontaneous breathing, optimizing oxygenation while maintaining natural breathing patterns.
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
This system enables accurate detection of natural breathing tendencies, allowing for synchronized ventilation adjustments that aid in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation more efficiently, reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation and improving patient recovery.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor that senses values at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and/or of tissues of the esophagus in proximity to the LES
Implementation Method 2
An indication of a frequency band of the movement of the diaphragm is computed according to an analysis of output of the sensor
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
There is provided system for monitoring spontaneous breathing of a mechanically ventilated target individual, comprising: a feeding tube for insertion into a distal end of an esophagus of the individual, sensor(s) disposed on the feeding tube at a location such that the sensor(s) is located at the distal end of the esophagus of the individual when the feeding tube is in use, wherein the sensor(s) is positioned for sensing values by contact with the tissue of the esophagus including a lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and/or tissue in proximity to the LES, and code for computing an indication of a frequency band of diaphragm movement of the individual according to an analysis of values sensed by the sensor(s), and for adjustment of parameter(s) of a mechanical ventilator for mechanically ventilating the individual, wherein the instructions for adjustment are computed while the feeding tube is in use.