Infant Nasal Suction Device with Intermittent Piezoelectric Pump Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Caregivers face challenges in continuously monitoring and removing nasal mucus from infants, leading to disrupted sleep and increased discomfort due to the operation of existing suction devices, which also consume excessive power and cause noise interference with breathing.
Innovation Solution
A suction device with a piezoelectric suction pump and a driving controller that intermittently operates and adjusts suction pressure based on detected nasal mucus presence and viscosity, using impedance detection to optimize power consumption and reduce discomfort, without the need for additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the suction device is continuously operated to reduce caregiver burden, then the caregiver can sleep continuously, but the operation sound and suction interfere with patient breathing causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pump operates intermittently with periodic cycles of suction and pause, rather than continuously. The control unit switches the suction pump between operating and pausing states, allowing the patient to breathe normally during pause periods while still achieving mucus removal over time, thus reducing discomfort while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection unit detects nasal mucus presence and provides feedback to the control unit, which then activates the suction pump only when mucus is detected. This feedback mechanism ensures suction occurs only when necessary, reducing unnecessary operation sounds and discomfort to the patient while still effectively removing mucus.
2Extent of automation
If additional sensors are added to detect nasal mucus generation, then automatic suction can be achieved, but the device configuration becomes complicated and mounting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection unit serves multiple functions: it detects nasal mucus presence, determines whether the suction port is properly inserted into the nasal cavity, and provides feedback for controlling suction operations. By making the detection unit multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate sensors for each function, thereby reducing device complexity and mounting time while achieving automatic suction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the detection function and control function into an integrated system where the detection unit's output directly controls the suction pump operation. The control unit merges mucus detection signals with suction control logic, eliminating the need for separate sensor mounting and complex wiring, thus simplifying the overall device configuration.
3Productivity
If the suction pump operates at high suction pressure to effectively remove mucus, then mucus removal efficiency increases, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pump operates at high suction pressure only partially - specifically, only when nasal mucus is detected by the detection unit. During other times when no mucus is present, the pump remains off or operates at lower power. This partial action approach maintains high mucus removal efficiency when needed while significantly reducing overall power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction pump operates in periodic cycles of high-power suction and low-power pause states. The control unit manages these periodic operations based on detection unit feedback, allowing the system to achieve effective mucus removal through intermittent high-power operation rather than continuous high-power operation, thus reducing overall energy consumption.
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 device automatically and efficiently removes nasal mucus with reduced power consumption and discomfort, allowing caregivers to sleep while minimizing noise interference with the infant's breathing.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric suction pump and a driving controller that intermittently operates and adjusts suction pressure based on detected nasal mucus presence and viscosity
Implementation Method 2
using impedance detection to optimize power consumption and reduce discomfort, without the need for additional sensors
Data Source
AI summary
A suction device (10) includes a nose piece (11) that is mounted by inserting a leading end thereof into a nasal cavity, a suction pump (21) that sucks external fluid using the nose piece (11) with a suction pressure in accordance with a driving voltage, and a driving controller (31) that repeats a state of applying the driving voltage to the suction pump (21) and a state of stopping application of the driving voltage.