Positive Pressure Lung Simulation Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing simulation devices for ventilating ex vivo lungs using negative pressure are difficult to operate without training and do not provide a meaningful user experience, and alternative high-pressure systems are complex, noisy, and require compressed gases.
Innovation Solution
A device that uses positive low-pressure air to inflate lungs, featuring a pneumatic diaphragm pump, valve, and controller to manage air pressure, with user-adjustable threshold values and pump speed control, allowing for variable inspiration rates and enabling the use of medical devices during simulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If negative pressure is used to inflate lungs, then lungs can naturally fill with ventilation gas, but the system becomes difficult to operate without training and fails to provide meaningful user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional negative pressure approach by using positive pressure (5-15 psi) to inflate the lung model. This inversion makes the system easier to operate without requiring specialized training, as users can intuitively understand and control the breathing simulation through simple manual operation of the pressure source.
2Power
If high pressure reservoirs (50 psi) are used to operate valves, then ventilation can be achieved, but the system becomes complex, large, and noisy requiring compressed gases from tanks or compressors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from high pressure (50 psi) to low pressure (5-15 psi), which fundamentally simplifies the system. This parameter change eliminates the need for complex high-pressure components such as large valves, compressed gas tanks, and powerful compressors, while still providing adequate ventilation capability for the lung model.
3Power
If high pressure reservoirs (50 psi) are used to operate valves, then ventilation can be achieved, but the system becomes large and noisy
Solution Approach 1:
By reducing the operating pressure from 50 psi to 5-15 psi, the patent dramatically reduces the size and weight of required components. The low-pressure system eliminates the need for large compressed gas tanks, bulky compressors, and oversized valves, resulting in a compact and quiet device suitable for training environments.
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 simplifies lung simulation and training by providing a user-friendly, low-pressure air system that can maintain variable lung inflation states, allowing for interactive training and medical device integration without the complexity and noise of high-pressure systems.
Implementation Method 1
The air supply component inflates the synthetic lung or the real lung with positive low-pressure air
Implementation Method 2
The controller causes the valve to alternate between connecting the first port to the second port and the second port to the third port
Implementation Method 3
The air supply component includes a pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure value and send the pressure value to the controller
Data Source
AI summary
A device for placing a lung in a variety of different inflation states using positive air pressure. An exemplary device includes a housing and an air supply component. The housing includes a platform receives at least one of a synthetic lung or a real lung. The platform is at the same air pressure as a surrounding environment. The air supply component is located within the one or more internal cavities of the housing. The air supply component inflates the synthetic lung or the real lung with positive pressure.