Nasal Cannula With Integrated Sensing Conduits
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Nasal cannulas for respiratory gas delivery lack information on important treatment parameters like pressure, flow rate, and carbon dioxide build-up, and may create an undesirable seal with the user's nares, potentially harming the user.
Innovation Solution
A nasal cannula design with a base portion and nozzles that include sensors to monitor gas parameters, and a non-sealing feature to prevent the cannula from forming a seal with the nares, allowing for the detection of pressure and flow changes while maintaining airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If prior art nasal cannula designs are used, then the structure is simple, but information on important treatment parameters (pressure, flow rate, carbon dioxide build-up) is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds multiple sensing conduits and sensors within the cannula structure itself. The sensing conduits are integrated into the cannula body, with sensors positioned at specific locations to detect pressure, flow rate, and carbon dioxide levels. This nesting approach allows information gathering without significantly increasing external device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: delivering therapeutic gas and monitoring treatment parameters. The sensing conduits serve dual purposes by being part of the gas delivery system while also providing measurement capabilities for pressure, flow, and carbon dioxide detection.
2Reliability
If prior art nasal cannula designs create a seal with the user's nares, then gas delivery is effective, but detrimental effects on the user's health occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula structure is divided into separate functional zones: a sealing portion that contacts the nare to ensure gas delivery, and a non-sealing portion that maintains an opening for airflow and sensing. This segmentation allows the cannula to provide effective gas delivery while preventing harmful sealing effects through the dedicated non-sealing section.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas delivery conduit adapted for fluidly connecting to a respiratory gases delivery system in a high flow therapy system. In one embodiment, a nasal cannula includes a base portion defining a first therapeutic gas passageway, a nozzle disposed adjacent said base portion and defining a second therapeutic gas passageway, the first passageway being in gaseous communication with the second passageway and a conduit configured to facilitate sensing that has an inlet side that is independent of and axially spaced apart from an outlet side of the nozzle. The conduit inlet side can extend beyond the nozzle outlet side of the nasal cannula. Additionally, the nasal cannula has a feature adapted to prevent one of the conduit and the nozzle from creating a seal with a user's nare and a feature adapted to prevent one of the conduit and the nozzle from creating a seal with a user's nare.