NO Delivery Apparatus With Pressure-Threshold Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NO gas supply installations risk interruption due to caregivers forgetting to replace empty cylinders, posing a safety hazard for patients, and continuous pressure monitoring complicates the installation architecture.
Innovation Solution
An NO delivery apparatus with dual NO containers, pressure-measuring means, and control means that automatically switch between containers based on pressure thresholds, ensuring continuous gas supply without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual monitoring and replacement of NO cylinders is implemented, then the installation architecture remains simple, but the reliability of continuous NO supply deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring of cylinder pressure levels and self-switching between cylinders automatically. The control unit continuously receives pressure signals from sensors on both cylinders and autonomously determines when to switch, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring continuous supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring pressure signals from both NO cylinders in real-time. The control unit processes this feedback information and automatically triggers switching when the primary cylinder pressure falls below the threshold, ensuring reliable continuous supply without manual checking.
2Reliability
If automatic switching between NO cylinders is implemented, then the reliability of continuous NO supply improves, but the device complexity increases due to additional monitoring and control components
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the gas supply function into two independent parallel circuits, each connected to a separate NO cylinder. This segmentation allows independent monitoring and switching between cylinders, improving reliability while keeping each circuit relatively simple and modular.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary monitoring of both cylinder pressure levels continuously before switching is needed. By maintaining real-time awareness of both cylinders' status, the system is prepared to switch immediately when required, ensuring no interruption in supply while using simple threshold-based control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an installation (100) for supplying an NO-containing gas mixture to a patient, comprising NO containers (10.1, 10.1) containing an NO-containing gas at a given pressure, and an NO delivery apparatus (1) for supplying the NO-containing gas, comprising control means (210), a gas circuit (200) with circuit sections (201, 202) comprising gas inlets (201.1, 202.1) for fluidically connecting the containers (10.1, 10.2) thereto, and also pressure-measuring means (251, 252) for measuring the pressure there, and valve means (222.1, 222.2) controlled by the control means (210) in order to control the flow of gas within the circuit sections (201, 202). The control means (210) control the valve means (222.1, 222.2) in order to authorize circulation of gas in one of the sections (201, 202) and simultaneously to prohibit all circulation of gas in the other of the sections (201, 202) as long as the measured pressure (P) is greater than or equal to a given threshold pressure, then to switch from one section to the other when the pressure falls below the given threshold pressure. Preferably, a step is provided for purging the section receiving the gas before switching to said section.