NO Emergency Dosing Bypass for Control Failure Continuity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nitric oxide (NO) delivery devices are susceptible to failures or malfunctions, leading to abrupt cessation of therapy, which can result in adverse effects for patients, especially when used with high-frequency oscillating ventilators, and current emergency dosing mechanisms fail to maintain safe NO therapy during such malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
A backup NO dosing system with a backup solenoid valve and calibrated orifices, controlled by a flow measurement device, ensures a predetermined emergency gas flow rate is maintained by bypassing the primary control system during malfunctions, allowing continuous NO delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an emergency dosing system with bypass circuit is implemented, then reliability of NO therapy is improved during control unit failures, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two independent pathways: a primary controlled pathway (through the control unit and proportional solenoid valve) and a secondary emergency pathway (through the emergency solenoid valve and bypass circuit). This segmentation allows the emergency pathway to function independently when the primary pathway fails, resolving the contradiction by providing reliability through structural division rather than adding complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the system have specialized functions: the proportional solenoid valve provides precise continuous control under normal conditions, while the emergency solenoid valve provides simple binary control (open/closed) for emergency situations. This local specialization allows each component to be optimized for its specific role, maintaining overall system reliability without requiring every component to handle all scenarios.
2Ease of operation
If a proportional solenoid valve is used for continuous NO delivery, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to control malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency bypass circuit is pre-configured with an emergency solenoid valve that remains closed during normal operation but automatically opens upon control unit failure. This beforehand preparation ensures that when the proportional solenoid valve fails due to control malfunctions, the emergency pathway is already in place and can immediately take over, cushioning against the reliability deterioration caused by control unit vulnerabilities.
3Reliability
If emergency dosing bypasses the control unit, then reliability is improved during failures, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency bypass circuit creates a simplified copy of the primary NO delivery pathway, using an emergency solenoid valve that replicates the basic flow control function without the complex proportional control mechanisms. This copying approach maintains reliability during failures by providing a functional alternative while using simpler, more manufacturable components with fewer precision requirements compared to the full proportional control system.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a NO delivery apparatus (1) for supplying a gas containing NO comprising a NO injection line (111) with a normally closed valve device (113), and a flow measurement device (112); an emergency circuit (200) comprising a backup line (201) connecting to the injection line, with a normally open emergency solenoid valve (202); and control means (130). In the event of a malfunction of the control means, the flow control device (210) supplies the gas at a pre-set emergency gas flow rate having been determined before said malfunction. A multi-way solenoid valve (205) is arranged downstream of the flow control device and supplies metering lines (206, 207) with a calibrated orifice device (208, 209).