Non-Sealing Nozzle Ventilation Interface for Patient Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilation therapies for respiratory and sleep disorders are invasive, obtrusive, and non-mobile, limiting patient mobility and activities of daily living, as they require sealing interfaces that prevent natural breathing and are cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A non-sealing nasal mask system with nozzles that deliver gas into the nasal passage, creating a negative pressure area near the nozzle and a positive pressure area near the entrance, allowing patients to breathe ambient air while receiving ventilatory support through a combination of gas from a delivery source and entrained air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sealing face mask or nasal mask is used to deliver mechanical ventilation, then ventilatory support is provided, but patient mobility and activities of daily living are limited due to the obtrusive interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing requirement from the ventilation interface by delivering ventilatory support through a non-sealing nasal cannula. The system provides mechanical ventilation by delivering pressurized gas through the nasal passage without requiring a face mask or sealing interface, thereby enabling patient mobility and activities of daily living while maintaining effective ventilatory support
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the nasal passage as an intermediary pathway to deliver ventilatory support. Instead of directly sealing against the face, the system delivers pressurized gas through the natural nasal airway, using the patient's own anatomy as the delivery route and eliminating the need for obtrusive external sealing interfaces
2Reliability
If a sealing nasal cannula or mask is used for non-invasive ventilation, then mechanical ventilation is provided, but the patient cannot use their upper airway and natural breathing is prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sealing component from the nasal cannula design, extracting the harmful effect of preventing natural breathing. The modified cannula delivers ventilatory support through the nasal passage without creating a seal that would block the patient's ability to breathe naturally or use their upper airway, allowing simultaneous mechanical support and natural breathing
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of blocking the airway to deliver ventilation (as in sealing masks), the system inverts the approach by delivering ventilation through the open nasal passage. The cannula positions the gas delivery source to flow through the natural airway path without obstruction, allowing air to flow freely while providing mechanical support
3Reliability
If high flow oxygen therapy is used to reduce work of breathing, then oxygen delivery is improved, but the system consumes significant oxygen quantity and becomes non-mobile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the patient's own respiratory system to perform part of the work by utilizing the natural negative pressure generated during inhalation to draw ventilatory gas through the nasal passage. The system leverages the patient's own breathing mechanics to drive gas flow, reducing the need for high-flow forced delivery and enabling mobility while maintaining work of breathing reduction
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 system provides unencumbered respiratory support, allowing patients to move freely and perform daily activities while receiving mechanical ventilation, reducing the work of breathing and treating conditions like respiratory insufficiency and sleep apnea with improved patient compliance.
Implementation Method 1
the nozzle is capable of delivering gas into the nasal passage by creating negative pressure area near the nozzle and a positive pressure area near the entrance to the nose
Implementation Method 2
the nozzle is capable of delivering gas into the nasal passage by creating negative pressure area near the nozzle and a positive pressure area near the entrance to the nose
Implementation Method 3
a combination of gas from the gas delivery source and air entrained from the gas exiting the nozzle provide ventilatory support
Data Source
AI summary
A system for supplying ventilatory support may include a nasal interface configured to communicate with a patient's nose while allowing the patient to breathe ambient air directly without flowing through the nasal interface. A nozzle may be associated with the nasal interface at a distance from a nose. The nozzle may be connectable to the gas delivery circuit and the gas delivery source. The nozzle may be capable of delivering gas into the nasal passage by creating negative pressure area near the nozzle and a positive pressure area near the entrance to the nose. A combination of gas from the gas delivery source and air entrained from the gas exiting the nozzle may provide ventilatory support.