Olfactory Stimulation Device for Premature Infant Apnea
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for apnea in premature newborn infants are often inefficient and can have undesirable effects, prompting the need for a supplementary or alternative solution.
Innovation Solution
A medical device for olfactory stimulation that delivers precise scents using a carrier gas and odorization circuits with controlled valves, allowing for preprogrammed sequences to stimulate premature newborn infants, potentially replacing pharmacological treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pharmacological treatments are used to treat apnea in premature newborn infants, then the treatment can be effective, but undesirable side effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (aroma/essential oil) that mediates between the treatment goal and the patient. The aromatic substance acts as a mediator that stimulates the olfactory system and triggers autonomic nervous system responses to treat apnea, avoiding direct pharmacological intervention and its associated side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical/pharmacological treatment system with a sensory-based system involving olfactory stimulation. Instead of using drugs that chemically interact with the body, the system uses aromatic substances that stimulate the olfactory receptors and subsequent neural pathways to achieve the therapeutic effect.
2Reliability
If multiple scent containers are used to increase treatment variety, then sensory habituation is avoided and treatment effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the aromatic substance storage into multiple separate containers, each holding a different essential oil or aroma. This segmentation allows for varied olfactory stimulation without requiring a single complex mixture system, and enables selective activation of individual containers based on treatment requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the device with multiple containers that can each serve the same functional purpose (olfactory stimulation) but with different aromatic contents. This multi-functionality allows the system to address sensory habituation by rotating between different scents while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure through standardized container designs.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise valve control is implemented to deliver accurate scent puffs, then treatment precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex precision control system and replaces it with simpler mechanical or electronically-controlled valves that regulate airflow to the aromatic substances. The precision is achieved through controlled activation of individual containers rather than through complex continuous modulation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves precise scent delivery by controlling parameters such as airflow rate, activation timing, and container selection rather than through mechanically complex valve systems. The precision comes from programmed control of when and how long each container is activated, rather than from sophisticated hardware control mechanisms.
4Manufacturing precision
If a cleaning circuit is added to prevent inter-odorant pollution, then scent purity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary cleaning action by providing a cleaning circuit that purges the common outlet line between scent deliveries. This preliminary cleaning prevents contamination before the next scent is delivered, ensuring purity without requiring complex real-time separation systems during active scent delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning circuit operates continuously or periodically between scent deliveries to maintain purity, integrating the cleaning function into the overall treatment cycle rather than as a separate add-on system. This continuous maintenance approach ensures scent purity while keeping the overall system relatively simple.
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 effectively reduces apnea occurrences in premature newborn infants by delivering precise scent puffs, minimizing contamination risks, and being cost-effective, while also being adaptable for various treatments and portable.
Implementation Method 1
a source of a carrier gas... a container inlet line, provided with a container inlet valve, connecting an inlet of said container with said source of carrier gas
Implementation Method 2
a container containing an odorous volatile substance... from which the said volatile substance can be extracted by the carrier air flow
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for olfactory stimulation of a patient with a plurality of scents, said device comprising: —a source (2) of a carrier gas (G); —a plurality of scent odorization circuits, each odorization circuit (4) comprising: —a container (18) containing an odorous volatile substance (V), —a container inlet line (26), provided with a container inlet valve (28), connecting an inlet (30) of said container with said source of carrier gas, and —a container outlet line (36), provided with a container outlet valve (38), connecting an outlet (40) of said container with an exit line (12); —a control unit (8), configured to control said container inlet valve and container outlet valve according to a medical protocol.