Portable Respiratory Airflow Layout for Compact Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing household respiratory systems are bulky and not designed for portable use, lacking compact and lightweight configurations, which affects therapeutic effectiveness and user comfort during travel.
Innovation Solution
A portable respiratory system with a housing, divider, flow sensor, elastic member, rigid member, blower, and flow limiter, featuring a miniaturized design with flow channel arrangements that include a flow limiter with non-symmetrical detection passages and a detachable flow limiter for airflow regulation and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the portable respiratory system uses a compact design with integrated flow sensor and flow limiter, then the device portability and miniaturization are improved, but the manufacturing complexity and assembly precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple components including the flow sensor, flow limiter, blower, and control unit into a single compact housing structure. The flow sensor and flow limiter are positioned within the same air passage system, and the blower is integrated with the housing to form a unified portable device, thereby reducing overall device size while maintaining functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The flow sensor is disposed within the upper chamber of the housing, while the flow limiter is positioned in the air passage below it. The blower is nested within the housing structure with its inlet and outlet passages integrated into the overall air flow path. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional components to occupy overlapping or adjacent spaces, achieving miniaturization
2Measurement precision
If the system implements accurate flow control with detection passages and flow sensor, then the therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow sensor detects the actual airflow through the detection passages and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit processes this feedback signal and adjusts the blower operation accordingly to maintain the prescribed airflow rate, enabling closed-loop control for accurate flow regulation and improved therapeutic effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical flow measurement mechanisms with an electronic flow sensor that uses electrical or optical detection methods. The flow sensor converts airflow parameters into electrical signals for processing, substituting mechanical measurement systems with more precise and compact electronic sensing technology
3Manufacturing precision
If the flow limiter uses multiple pipes arranged in the air passage, then the flow regulation precision is improved, but the device volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow limiter is divided into multiple parallel pipes arranged within the air passage. Each pipe acts as an independent flow channel with precise dimensions, allowing the total airflow to be regulated through the combined effect of multiple segmented channels. This segmentation enables finer flow control precision while keeping each individual pipe compact
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple pipes of the flow limiter are arranged in a compact configuration within the vertical or lateral dimension of the air passage rather than extending the device length. By utilizing the cross-sectional area of the air passage efficiently, the pipes are positioned to provide precise flow regulation without significantly increasing the overall device volume
4Reliability
If the system operates with higher pressure to ensure adequate airflow, then the therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but the patient comfort deteriorates due to discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The flow sensor continuously monitors the actual airflow delivered to the patient and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the blower pressure dynamically to maintain the prescribed airflow rate, preventing both excessive pressure (which causes discomfort) and insufficient pressure (which compromises therapeutic effectiveness), thereby optimizing both comfort and treatment efficacy
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 achieves miniaturization, lightweight portability, and accurate airflow regulation, enhancing user comfort and therapeutic effectiveness by providing multiple airflow control modes.
Implementation Method 1
The blower is disposed in the elastic member, and is operable to receive an airflow from the transmission flow channel to generate a positive pressure airflow and transmit the airflow to the air outlet flow channel
Implementation Method 2
The flow sensor is disposed in the upper chamber... The first detection passage is located in an upstream of the flow limiter, the second detection passage is located in a downstream of the flow limiter, and the first detection passage and the second detection passage are individually connected to the flow sensor
Implementation Method 3
The elastic member is disposed in the lower chamber. The rigid member is fixed in the lower chamber by the elastic member and the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses a portable respiratory system including a housing, a divider, a flow sensor, an elastic member, a rigid member, a blower and a flow limiter. By configuring the divider in the housing, the system is partitioned into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, wherein the flow sensor is located in the upper chamber and the elastic member is located in the lower chamber. The rigid member is fixed in the lower chamber, and defines an air inlet flow channel, a lateral flow channel, a transmission flow channel, and an air outlet flow channel. The blower is disposed in the elastic member and is operable to receive an airflow from the transmission flow channel and generate a positive pressure airflow. The flow limiter includes multiple pipes and is located in the lateral flow channel.