Removable Flow Channel Humidifier to Prevent Ventilator Rainout
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical ventilator humidifiers often lead to rainout, where water accumulates in the patient circuit, causing interference with sensors and filters and increasing infection risk, and under-humidification can result in airway damage due to dryness, with existing systems lacking control over water and heat separation.
Innovation Solution
A low-profile humidifier with a removable flow channel that directly controls the injection of pressurized liquid into the breathing circuit, using a nozzle to vaporize liquid on a heated surface, and includes a compact design with sensors and indicators for proper conduit connection, preventing rainout and ensuring accurate humidification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water is added to humidify breathing gas, then humidification level is improved, but water accumulates in patient circuit causing rainout
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates water addition and heating functions into distinct components - a nozzle for liquid injection and a heated surface for vaporization. This segmentation allows precise control of water delivery independent of heating, preventing over-humidification and rainout while maintaining effective humidification levels in the breathing gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the physical state of water from liquid to vapor through controlled heating on a heated surface. By controlling the phase change parameter and the rate of vaporization, the system delivers precise amounts of moisture to the breathing gas without adding excess liquid water that would cause rainout.
2Quantity of substance
If liquid is injected into breathing circuit, then humidification is improved, but control over water and heat separation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the humidification process into separate water delivery (nozzle) and heating (heated surface) functions. This segmentation maintains control over water and heat separation by allowing independent adjustment of liquid injection rate and heating power, achieving precise humidification control without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heated surface acts as an intermediary between the injected liquid and the breathing gas. Liquid is injected onto the heated surface where it vaporizes, and the resulting vapor mixes with the breathing gas. This intermediary approach provides controlled water-to-heat interaction while maintaining separation of control mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If flow channel is fixed in humidifier body, then device structure is simplified, but cleaning and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The flow channel is segmented from the main humidifier body as a removable component. This allows the flow channel to be easily detached for cleaning and maintenance while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple. The removable design provides maintenance access without requiring complex disassembly mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow channel is extracted as a separate, removable component from the humidifier body. This extraction enables easy removal and cleaning of the flow channel without affecting the main humidifier structure, maintaining structural simplicity while significantly improving ease of maintenance.
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 effectively prevents rainout and ensures consistent humidification levels, reducing infection risk and airway damage while allowing for easy cleaning and maintenance of the flow channel.
Implementation Method 1
a heated surface within the conduit to vaporize liquid droplets injected by the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed technology relates to low-profile humidifiers for humidifying breathing gases from a medical ventilator. In an example, the low-profile humidifier includes a humidifier body that includes a liquid port; a pump in fluid communication with the liquid port; a valve in fluid communication with the pump; a nozzle in fluid communication with the valve; a controller that controls the valve and the pump. The low-profile humidifier also includes a removable flow channel that is removable from the humidifier body. The removable flow channel includes a gas inlet sized for connection to a conduit from a medical ventilator; a gas outlet; a conduit between the gas inlet and the gas outlet; a heated surface within the conduit to vaporize liquid droplets injected by the nozzle; and a through hole to receive the nozzle into the conduit.