Respiratory Assistance Synchronizing Breath Rate

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Solution Overview

Problem

Machine-assisted respiration devices often cause discomfort due to mismatched initiation of inspiration or expiration with the patient's natural breathing rhythm, leading to suboptimal therapeutic compliance.

Innovation Solution

A system that generates a pressurized flow of breathable gas, adjusts volume thresholds based on breathing rate, and temporarily decreases pressure during expiration when inspiratory volume exceeds the threshold, synchronizing with the patient's natural breathing rhythm.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a respiratory device initiates inspiration or expiration at fixed pressure levels, then the device can provide consistent mechanical assistance, but the initiation may fail to coincide with the patient's natural breathing rhythm causing discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecomfortVSAvoidsynchronization with breathing rhythm

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the volume threshold based on the patient's breathing rate. As the breathing rate changes, the threshold adapts accordingly, allowing the device to respond to the patient's natural breathing rhythm rather than using a fixed threshold. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the initiation timing flexible and synchronized with the patient's varying respiratory patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the patient's breathing rate and uses this feedback to adjust the volume threshold in real-time. This closed-loop control ensures that the device responds to the patient's actual breathing needs, improving synchronization and comfort while maintaining reliable mechanical assistance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the device uses a fixed volume threshold for triggering expiration, then the control logic is simple, but it does not account for variations in breathing rate leading to poor synchronization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptation to breathing rateVSAvoidcontrol logic

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the volume threshold parameter based on the detected breathing rate. Instead of using a single fixed threshold, the threshold is adjusted as a variable parameter that responds to breathing rate changes. This allows the device to adapt to different breathing patterns while maintaining a relatively simple control structure based on threshold comparison.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the device provides continuous pressurized flow at inspiratory pressure level, then adequate respiratory support is provided, but discomfort occurs when the flow does not align with the patient's expiratory phase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverespiratory supportVSAvoidcomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies pressurized flow in a periodic manner that synchronizes with the patient's breathing cycles. By detecting the breathing rate and adjusting the timing of pressure application based on the volume threshold breach, the device delivers pressure support during the appropriate phases of the breathing cycle, ensuring both adequate support and patient comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS9272106B2Respiration-rate dependent respiratory assistance

Publication Date: 2016.03.01 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

Respiratory assistance is provided to a subject in the form of a pressurized flow of breathable gas. The pressure of the gas is eased during expiration and increased during inspiration. Changes in pressure are triggered and/or cycled based on the monitoring of tidal volume. Volume thresholds that cause triggering and/or cycling are adjusted based on an observed or measured breath rate.