Systems and methods for active power management in a medical device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory treatment devices face challenges in comfort, efficacy, and compliance due to issues with power management, noise, and the design of patient interfaces, which affect the treatment of respiratory disorders such as sleep apnea and COPD.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of adaptive power management in respiratory treatment apparatuses that include a power supply, pressure generator, heating elements, and sensors to optimize power usage based on current draw and patient respiratory cycles, ensuring efficient operation within the device's power limits while providing heated and humidified air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the power supply capacity is increased to support higher power components, then the available power for heating and pressure generation is improved, but the device weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power management that adjusts power distribution to components based on real-time operational requirements. The controller monitors power consumption of the pressure generator and dynamically adjusts heating element power accordingly, allowing the system to use available power capacity efficiently without requiring a continuously oversized power supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic duty cycling where heating elements are activated in alternating intervals rather than continuously. This allows the power supply to recover between high-draw operations, enabling the use of lower-capacity power supplies that weigh less while still meeting therapeutic heating requirements through accumulated thermal energy.
2Temperature
If the heating power is increased to provide adequate thermal comfort, then the patient comfort is improved, but the total power consumption exceeds the power supply capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-heats the breathable gas during periods when power demand is lower, storing thermal energy in the gas stream before it reaches the patient. This preliminary heating action ensures thermal comfort is maintained without requiring continuous high-power operation that would exceed supply capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically adjusts heating parameters including power level, duty cycle, and timing based on real-time monitoring of power consumption, temperature sensors, and pressure generator status. This allows the system to optimize thermal delivery within available power constraints by changing operational parameters rather than maintaining fixed high-power settings.
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
This solution enhances the comfort and efficacy of respiratory treatments by improving power management, reducing noise, and increasing patient compliance through more efficient and comfortable device operation.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element configured to heat the generated flow of air
Data Source
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AI summary
A respiratory treatment device includes a blower for providing flow of breathable gas to a patient and one or more accessory devices. The respiratory treatment device includes active power management to distribute power from a power source that does not have sufficient power to simultaneously power the blower and the accessory devices. The active power management prioritizes power to the blower and limits, based on current measurements of the blower and the accessory devices, the power supplied to the accessory devices to keep the sum of the power drawn at or below the capacity of the power supply. When additional power is available, due reduced power consumption of the blower, the power to one or more accessory devices is raised beyond a target in order to compensate for when power was not supplied to the one or more accessory devices.