Respiratory Device Control with Extended Intervals for Spontaneous Breathing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ventilation devices often override spontaneous respiratory efforts of patients, leading to asynchronies, muscle stress, and unreliable tidal volume measurements due to mismatched breathing frequencies.

Innovation Solution

Implement a control device that recognizes a predetermined plurality of spontaneous respiratory efforts, transitioning to a challenge ventilation mode with a longer gap interval, allowing patients to trigger breaths independently while ensuring adequate gas supply.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the control device triggers machine-breaths at fixed intervals, then the ventilation rhythm is stable and predictable, but it overrides spontaneous respiratory efforts causing asynchronies and muscle stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilation rhythm stabilityVSAvoidrespiratory muscle stress

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically adjusts the gap interval between machine-breaths based on detected spontaneous respiratory efforts. When spontaneous efforts are detected, the gap interval is extended to allow patient-triggered breaths; when not detected, the original shorter gap interval is restored. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining rhythm stability through controlled variability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the temporal parameter (gap interval) of machine-breaths in response to detected spontaneous respiratory efforts. By extending the gap interval during challenge ventilation operation, the system accommodates patient-initiated breaths without overriding them, thereby reducing respiratory muscle stress while maintaining adequate ventilation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If the control device uses a short gap interval for machine-breaths, then ventilation frequency is maintained, but it prevents patients from triggering breaths independently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilation frequencyVSAvoidpatient autonomy in breathing

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The gap interval is made dynamic rather than fixed. During normal ventilation operation, a shorter gap interval maintains ventilation frequency. When spontaneous respiratory efforts are detected, the system transitions to challenge ventilation operation with an extended gap interval, enabling patient autonomy. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between maintaining ventilation frequency and allowing patient independence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the control device overrides spontaneous breaths to maintain set tidal volumes, then ventilation parameters are controlled, but tidal volume measurements become unreliable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilation parameter controlVSAvoidtidal volume measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control device uses feedback from sensor arrangements to detect spontaneous respiratory efforts and adjusts machine-breath timing accordingly. By extending the gap interval when spontaneous efforts are detected, the system avoids overriding patient breaths, thereby maintaining reliable tidal volume measurements while still providing ventilatory support when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Adaptability or versatility

If the control device transitions to challenge ventilation mode, then patient-triggered breaths are enabled, but the risk of inadequate gas supply increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebreathing mode flexibilityVSAvoidadequacy of gas supply

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors respiratory parameters through sensor arrangements to detect spontaneous respiratory efforts. This feedback mechanism ensures that challenge ventilation mode is activated only when appropriate, maintaining adequate gas supply while enabling patient-triggered breaths. The system can transition back to normal ventilation operation if spontaneous efforts cease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250222219A1Respiratory device and method with spontaneous respiratory phases

Publication Date: 2025.07.10 HAMILTON MEDICAL AG

AI summary

A respiratory device including a breathing gas source assembly, a flow change device, a breathing gas line assembly, a sensor assembly, and a control device with a data memory, the control device being connected for signal transmission to the data memory and to the sensor assembly, the control device being designed, in a normal respiratory operation, not to bring about a machine-triggered breathing stroke starting from a previous breathing stroke before a predetermined normal time interval has elapsed, the control device being further designed to identify, on the basis of data from the sensor assembly, a spontaneous respiratory effort of the patient, the control device being further designed, if it has identified at least a predetermined plurality of spontaneous respiratory efforts of the patient within a predetermined monitoring period, to switch to a challenge respiratory operation, in which, instead of the normal interval, a challenge interval lasting for a longer time is used.