Self-Inflating Reservoir for Gas Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing systems waste medicine by allowing exhaled gas to be vented when the patient is not inhaling, leading to inefficiencies in gas delivery and increased healthcare costs, as the reservoir bags used to capture excess gas often fail to inflate due to their thick-walled construction and high pressure requirements.
Innovation Solution
A gas delivery system with an inlet check valve of increased resistance, a self-inflating reservoir made of resilient materials like shape-memory polymers, and adjustable internal system pressure to ensure gas is captured and stored during exhalation, reducing waste by filling the reservoir before inhalation and providing visual feedback to encourage deeper breathing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thick-walled reservoir bags are used to withstand shipping and handling damage, then durability is improved, but the ability to inflate and capture excess gas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir bag is divided into two distinct wall thickness zones: a thick-walled base portion for durability during shipping and handling, and a thin-walled upper portion for easy inflation and gas capture. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the reservoir bag have different wall thickness properties tailored to their specific functional requirements. The base has thick walls for strength, while the upper portion has thin walls for compliance and ease of inflation, creating local quality variations throughout the structure.
2Stress or pressure
If the pressure required to inflate a thick-walled reservoir is greater than the pressure required to open the inlet check valve, then the reservoir can be filled, but gas is wasted through venting
Solution Approach 1:
The thin-walled upper portion of the reservoir is designed to inflate first at lower pressures during the gas delivery cycle, capturing gas before the inlet check valve opens. This preliminary inflation action prevents gas waste by storing gas in the reservoir before pressure builds up enough to open the check valve and cause venting.
3Reliability
If the source pressure is increased to ensure the reservoir inflates, then inflation reliability is improved, but gas mass flow rate and losses through the outlet port increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reservoir wall thickness parameter is changed from uniform thick construction to a gradient structure with thin walls in the upper portion. This parameter change allows the reservoir to inflate reliably at lower source pressures, preventing the need to increase pressure that would otherwise cause excessive gas flow and outlet port losses.
4Productivity
If a self-inflating reservoir is used to reduce medicine waste, then medicine delivery efficiency is improved, but ambient air may be drawn in through the outlet port when the patient inhales
Solution Approach 1:
The thin-walled upper portion of the reservoir acts as an intermediary gas storage chamber that fills with supplied gas at low pressure before patient inhalation. This intermediary structure captures the medicine-rich gas mixture and delivers it to the patient without allowing ambient air to be drawn in through the outlet port, as the reservoir pressure remains positive throughout the breathing cycle.
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 reduces medicine waste by ensuring gas is stored and available for inhalation, while also promoting deeper breathing through the use of shape-memory reservoirs that provide visual feedback, enhancing lung expansion and preventing fluid build-up.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure of the exhaled gas is sufficient to close the inlet check valve so that exhaled gas is forced through vents or an outlet port located between the patient and the inlet check valve. Pressure generated by the patient's inhalation opens the inlet check valve
Implementation Method 2
A gas delivery system with an inlet check valve of increased resistance, a self-inflating reservoir made of resilient materials like shape-memory polymers
Data Source
AI summary
A breathing system is provided that employs a reservoir for holding oxygen or an oxygen and medicine mixture while the patient is not inhaling. The reservoir generally prevents waste and reduces cost and helps prevent the patient from re-inhaling the previously exhaled gases.