Surgical Oxygen Mask with Integrated Filtration and Gas Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical masks for patients do not provide adequate protection against microorganisms, user comfort, or accurate oxygen and carbon dioxide level measurement during medical procedures, as they lack a filter for breath and a mechanism for supplemental oxygen delivery.
Innovation Solution
A surgical oxygen mask with a clear, soft, and malleable plastic construction, elastic strap, malleable aluminum strip for nose molding, paper filters on the front and sides, and ribbed tubing for gas sampling, allowing connection to a ventilator circuit for supplemental oxygen and adjustable gas sampling tubing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a surgical mask is worn by the patient, then the risk of infection is reduced, but the ability to provide supplemental oxygen and access the airway is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a surgical mask with an oxygen mask into a single integrated device. The surgical mask portion filters microorganisms while the oxygen mask portion includes a reservoir and connector for supplemental oxygen delivery, allowing both infection protection and oxygen therapy functions to be performed simultaneously by one mask.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-function mask serves multiple purposes: it acts as a surgical mask to filter exhaled breath, an oxygen mask to deliver supplemental oxygen, and provides access to the patient's airway. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate masks and improves adaptability to different patient needs.
2Measurement precision
If gas sampling tubing is made longer to allow adjustment through nose or mouth, then sampling accuracy improves, but device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gas sampling tubing is designed to be flexible and adjustable in length, allowing it to dynamically adapt to different patient anatomies and sampling requirements. The tubing can be extended or repositioned as needed to achieve accurate sampling through the nose or mouth without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a filter is added to the surgical mask, then protection against microorganisms improves, but breathing effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter is strategically positioned in the surgical mask portion to filter exhaled breath while maintaining adequate filtration. The oxygen delivery system compensates for any increased breathing resistance by providing supplemental oxygen, ensuring that breathing effort does not become excessive while still achieving effective microorganism protection.
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 mask effectively reduces the risk of infection, provides user comfort, and enables accurate gas sampling while delivering supplemental oxygen, addressing the limitations of existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a front opening covered with a paper filter; and two side openings covered with paper filters
Data Source
AI summary
A clear, soft and malleable plastic constructed face mask is provided that has an elastic strap that is used to secure the mask onto a patient's face. The mask comprises of a malleable aluminium strip on the top for easy molding of the mask around the patient's nose; a front opening covered with a paper filter; and two side openings covered with a paper filter. The mask provides supplemental oxygen through connection to a Y-shaped respiratory/ventilator circuit or standard oxygen tubing. The mask also allows the patient to breathe comfortably without a supplemental oxygen source. It has ribbed tubing for gas sampling. The mask allows a health care employee to visualize breathing on the clear plastic material. The mask provides filtration of aerosolized contaminants.