Thermal Flow and Pressure Sensing for Ventilation Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In emergency and pre-hospital settings, providing effective ventilation and CPR treatments with portable equipment is challenging due to the difficulty in delivering optimal ventilation and chest compressions, often resulting in suboptimal outcomes or patient injury from incorrect pressure and timing parameters.
Innovation Solution
A sensing device is developed, comprising a gas flow conduit with a thermal mass flow sensor and pressure sensors, which provides real-time feedback on ventilatory parameters to care providers, ensuring accurate delivery of ventilation and chest compression treatments by determining waveforms and morphological features associated with patient conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual BVM ventilation is used, then portability and ease of deployment are improved, but measurement precision and reliability of ventilatory parameters deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions (thermal flow sensor, pressure sensors) into a single integrated sensing device that attaches to the BVM system. This merging allows the portable BVM to gain accurate measurement capabilities without sacrificing its portability or ease of deployment, as the sensors are integrated into a compact unit rather than requiring separate complex measurement systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing device acts as an intermediary between the BVM system and the patient, providing accurate measurements of flow and pressure parameters. The thermal flow sensor and pressure sensors serve as intermediary measurement elements that capture ventilatory parameters without interfering with the manual ventilation operation, enabling precise measurement while maintaining the simplicity of manual BVM use.
2Device complexity
If ventilation is delivered without real-time feedback, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of treatment outcomes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by providing real-time monitoring of ventilatory parameters through the sensing device. The thermal flow sensor and pressure sensors continuously measure flow and pressure, and this data is fed back to care providers to enable adjustment of ventilation parameters. This feedback mechanism improves treatment reliability by allowing providers to ensure optimal ventilation delivery without significantly increasing device complexity, as the sensing components are integrated into the existing BVM system.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are integrated into the conduit, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensing functions (thermal flow sensing, pressure sensing) into a single integrated sensing device that attaches to the BVM circuit. This consolidation allows multiple measurements to be taken from one integrated unit rather than requiring separate sensor assemblies, thereby improving measurement precision while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity. The sensors are positioned within the existing conduit structure rather than adding external complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a flow measurement device and a pressure measurement device simultaneously. The thermal flow sensor and pressure sensors are integrated into a single universal sensing unit that can measure multiple ventilatory parameters (flow, pressure) from one device attachment point, reducing the need for multiple separate sensors and minimizing complexity while maximizing measurement capabilities.
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 sensing device enhances the accuracy and safety of ventilation and CPR treatments by reducing the risk of patient ventilator asynchrony and providing timely, accurate measurements of patient airway flow and pressure, leading to improved treatment outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal mass flow sensor, disposed at least in part inside of the conduit, configured for measurement of a flow of gas inside of the conduit
Implementation Method 2
at least one pressure sensor configured for measurement of a pressure inside of the conduit, wherein the pressure inside of the conduit reflects a patient airway pressure
Implementation Method 3
the at least one flow conditioner is configured to condition the flow by improving laminar flow of at least a portion of the gas inside of the conduit during inspiration
Data Source
AI summary
A sensing device is provided for use in ventilation treatment, including a thermal mass flow sensor for measurement of gas flow inside of a gas flow conduit of the device and at least one pressure sensor for measurement of the pressure inside of the conduit. The sensing device may include at least one flow conditioner to condition of the flow of the gas inside of the conduit. The device may include an absolute pressure sensor for measurement of the pressure outside of the conduit (e.g., the ambient pressure). Systems and methods are provided that include a sensing device, or use thereof, in determining or presenting patient or treatment data or feedback, such as to a care provider. Systems and methods are provided that include determining patient airway gas flow and pressure waveforms, and that analyze morphological features of the waveforms to determine conditions of the patient or of treatment.