Tracheal Breathing Tube Pressure Controller for Cuff Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tracheal breathing tubes lack accurate and reliable control of cannula cuff pressure, leading to potential complications such as ischemia and breathing difficulties due to inadequate blood supply and excessive force on tracheal walls.

Innovation Solution

A valve apparatus, or cannula cuff pressure controller, is integrated with tracheal breathing tubes to provide precise control and visualization of fluid pressure within the cannula cuff, ensuring proper force application and preventing over-inflation through spring-biased one-way flow control and pressure visualization mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If cannula cuff is inflated to create fluid sealing, then sealing function is improved, but excessive force on tracheal walls occurs causing ischemia and swelling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing functionVSAvoidforce on tracheal walls

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a pressure sensor that continuously monitors cannula cuff pressure and provides feedback to a control system. This feedback mechanism enables real-time adjustment of inflation pressure to maintain optimal sealing force while preventing excessive pressure that could cause tracheal wall damage, ischemia, or swelling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the pressure parameter within the cannula cuff based on patient-specific requirements and real-time conditions. By changing the pressure parameter from fixed to variable, the system achieves reliable sealing while avoiding harmful excessive force on tracheal walls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If prior art uses pilot balloon for pressure estimation, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision is insufficient for accurate pressure control

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepressure indication mechanismVSAvoidcannula cuff pressure measurement

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical pilot balloon system with electronic pressure sensing technology. Pressure sensors provide precise quantitative measurements of cannula cuff pressure, eliminating the imprecise tactile estimation method while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through integrated electronic components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If manual inflation control is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability of pressure control is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecannula cuff inflationVSAvoidpressure control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates automated pressure regulation that monitors and adjusts cannula cuff pressure without requiring continuous manual intervention. The control system automatically maintains pressure within safe and effective ranges, enhancing reliability while preserving ease of operation through simple user interfaces for basic control functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 solution enables accurate and reliable control of cannula cuff pressure, reducing the risk of post-use complications by ensuring appropriate force on tracheal walls and preventing excessive pressure, thus enhancing anesthesiologist control and patient safety.

Implementation Method 1

The valve assembly provides spring-biased one-way flow control of fluid through the valve chamber

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSpring bias: Spring

Data Source

PatentUS11247011B2Pressure controller and tracheal breathing tube comprising same

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 ZHANG XIALING

AI summary

Disclosed herein are aspects of a tracheal breathing tube that provides for accurate and reliable control of cannula cuff pressure. Such a tracheal breathing tube include a pressure controller through which a fluid is supplied to a cannula cuff of a tracheal breathing tube and which enables reliable indication of a level of pressure of fluid within the cannula cuff. The pressure controller serves to achieve a proper interface between the cannula cuff and a patient's trachea, thereby addressing important clinical considerations such as anesthesiologist control. Moreover, the pressure controller serves to ensure that proper force is being applied on the patient's tracheal walls by the cannula cuff to thereby limit the potential for post-surgical complications resulting from, for example, inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body. swelling of the patient's tracheal walls that can lead to difficulty in breathing, and the like.