Respiratory Vent Adaptor With HME for Stable Flow and Low Dead Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current respiratory pressure therapy systems face challenges with patient compliance due to uncomfortable, difficult-to-use, and aesthetically unappealing masks that fail to maintain effective seals, leading to reduced therapy effectiveness and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A vent assembly for a respiratory pressure therapy system featuring a vent housing with an annular surface and a movable membrane that adjusts to maintain a constant vent flow rate across therapeutic pressures, combined with a patient interface that includes a seal-forming structure and positioning stabilizing elements to enhance comfort and seal integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a patient uses a bi-level PAP machine with a cushion having a 15mm port, then the patient requires a 15mm-to-22mm adaptor to connect to standard elbow tubing, but this creates a risk of misalignment between the adaptor male connector and female connector
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor incorporates a male connector nested within a female connector, where the male connector is positioned inside the female connector body. This nested structure ensures proper alignment through physical guidance features including a ridge on the male connector that fits into a groove in the female connector, and a flared portion of the male connector that aligns with a corresponding groove in the female connector before insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor serves as an intermediary component between the cushion port and the elbow tubing. The female connector receives the male connector from the cushion assembly, and the adaptor body provides alignment features that guide the male connector into proper position within the female connector, preventing misalignment that would occur with direct connection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the adaptor uses a standard 22mm female connector to connect to elbow tubing, then it is compatible with standard respiratory therapy equipment, but the internal volume of the adaptor adds dead space that may affect patient therapy
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor body is constructed from a thin-walled material that provides the necessary structural integrity while minimizing internal volume. The thin walls reduce the dead space within the adaptor body, allowing for better breath delivery to the patient while maintaining the structural strength needed to accommodate the connector interfaces and alignment features.
3Reliability
If the adaptor is designed with alignment features such as a ridge and groove, then connector alignment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor incorporates asymmetric alignment features including a single ridge on the male connector that fits into a corresponding groove in the female connector. This asymmetric design provides unique orientation guidance that ensures proper alignment while maintaining relatively simple geometry. The flared portion of the male connector also provides asymmetric alignment with a groove in the female connector, ensuring correct positioning without requiring multiple complex features.
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 improves patient compliance by reducing noise and discomfort, maintaining effective gas exchange, and simplifying the therapy system while minimizing power consumption and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a movable membrane that adjusts to maintain a constant vent flow rate across therapeutic pressures
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A vent assembly for a respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) system. The vent assembly may include a vent housing having a first orifice configured to receive the flow of pressurized gas from the RPT device and the vent housing having a plurality of holes to discharge pressurized gas to atmosphere; a vent housing connector having a second orifice configured to direct the flow of pressurized gas to the patient interface; and a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) comprising an HME housing and an HME material within the HME housing, wherein the vent housing and the vent housing connector are configured to be connected to, at least in part, form a cavity, and wherein the HME is positioned in the cavity when the vent assembly is assembled.