Ventilator Backup Breath Rate Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current ventilators require trained technicians to determine optimal timed breath rate settings, which are only applicable to a patient's current metabolic and pulmonary mechanics, and can deliver timed breaths during exhalation, causing discomfort and breath stacking.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that monitor respiratory activity and use logical permits and timers to determine when to provide a machine breath, including conservative and aggressive timing mechanisms, and adjust the minimum breath rate based on prior spontaneous breathing patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed timed breath rate settings are used in current ventilators, then the ventilator can provide backup breaths during apneas, but the settings require trained technicians and only apply to current metabolic and pulmonary mechanics
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator automatically monitors the patient's spontaneous breathing rate and dynamically adjusts the minimum timed breath rate setting based on real-time respiratory activity data, eliminating the need for manual technician intervention and fixed settings
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors patient respiratory rate and uses this feedback to automatically adjust the minimum timed breath rate, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing patient needs
2Reliability
If timed breaths are delivered at fixed rates, then backup ventilation is provided, but breaths may be delivered during exhalation causing discomfort and breath stacking
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed-rate timed breaths to dynamically adjusted breath delivery that responds to real-time patient respiratory phase detection, preventing breath stacking by adapting to actual breathing patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilator monitors and detects the patient's respiratory phase in advance before delivering timed breaths, ensuring breaths are delivered only during appropriate inhalation phases and preventing harmful breath stacking
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method of operating a ventilator or pressure support system that automatically determines a timed back up rate for the patient based on the patient's spontaneous breathing patterns. The aggressiveness of the determined rate increases as the patient takes less spontaneous breaths. Also, a method wherein one or more mechanisms are used to determine whether a machine breath should be issued. Each mechanism consists of a basic timing element coupled with one or more logical permits. Both the timing element and each of the one or more logical permits must be satisfied to allow the timing mechanism to trigger a machine breath.