Ventilator Exhalation Sensor Failure Backup Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical ventilators cease ventilation when exhalation flow and pressure become unreliable due to malfunctions, failing to provide necessary support to patients whose ability to breathe is impaired.
Innovation Solution
A ventilator system that monitors inspiratory and expiratory flows and pressures, switches to a backup driver to deliver ventilation based on inspiratory flow and pressure when exhalation flow and pressure are unreliable, ensuring continuous ventilation through an Exhalation Backup Ventilation (EBUV) mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ventilation is delivered based on exhalation flow and exhalation pressure, then ventilation control precision is improved, but system reliability deteriorates when exhalation sensors malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different control parameters based on sensor reliability. When exhalation flow or pressure sensors malfunction, the system transitions from using exhalation parameters to using inspiratory parameters (flow or pressure) to maintain ventilation control, thereby resolving the contradiction between control precision and system reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a backup driver that is pre-configured and ready to take over when the main driver fails. This backup mechanism ensures continuous ventilation delivery even when exhalation sensors malfunction, preventing complete system failure and maintaining reliability
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the ventilator ceases ventilation when exhalation flow or pressure is unreliable, then patient safety is improved by avoiding faulty control, but ventilation continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The backup driver is pre-configured and ready to immediately take over when the main driver detects sensor malfunction. This ensures that ventilation continues without interruption, preventing harmful gaps in patient support while avoiding the use of faulty exhalation sensor data
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that monitors sensor reliability and switches between the main driver and backup driver. This intermediary function allows the system to maintain ventilation continuity by selecting the appropriate control path based on sensor status, ensuring patient safety without complete ventilation cessation
3Reliability
If a backup driver is implemented to maintain ventilation during malfunctions, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backup driver is designed as a simplified copy of the main driver's essential functionality. Rather than creating a fully independent complex system, the backup driver replicates only the critical ventilation delivery functions needed to maintain patient support, reducing the complexity increase while improving reliability
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes systems and methods for providing novel back-up ventilation. Further, this disclosure describes systems and methods for delivering ventilation when exhalation pressure and/or exhalation flow are unknown or unreliable by the ventilator.