Ventilator Lumens for Dead Space Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ventilator systems often exacerbate respiratory issues by increasing dead space in patients' airways, allowing disease-causative agents to spread and reducing the effectiveness of treatments, as they do not effectively clear dead space and prevent cross-infection between lung portions.

Innovation Solution

The use of multiple inspiratory lumens configured to provide separate airflow to different portions of a patient's airways, combined with expiratory lumens to evacuate gases, reduces dead space and minimizes cross-infection by ensuring separate and controlled airflow and gas exchange.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single ventilator tube is used to provide airflow to both lungs, then the device complexity is reduced, but dead space increases and cross-infection risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilator tube configurationVSAvoiddead space and cross-infection risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The single ventilator tube is segmented into multiple separate inspiratory lumens, with each lumen dedicated to delivering breathable gas to a specific lung or bronchus. This segmentation eliminates dead space by providing separate airflow paths for each lung portion and prevents cross-infection by isolating the airflow between lungs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If separate inspiratory lumens are used for different lung portions, then dead space is reduced and cross-infection risk decreases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedead space and cross-infectionVSAvoidmultiple inspiratory lumens configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple separate inspiratory lumens are merged into a single integrated ventilator tube structure. The tube contains multiple internal channels or lumens that are structurally combined but functionally separate, allowing independent airflow control to different lung portions while maintaining a unified device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If medications are delivered through a single ventilator tube, then the ease of operation is improved, but treatment efficacy decreases due to inability to target specific areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication deliveryVSAvoidtreatment efficacy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The ventilator tube is designed with different segments or lumens having different functional properties. Specific lumens are optimized for delivering medications to targeted lung regions, while others are optimized for general breathable gas delivery. This local differentiation enables both ease of operation and targeted treatment efficacy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This configuration effectively reduces dead space, enhances treatment efficacy by allowing medications to reach targeted areas, and decreases the risk of cross-infection, thereby improving patient outcomes and extending the effectiveness of treatments.

Implementation Method 1

a first inspiratory lumen that is configured to receive a first inspiratory gaseous volume and to provide the first inspiratory gaseous volume to a first portion of an airway of a patient

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas flow through lumens:

Implementation Method 2

a second inspiratory lumen that is configured to receive a second inspiratory gaseous volume and to provide the second inspiratory gaseous volume to a second portion of the airway

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas flow through lumens:

Implementation Method 3

one or more expiratory lumens that are configured to evacuate an expiratory gaseous volume from at least one of the first portion of the airway and from the second portion of the airway

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas evacuation through lumens:

Data Source

PatentUS20240050678A1Ventilator system with multiple airflow control lumens

Publication Date: 2024.02.15 KILJANEK LUKASZ R

AI summary

A ventilator system includes inspiratory lumen(s) and expiratory lumen(s). Inspiratory lumen(s) provide inspiratory gas mixtures to patient's airways, for instance with separate inspiratory lumens providing inspiratory gas(es) to separate airways portions (e.g., separate lungs, bronchi, lobes). Expiratory lumen(s) evacuate expiratory gases from airways, for instance with separate expiratory lumens evacuating gases from separate airway portions. Separate lumen(s) for separate portions of airways functionally separates structural airway portions, and allows maintenance of near-continuous flow across the respiratory cycle. This can reduce dead space and clear disease-causative agent(s) suspended therein, improving outcomes and reducing cross-contamination between airway portions. The system allows for independent titration of PEEP, pCO2 and/or pO2 without permissive hypercapnia. The system can include PEEP protection mechanisms, enhanced suctioning, suctioning mode(s), real-time compliance measurements, automatic settings choice to operate within highest lungs compliance, improved tube and lumen airway insertion, threading lumens, mounting device(s) for threaded lumens, etc.