Ventilator Breathing System Oxygen Flush Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern ventilators face challenges in delivering increased oxygen concentrations to patients due to delays in gas composition changes, leading to potential hypoxia and misinterpretation of oxygen boost functionality, especially in critical care scenarios where timely oxygen delivery is crucial.
Innovation Solution
A ventilator system with a control computer that automatically increases the flow of breathing gas through the ventilator breathing system in response to changes in oxygen concentration, minimizing delivery delays by temporarily boosting the flow and returning to baseline when the new concentration reaches the patient, thereby ensuring rapid and accurate oxygen enrichment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the oxygen concentration in the breathing gas is increased, then the oxygen supply to the patient is improved, but there is a considerable delay in the oxygen-enriched gas reaching the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-flush the ventilator breathing system with the new gas composition before actually delivering it to the patient. When oxygen concentration needs to be increased, the system first flushes the breathing circuit with the oxygen-enriched gas to clear the old gas from the tubing and reservoir, ensuring that when delivery begins, the patient receives the updated composition without delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary flushing mechanism between the gas source and the patient. A flush flow is introduced through the breathing system to act as a mediator that transports the new gas composition from the ventilator to the patient end adapter, bridging the time gap that would otherwise exist due to the volume of the breathing circuit.
2Quantity of substance
If the volume of the ventilator breathing system is increased to provide sufficient gas flow, then the gas delivery capacity is improved, but the delay in oxygen concentration change increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary flush action before normal delivery begins. By pre-flushing the breathing system with the new gas composition at a higher flow rate, the system clears the existing gas from the circuit volume, so that when the patient receives the gas, it is already the updated composition, eliminating the washout delay that would otherwise be proportional to the circuit volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic flushing cycles during which the new gas composition is delivered in pulses or bursts through the breathing system. This periodic action helps to progressively displace the old gas from the circuit volume more efficiently than continuous low-level delivery, reducing the overall time for composition change.
3Loss of time
If a flush flow is delivered through the ventilator breathing system, then the delay in oxygen delivery is reduced, but the volume of breathing gas that is wasted increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the flush flow from the main patient delivery path. The flush is delivered through a separate pathway or bypass that allows the breathing system to be cleared of old gas composition without this flush gas being delivered to the patient. This separates the flushing function from the patient delivery function, eliminating waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards the flush flow through the exhaust valve rather than delivering it to the patient. The old gas is vented out during the flush phase, and the new gas is then delivered to the patient without the wasteful intermediate step of delivering discarded flush gas to the patient, thus recovering what would otherwise be wasted breathing gas.
4Loss of time
If the inspiratory and expiratory valves are opened simultaneously during expiration, then the washout time is reduced, but pressure changes may affect the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the simultaneous valve opening action from the patient delivery phase and relocates it to the flush phase. During the flush, both valves are opened to rapidly clear the circuit, but this is done before patient delivery begins. The harmful pressure changes are thus separated in time from the patient, eliminating the harmful effect while preserving the time-saving benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The simultaneous valve opening for rapid washout is performed as a preliminary action before patient delivery begins. The system quickly clears the breathing circuit of old gas composition using both valves open, then closes them before initiating patient delivery, ensuring the pressure stabilization occurs beforehand and the patient receives gas under normal pressure conditions.
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 solution significantly reduces the delay in oxygen delivery to patients, enhancing patient safety by ensuring timely oxygen enrichment during oxygen boost activations and maintaining stable ventilator settings, thus preventing hypoxia and improving the effectiveness of oxygen boost functions.
Implementation Method 1
the control computer is configured to automatically increase the flow of breathing gas through the VBS in response to a change in the set oxygen concentration
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a ventilator (1) for delivering a flow of oxygen- containing breathing gas to a patient (3) via a ventilator breathing system(5), VBS, connecting the ventilator and the patient. The ventilator comprises a control computer (15) configured to control the flow of breathing gas through the VBS, and to control an oxygen concentration of the breathing gas based on a set oxygen concentration. In order to minimize the delay in delivery of a changed oxygen concentration to the patient, the control computer is configured to automatically increase the flow of breathing gas through the VBS in response to a change in the set oxygen concentration from a first oxygen concentration to a second oxygen concentration.