Lung Ventilator Oxygen Mixing Downstream Blower
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lung ventilators using low-pressure blower technology with high-pressure oxygen face issues such as fire risk, imprecise oxygen dosing, and waste of oxygen due to the mixing of pure oxygen with hot blower-generated air, leading to inefficient ventilation and increased space requirements.
Innovation Solution
A lung ventilator system that uses a blower to mix high-pressure medical gases with low-pressure air, featuring a regulating valve in the gas line and a proportional valve in the breathing gas line, controlled by flow sensors and a control unit to ensure precise dosing and efficient oxygen use, with a safety valve and check valve to prevent fire risks and waste, and a pressure sensor to monitor breathing cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pure oxygen is conveyed via hot blowers to mix with air, then oxygen can be delivered to the patient, but the fire risk is greatly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the oxygen injection point from the blower housing and relocates it to a position downstream of the blower outlet. This separation removes the harmful interaction between hot blower surfaces and pure oxygen, eliminating the fire risk while preserving oxygen delivery functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ambient air as an intermediary substance between the hot blower and pure oxygen. By having oxygen mix with air downstream rather than contact hot surfaces directly, the harmful thermal interaction is mediated and eliminated, preventing fire while maintaining gas delivery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If oxygen is blown via valve into blower intake area, then high-pressure oxygen can be mixed with low-pressure air, but oxygen dosing precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system where a flow sensor measures the actual oxygen flow rate and feeds this information back to a control unit. The control unit adjusts the oxygen control valve to maintain the desired oxygen concentration, ensuring precise dosing while maintaining mixing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual or simple mechanical oxygen dosing with an electronically controlled system. A control unit processes flow sensor signals and actuates an electrically controlled valve, substituting imprecise mechanical dosing with precise electronic control and measurement.
3Reliability
If oxygen is supplied upstream of blower, then mixing can occur, but unnecessarily large amount of oxygen is supplied and wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic oxygen dosing where the oxygen flow rate is continuously adjusted based on actual patient breathing demand detected by flow sensors. During exhalation or apnea, oxygen supply is reduced or stopped, preventing waste while maintaining reliable ventilation during inhalation phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies periodic dosing of oxygen synchronized with the patient's breathing cycle. Oxygen is supplied during inhalation phases and reduced or stopped during exhalation and apnea phases, creating a periodic dosing pattern that matches physiological demand and eliminates continuous waste.
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 system provides precise control over the oxygen concentration in the breathing gas, reducing waste and fire risks, while maintaining a compact design and ensuring optimal gas delivery to the patient, independent of breathing cycles, thus enhancing safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a blower (1) in said air line, said air line opening into said common breathing gas line downstream of said blower (1)
Implementation Method 2
in said medical gas line a first regulating valve (8) for adjusting a flow rate of the pressurised medical gas
Implementation Method 3
in said common breathing gas line a second regulating valve (4) for dosing the breathing gas
Implementation Method 4
a valve (6) for reducing the gas pressure, said first regulating valve (8) being arranged downstream of said valve (6)
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Lung ventilator (14) and/or anaesthesia machine with a blender for mixing a pressurised medical gas, e.g. oxygen, with air drawn in by a blower (1 ), comprising a gas line (10) for the medical gas, and an air line (1 1 ), which open into a common breathing gas line (12), whereby the opening of the gas line (10) into the common gas line (12) is downstream of the blower (1 ) and in the gas line (10) a regulating valve (8) is provided for variable adjustment of the gas flow and in the common breathing gas line (12) a regulating valve (4) is provided for dosing the breathing gas, and whereby in the breathing gas line (12) a flow sensor (3) is provided for measuring the breathing gas flow and in the gas line (10) a flow sensor (9) is provided for measuring the gas flow.