Ventilator Porting Block for Mode Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical ventilators are often incompatible between volume control and pressure support ventilation modes, requiring different hardware and configurations, which limits their versatility and adaptability for various patient needs.
Innovation Solution
A portable and lightweight medical ventilator with a modular design that includes a porting system with interchangeable blocks for sensor configurations, allowing quick switching between modes, and a power system with multiple power sources for enhanced mobility and usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ventilators use different hardware configurations for volume control and pressure support modes, then each mode can be optimized for its specific function, but the device complexity increases and versatility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal patient circuit design that can operate in both volume control and pressure support modes using the same hardware configuration. The single-limb circuit with integrated passive exhalation device eliminates the need for separate dual-limb circuits and active exhalation valves, allowing one ventilator to serve multiple ventilation therapy functions without requiring mode-specific hardware changes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the inspiratory and expiratory functions into a single-limb patient circuit, merging what were traditionally separate inspiratory and expiratory limbs into one integrated circuit. This consolidation eliminates redundant components and allows the same physical circuit to handle both gas delivery to the patient and gas evacuation from the patient across different ventilation modes
2Weight of moving object
If a ventilator is designed to be portable and lightweight, then mobility is improved, but the ability to provide multiple ventilation modes with different sensor configurations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal sensors that can detect multiple physiological parameters and function across different ventilation modes. The same sensor hardware supports both volume control and pressure support therapies, eliminating the need for mode-specific sensor assemblies and maintaining sensor configuration flexibility within a compact, lightweight ventilator design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic sensor configuration through software-based adaptability, where the same physical sensors can be dynamically reconfigured or reassigned to different measurement functions depending on the ventilation mode. This dynamic reconfiguration capability allows a lightweight ventilator to provide the sensor flexibility traditionally associated with heavier, mode-dedicated designs
Data Source
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AI summary
A ventilator that is small, lightweight, and portable, yet capable of being quickly adapted to operate in a plurality of different modes and configurations to deliver a variety of therapies to a patent. A porting system having a plurality of sensors structured to monitor a number of parameters with respect to the flow of gas, and a number of porting blocks is used to reconfigure the ventilator so that it operates as a single-limb or dual limb ventilator. In the single-limb configuration, an active or passive exhaust assembly can be provided proximate to the patient. The ventilator is capable of operate in a volume or pressure support mode, even in a single-limb configuration. In addition, a power control mechanism controls the supply of power to the ventilator from an AC power source, a lead acid battery, an internal rechargeable battery pack, and a detachable battery pack.