Ventilator Pressure Control via Predictive Flow Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilators often fail to prevent exceeding of maximum allowable pressure and volume flow during patient ventilation, leading to potential lung damage and inefficient gas consumption, as they react only after the limits are exceeded.
Innovation Solution
A ventilator system that includes sensors to monitor pressure and volume flow in the inspiratory line, determining expected conditions based on flow resistance, target settings, and maximum allowable values, and a controller to proactively regulate pressure and flow to prevent exceeding these limits, thereby enhancing patient safety and reducing gas consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing ventilators react only after maximum pressure and volume flow limits are exceeded, then the device complexity is reduced, but patient safety deteriorates due to potential lung damage
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary calculations to determine expected pressure and volume flow values before actual ventilation occurs. By predicting whether these values will exceed maximum allowable limits in advance, the system can prevent harmful conditions before they occur, improving patient safety without requiring complex real-time intervention mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors actual pressure and volume flow values, compares them with expected values calculated from flow resistance and target settings, and adjusts ventilation parameters accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that maximum allowable limits are not exceeded while maintaining reliable patient safety through dynamic adaptation
2Loss of energy
If existing ventilators allow gas to escape into the environment via valves when pressure limits are exceeded, then the maximum pressure is prevented from being exceeded, but gas consumption increases due to wasted breathing gas
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit calculates expected pressure and volume flow values in advance based on flow resistance and target settings. By determining whether these expected values will exceed maximum allowable limits before ventilation occurs, the system can proactively adjust ventilation parameters to prevent pressure exceedance, thereby avoiding the need to vent gas to the environment and reducing wasted breathing gas
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own calculated expected values and monitored actual values to self-regulate ventilation parameters, adjusting target volume flow or maximum allowable pressure settings as needed. This self-service capability allows the ventilator to maintain pressure limit compliance through intelligent parameter adjustment rather than passive gas venting, reducing gas consumption
3Reliability
If the ventilator proactively regulates pressure and volume flow to prevent exceeding maximum allowable limits, then patient safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary calculations using the formula P = R × V to determine expected pressure values, and calculates expected volume flow based on flow resistance and target settings. By performing these calculations in advance before ventilation occurs, the system can predict whether maximum allowable limits will be exceeded and adjust parameters proactively, improving patient safety through intelligent prediction rather than complex real-time control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit monitors actual pressure and volume flow values and compares them with expected values calculated from flow resistance and target settings. This feedback mechanism allows the system to verify predictions and make necessary adjustments to maintain compliance with maximum allowable limits, ensuring patient safety through a relatively simple compare-and-adjust control loop
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 ensures that maximum allowable pressure and volume flow are not exceeded, improving patient safety by preventing lung damage and reducing gas wastage by not allowing gas to escape into the environment.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor (20) which is adapted to provide a pressure signal which indicates a pressure (p) in the inspiratory line (10)
Implementation Method 2
a second sensor (30) which is configured to provide a volume flow signal which indicates a volume flow (V) in the inspiratory line (10)
Implementation Method 3
The controller (60) is configured to regulate the pressure and/or the volume flow based on the determination result (E) in such a way that the maximum allowable inspiratory pressure (pmax) and/or the maximum allowable volume flow (Vmax) is not exceeded
Data Source
AI summary
A ventilator, a process for controlling a ventilator, a system, and a computer program and computer readable medium is provided for ventilating a patient through an inspiratory line (10). The ventilator includes a breathing gas source (70) for supplying breathing gas, a controller (60) which acts as an actuator on the breathing gas source (70), a first sensor (20) configured to provide a pressure signal which indicates a pressure (p) in the inspiratory line (10), and a second sensor (30) configured to provide a volume flow signal which indicates a volume flow (V) in the inspiratory line (10). An expected pressure (p2) and/or an expected volume flow (V2) that is likely to occur are determined as to a maximum allowable pressure and/or volume flow to provide a determination result (E). A controller (60) regulates the pressure (p) and/or the volume flow (V) based on the determination result (E).