Mechanical Ventilator Using Pressure Force Multiplier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ventilators are invasive, costly, and unsuitable for remote or resource-limited areas due to their reliance on continuous oxygen supply, electricity, and complex infrastructure, posing risks of infection and limited accessibility for patients with respiratory issues like COVID-19 and ARDS.
Innovation Solution
A mechanical ventilator that uses natural breathing pressure to control airflow, incorporating a venturi nozzle, ambient fluid aperture, and a pressure force multiplier with a valve that adjusts based on patient inhalation and exhalation, eliminating the need for continuous oxygen flow and electronic control, and includes sensors and power generation for monitoring and data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ventilators use continuous oxygen supply and electronic control, then reliable respiratory support is provided, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic control systems with a purely mechanical valve actuation system. The valve is actuated by pressure changes from the patient's own breathing through a pressure force multiplier mechanism, eliminating the need for electronic controllers, power supplies, and complex circuitry while maintaining reliable respiratory support
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilator uses the patient's own breathing pressure to actuate the valve through the pressure force multiplier. The system serves itself by using the patient's respiratory effort as the power source for valve control, eliminating dependency on external electricity or complex electronic systems
2Reliability
If traditional ventilators require continuous oxygen flow, then adequate oxygen delivery is ensured, but oxygen waste and operational cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve operates periodically, opening during inhalation and closing during exhalation. This periodic action ensures oxygen is delivered only when the patient is inhaling, eliminating continuous oxygen flow and the associated waste while maintaining adequate oxygen delivery during the critical inhalation phase
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure force multiplier maintains continuous coupling between the patient's breathing pressure and the valve position. This ensures the valve remains in the optimal position throughout the breathing cycle, maximizing oxygen delivery efficiency during inhalation while preventing waste during exhalation
3Ease of operation
If traditional ventilators use electronic control systems, then precise airflow control is achieved, but dependency on electricity and infrastructure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electronic control with a mechanical pressure-sensing and valve-actuation system. The pressure force multiplier mechanically amplifies the patient's breathing pressure to reliably actuate the valve, providing precise airflow control without any electronic components, making the device adaptable to environments without electricity
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure force multiplier acts as a mechanical intermediary between the patient's breathing pressure and the valve actuation. It amplifies the small pressure changes from breathing into sufficient force to reliably open and close the valve, providing precise control while eliminating electronic dependencies
4Reliability
If traditional ventilators are deployed in hospitals, then patient monitoring is possible, but infection risk to healthcare workers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the core respiratory support function from the hospital environment and creates a standalone, portable device. By removing dependencies on hospital infrastructure (electricity, continuous oxygen supply, complex monitoring systems), the device can be used at home or in community settings, reducing exposure risk to healthcare workers while maintaining essential monitoring capabilities
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 ventilator provides a less invasive, cost-effective, and efficient respiratory support that can operate without continuous oxygen or electricity, reducing healthcare inequities and infection risks, while effectively monitoring patient compliance and improving treatment accessibility in resource-limited settings.
Implementation Method 1
A venturi nozzle for receiving a flow of pressurized fluid; an ambient fluid aperture in fluid communication with the venturi nozzle
Implementation Method 2
a pressure force multiplier in fluid communication with the fluid port; a valve moveable relative to the venturi nozzle between a start flow position and a stop flow position
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus such as a fluid mixer, suitable for use with a respirator, including a venturi nozzle for flow of a pressure-controlled fluid; an ambient fluid aperture in fluid communication with the venturi nozzle; a fluid port; a pressure force multiplier in fluid communication with the fluid port; and a valve moveable relative to the venturi nozzle between a start flow position and a stop flow position; where the pressure force multiplier is configured such that fluid forced into the fluid port actuates the valve relative to the venturi nozzle; and where the pressure force multiplier is configured such that fluid withdrawn from the fluid port actuates the valve relative to the venturi nozzle. A method of using an apparatus suitable for a ventilator is also disclosed.