Venturi Connector Shutter Design for Precise Oxygen Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing venturi masks suffer from inaccuracies in delivering high oxygen concentrations during respiratory distress, bulkiness, complexity, and user unfriendliness, leading to potential hypoxemia and logistical challenges.
Innovation Solution
A venturi connector with adjustable gas ports and air entrainment windows, allowing precise control of oxygen concentration and integration with a patient interface, featuring a tapered design for consistent gas flow and reduced parts, enhancing user-friendliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple venturi connectors with different jets are used to vary oxygen concentration, then the desired oxygen concentration can be achieved, but the device becomes bulky and cumbersome with many parts to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple gas ports with different orifice sizes into a single venturi connector body, allowing different oxygen concentrations to be achieved by selecting different gas ports rather than using multiple separate connectors. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining the ability to vary oxygen concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The venturi connector is designed with multiple gas ports that can each be used to achieve different oxygen concentrations, making a single connector capable of performing multiple functions that previously required multiple separate connectors. This multi-functionality reduces kit bulkiness and part management complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple venturi connectors are included in the kit to provide different oxygen concentrations, then various therapeutic requirements can be met, but the kit becomes bulky and parts are prone to misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple gas delivery options into a single connector with multiple gas ports, eliminating the need for providers to manage multiple separate connectors. This reduces the burden of tracking and storing multiple parts while maintaining the ability to meet various therapeutic oxygen concentration requirements.
3Productivity
If secondary entrainment ports are added to the interface mask device, then more air can be drawn in for mixing, but the oxygen concentration delivery becomes highly unpredictable and inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes secondary entrainment ports from the interface mask device, extracting the source of unpredictability from the system. By eliminating these additional air entry points, the design maintains precise control over oxygen concentration delivery through the primary venturi entrainment ports alone, preventing the high level of unpredictability that would otherwise occur.
4Measurement precision
If venturi masks are used to deliver controlled oxygen therapy, then accurate oxygen concentration delivery is achieved, but the device requires special training and is not user friendly for most medical providers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the venturi connector to be inherently simpler to use, reducing the need for special training. The integrated design with clearly defined gas ports and the elimination of complex assembly requirements make the device more self-explanatory and easier for providers to operate correctly without extensive venturi principle training.
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 solution provides accurate oxygen delivery across a wide range, reduces bulk, and simplifies operation, minimizing hypoxemia risks and improving usability.
Implementation Method 1
The venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe
Implementation Method 2
Each window of the plurality of windows is in fluid communication with the internal gas mixing chamber and is open to atmosphere to allow air to be entrained into the internal gas mixing chamber to form a venturi effect
Data Source
AI summary
A gas venturi connector includes a venturi body having an open first end and an opposing second end that includes a gas port for connection to a supplemental gas source. The venturi body includes a first air entrainment window and a second air entrainment window spaced from the first air entrainment window. Each of the first entrainment window and the second air entrainment window has an L-shape. The connector also has a movable shutter that rotates about the venturi body and includes a third air entrainment window and a fourth air entrainment window spaced from the third air entrainment window, wherein registration between the first and third air entrainment windows and the second and fourth air entrainment windows define a degree of air entrainment and the concentration of the supplemental gas delivered to the patient.