Wearable Ventilator with Biofeedback Control for Patient Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ventilators are inadequate in providing sufficient respiratory support for patients with respiratory insufficiency, limiting their ability to engage in daily activities and maintaining a normal quality of life, and lack effective feedback mechanisms for monitoring patient progress and health status.
Innovation Solution
A ventilator system that includes a ventilation gas source, delivery circuit, and control unit, equipped with sensors to monitor breath patterns and patient activity, allowing for adjustable ventilation based on activity level and health status, enabling ambulation and reporting of health indices to improve patient feedback and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mechanical ventilators are used to assist breathing, then respiratory support is provided, but upper airway functions and normal life activities are significantly limited
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator system is divided into separate functional components: a wearable ventilator unit for respiratory support, a separate patient interface for airway management, and independent activity sensors. This segmentation allows the ventilator to provide reliable respiratory support while leaving the upper airway functions and daily activities independent and unrestricted.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilator system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing respiratory support, monitoring patient activity through integrated sensors, and adapting ventilation parameters based on activity level. This multi-functionality enables the system to maintain reliable breathing assistance while supporting normal life activities without restriction.
2Reliability
If conventional ventilators are used, then respiratory support is provided, but patient feedback and monitoring of health status are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator incorporates activity sensors that continuously monitor patient movement and physiological parameters. This feedback is processed by a control system that automatically adjusts ventilation parameters in real-time based on the patient's activity level and respiratory needs, ensuring optimal support while providing comprehensive health status monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
A control system acts as an intermediary between the activity sensors and the ventilator mechanism. This intermediary processes sensor data, interprets patient needs, and translates them into appropriate ventilation adjustments, thereby recovering and utilizing information that would otherwise be lost in conventional systems.
3Reliability
If ventilation parameters are adjusted manually, then respiratory support is provided, but adaptation to changing activity levels is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilator system transitions from static, manually-adjusted parameters to dynamic, automatically-adjusted parameters. Activity sensors continuously monitor patient movement, and the control system rapidly adjusts ventilation parameters in real-time based on detected activity changes, enabling the system to adapt as quickly as the patient's physiological needs change.
Solution Approach 2:
The ventilator system performs self-adjustment of ventilation parameters based on activity sensor input without requiring manual intervention. The control system autonomously processes sensor data and modifies ventilation settings to match the patient's current activity level, enabling rapid adaptation to changing respiratory demands.
Data Source
AI summary
A respiratory support ventilator apparatus mechanically supports the work of respiration of a patient. The ventilator apparatus is highly portable and optionally wearable so as to promote mobility and physical activity of the patient, and to improve the overall health of the patient. The respiratory support ventilator may monitor a physical activity level and overall health status of the patient, and process this information. The information is used to track efficacy of the ventilation therapy relative to activity level and quality of life, and or to titrate or optimize the ventilation parameters to improve, maintain or optimize the physical activity level and overall health status of the patient.