Patient simulator and associated devices, systems, and methods

Inventors

Rodriguez, Alberto • Fernandez, Victor • Valdes, Yassel • Morales, Lazaro

Assignees

Gaumard Scientific Co Inc

Abstract

An apparatus and method according to which a patient simulator is used to simulate a human patient's breathing pattern, the patient simulator including a simulated respiratory system and a simulated airway system. The simulated respiratory system includes a lung valve, a simulated lung in communication with the lung valve, and a breathing pump including a cylinder and a piston dividing the cylinder into first and second chambers, the first chamber being in communication with the lung valve via at least a first flow path, and the second chamber being in communication with the lung valve via at least a second flow path. The simulated airway system is configured to be in communication with the second chamber of the breathing pump via at least a third flow path. In several exemplary embodiments, simulating, using the patient simulator, the human patient's breathing pattern comprises reciprocating the piston within the cylinder.

Core Innovation

The patent describes an improved patient simulator system for teaching breathing patterns that includes a simulated respiratory system. The simulated respiratory system includes a lung valve, a first simulated lung in communication with the lung valve, and a breathing pump. The breathing pump includes a cylinder and a piston that divides the cylinder into first and second chambers that reciprocate within the cylinder.

The first chamber communicates with the lung valve via at least a first flow path, and the second chamber communicates with the lung valve via at least a second flow path. The patient simulator further includes a simulated airway system configured to be in communication with the second chamber of the breathing pump via at least a third flow path.

Valve configurations enable different breathing configurations, including spontaneous breathing and assisted breathing, and configurations that include airway and abdominal configurations. In the assisted breathing configuration, the simulator enables pressure fluctuation in the airway system to simulate gasping for breath.

The document also describes coupling a mechanical ventilator to the simulated airway system to sense pressure fluctuation, and structural details for the lung valve and airway valve that implement the described port routing. The airway valve supports configuration switching including an abdominal expansion bag arrangement, where pressure behavior in the abdominal expansion bag and the simulated lungs is used to simulate respiratory distress and tummy retractions.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes two independent claims: one directed to a patient simulator and one directed to a method of simulating a human patient's breathing pattern using the simulator. Across these independent claims, the coverage centers on a piston-cylinder breathing pump that communicates with a lung valve through first and second flow paths, a first simulated lung, and a simulated airway system coupled to the second chamber via a third flow path.

Overall, the independent claims require a patient simulator that combines a lung valve-connected simulated respiratory system with a piston-cylinder breathing pump whose first and second chambers communicate through first and second flow paths to the lung valve, and a simulated airway system coupled to the second chamber via a third flow path; the method independent claim further recites reciprocating the piston within the cylinder.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications