Patient simulator and associated devices, systems, and methods

Inventors

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

Assignees

Gaumard Scientific Co Inc

Abstract

A system including a simulated respiratory sub-system and a simulated airway subsystem. The simulated respiratory sub-system comprises simulated lung(s) and, optionally, a lung compliance assembly and a compliance motor. The lung compliance assembly has a backing plate and a pressure plate between which the simulated lungs are positioned. The compliance motor is configured to adjust a clamping force exerted by the pressure plate on the simulated lungs to simulate clinical presentation of lung compliance. The simulated airway subsystem comprises an airway unit and, optionally, a trachea tube and a trachea tubing depth sensor. The airway unit has a mouth cavity and an internal airway via which the mouth cavity communicates with the simulated lung(s). The trachea tube is in communication with the internal airway and operably coupled to the airway unit. The trachea tubing depth sensor ensures proper execution of an intratracheal training procedure.

Core Innovation

The invention describes a high-fidelity patient simulator system that includes a simulated respiratory sub-system and a simulated airway sub-system. The simulated respiratory sub-system comprises one or more simulated lungs and a chest deflection assembly, and the chest deflection assembly comprises one or more leaf springs and one or more flex sensors operably coupled to the leaf spring(s).

The simulated respiratory sub-system further includes a lung compliance assembly with a backing plate and a pressure plate, with the simulated lungs positioned between the backing plate and the pressure plate. The chest deflection assembly is operably coupled to the backing plate so that the leaf springs enable deflection of the lung compliance assembly to simulate a human patient's chest deflection, and the flex sensor(s) measure the deflection of the lung compliance assembly.

A compliance motor is operably coupled to the backing plate and is configured to adjust a clamping force exerted by the pressure plate on the simulated lungs to simulate clinical presentation of lung compliance in a human patient. The simulated airway sub-system comprises an airway unit having a mouth cavity and an internal airway, and the mouth cavity communicates with the one or more simulated lungs via the internal airway.

The airway unit can further include a trachea tube and a trachea tubing depth sensor for intratracheal training, with the mouth cavity communicating to the simulated lungs through the internal airway and the trachea tube.

Claims Coverage

The document includes four independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00012, clm-00013, clm-00017). Across these claims, the coverage centers on a simulated respiratory sub-system coupled to a simulated airway sub-system, with 6 core inventive features.

The independent claims collectively require a simulated respiratory sub-system with simulated lungs, a lung compliance assembly defined by backing and pressure plates, and a chest deflection assembly using leaf springs with flex sensors to simulate and measure human chest deflection. They further require a compliance motor that adjusts clamping force via the pressure plate to simulate clinical lung compliance, together with a simulated airway sub-system where a mouth cavity communicates with the simulated lungs through an internal airway.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications