Method and system for patient-synchronized ventilatory assist with endotracheal through-flow
Inventors
Sinderby, Christer • Beck, Jennifer
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9968750-B2
Publication Date
2018-05-15
Expiration Date
Abstract
A ventilatory assist system and method are disclosed. The system comprises a tube for connection to a patient's airway, inspiratory and expiratory tube lumens connected to the tube, an inspiratory air source connected to the inspiration tube lumen, and a controller of air pressure in the expiratory tube lumen. The pressure controller is responsive to a physiological breathing signal representative of patient's inspiratory effort to allow air flow through the expiratory tube lumen during a patient's expiration phase, partially restricting the air flow through the expiratory tube lumen to a so minimum air flow during a patient's inspiration phase. During both respiratory phases, a unidirectional air flow is produced through the inspiratory and expiratory tube lumens to prevent air expired by the patient from being breathed again. The physiological breathing signal allows synchronization of the ventilatory assist with breathing efforts of the patient.
Core Innovation
The disclosed ventilatory assist system establishes a first unidirectional air flow and a second unidirectional air flow using a tube that includes an inspiratory tube lumen and an expiratory tube lumen. The inspiratory tube lumen is connected to an inspiratory air source, and the expiratory tube lumen is connected to an exhaust. The expiratory tube lumen allows patient expiration during the patient’s expiration phase while maintaining unidirectional flow from the inspiratory air source through the inspiratory tube lumen, expiratory tube lumen, and the exhaust.
During the patient’s inspiration phase, the system establishes an inspiratory assist pressure in the expiratory tube lumen to allow ventilatory assist to the patient through the inspiratory tube lumen and the patient’s airway. A controller uses a physiological breathing signal having a level indicative of an inspiratory effort of the patient to indicate expiration and inspiration phases during breathing cycles. The pressure controller synchronizes the expiratory pressure and the inspiratory assist pressure with the expiration and inspiration phases based on the physiological breathing signal.
A central feature is that the first and second unidirectional air flows prevent air expired by a patient from being breathed again, thereby addressing rebreathing by preventing exhaled air from returning to the breathing path. The unidirectional flow architecture is described as being synchronized with diaphragm activity, using the physiological breathing signal to match the phases of pressure generation to the patient’s breathing effort.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims, covering both a ventilatory assist system and a corresponding ventilatory assist method. Each independent claim centers on synchronizing expiratory pressure and inspiratory assist pressure with expiration and inspiration phases using a physiological breathing signal, while producing unidirectional air flows through inspiratory and expiratory lumens to prevent rebreathed expired air.
Unidirectional double-lumen ventilatory assist with synchronized expiratory and inspiratory pressures
A ventilatory assist system with a tube that includes an inspiratory tube lumen and an expiratory tube lumen connected to an inspiratory air source and an exhaust, wherein a pressure controller uses a physiological breathing signal indicative of inspiratory effort to indicate expiration and inspiration phases and establishes, during each breathing cycle, an expiratory pressure during expiration to allow patient expiration with a first unidirectional air flow and an inspiratory assist pressure during inspiration to provide ventilatory assist with a second unidirectional air flow.
Prevent rebreathed expired air using synchronized pressure phases in a double-lumen ventilatory assist method
A ventilatory assist method that connects a tube with an inspiratory tube lumen and an expiratory tube lumen to a patient’s airway, supplies air flow to the inspiratory tube lumen, and uses a physiological breathing signal indicative of inspiratory effort to establish synchronized expiratory pressure during expiration to allow expiration with a first unidirectional air flow and an inspiratory assist pressure during inspiration to provide ventilatory assist with a second unidirectional air flow, wherein the unidirectional air flows prevent air expired by the patient from being breathed again.
Across both independent claims, the inventive coverage is directed to a double-lumen airway arrangement that enables synchronized pressure control using a physiological breathing signal and unidirectional air flows through the inspiratory and expiratory lumens to prevent rebreathing of expired air.
Stated Advantages
Prevents air expired by a patient from being breathed again.
Synchronizes expiratory pressure and inspiratory assist pressure with the expiration and inspiration phases of the breathing cycles of the patient.
Reduces rebreathing by maintaining unidirectional air flow through the inspiratory tube lumen, the expiratory tube lumen, and the exhaust.
Documented Applications
Patient-synchronized ventilatory assist using a double-lumen endotracheal tube with inspiratory and expiratory lumens, synchronized with expiratory and inspiratory phases using a physiological breathing signal indicative of inspiratory effort.
Comparison of conventional bidirectional flow versus the proposed unidirectional double-lumen approach, described as reducing end-tidal CO2 and diaphragm electrical activity while optimizing synchrony.
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