Volume control in a medical ventilator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11147938-B2
Application number	US-201916237876-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 17, 2008
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A ventilator that is small, lightweight, and portable, yet capable of being quickly adapted to operate in a plurality of different modes and configurations to deliver a variety of therapies to a patent. A porting system having a plurality of sensors structured to monitor a number of parameters with respect to the flow of gas, and a number of porting blocks is used to reconfigure the ventilator so that it operates as a single-limb or dual limb ventilator. In the single-limb configuration, an active or passive exhaust assembly can be provided proximate to the patient. The ventilator is capable of operate in a volume or pressure support mode, even in a single-limb configuration. In addition, a power control mechanism controls the supply of power to the ventilator from an AC power source, a lead acid battery, an internal rechargeable battery pack, and a detachable battery pack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ventilator arrangement comprising:
(a) a housing having an interior and an exterior;
(b) an inlet port extending from the exterior to the interior of the housing;
(c) a flow generator disposed within the housing and being structured to generate a flow of gas;
(d) an outlet port adapted to discharge the flow of gas from the housing;
(e) a patient circuit including:
(1) a patient interface, and
(2) an exhalation device adapted to provide an exhaust gas flow from the patient circuit to an ambient atmosphere, wherein the patient circuit is in fluid communication with the outlet port and is structured so as to deliver the flow of gas to an airway of a patient during an inspiratory phase of a ventilatory cycle;

(f) a controller operatively coupled to the flow generator and adapted to selectively control an inhalation volume of the flow of gas delivered to such a patient taking into account the exhaust gas flow lost during inspiration from the exhalation device,
(g) a plurality of interior probes disposed within the housing;
(h) a first porting block structured for use in a corresponding first mode of operation out of a plurality of modes of operation, the first porting block being coupled to the plurality of interior probes and having at least one active passageway providing fluid communication between at least one of the plurality of interior probes and the exterior of the housing and at least one inactive passageway blocking fluid communication between at least one of the plurality of interior probes and the exterior of the housing;
(i) a plurality of additional porting blocks, each of the plurality of additional porting blocks: being structured for use in a corresponding mode of operation out of the plurality of modes of operation unique relative to the mode of operation for which any other porting block is structured to be used, being structured to be coupled to the plurality of interior probes, having one active passageway structured to provide fluid communication between at least one of the plurality of interior probes and the exterior of the housing, and having at least one inactive passageway structured to block fluid communication between at least one of the plurality of interior probes and the exterior of the housing, and
(j) a sensor disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the patient circuit via an exterior probe coupled to at least one active passageway of the first porting block and to the patient circuit proximate the exhalation device,
wherein the plurality of interior probes are accessible at a common location on the exterior of the housing, and
wherein each of the first porting block and the plurality of additional porting blocks comprises a removable routing element structured to be selectively coupled to the housing at the common location in order to configure the plurality of interior probes and the sensor for use in the unique mode of operation corresponding to the particular porting block, such that the first porting block can be substituted with any of the plurality of additional porting blocks without disassembling the remainder of the ventilation arrangement.

2. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of the modes of operation includes passive exhalation without proximal pressure sensing, passive exhalation with proximal pressure sensing, and active ventilation.

3. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 ,
wherein the ventilator is portable, and wherein the ventilator provides volume control ventilation therapy while enabling the patient to move from one location to another, and
wherein the controller is structured to selectively control the inhalation volume of the flow of gas taking into account the exhaust gas flow lost during inspiration from the exhalation device based on an output of the sensor.

4. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the patient circuit is a single-limb circuit comprising a single conduit, wherein the single conduit interconnects the outlet port and the patient interface, and wherein both the inhalation volume of the flow of gas and the exhalation gas are transported within at least a portion of the single conduit.

5. The ventilator arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the exhalation device is:
(a) a passive exhaust valve, and wherein the passive exhaust valve is coupled to the single conduit proximate the patient interface, or
(b) an orifice, wherein the exhalation gas contains carbon dioxide, and wherein the orifice is structured to flush the carbon dioxide from the patient circuit.

6. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to detect the presence of a leak of the flow of gas in the patient circuit, and wherein, responsive to detecting the leak, the controller selectively adjusts the flow generator to cause the flow of gas to have the inhalation volume which is delivered to the patient during the inspiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle.

7. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust gas flow, which is exhaled by the patient during the expiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle, has a tidal volume, and wherein the controller is structured to determine the tidal volume based on the output of the sensor.

8. The ventilator arrangement of claim 7 , wherein, responsive to determining the tidal volume, the controller selectively adjusts the flow generator to generate a flow of gas having a desired inhalation volume, which is to be delivered to the patient during the inspiratory phase of the next ventilatory cycle.

9. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the patient interface is (a) a non-invasive patient interface device, or (b) an invasive patient interface device.

10. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the ventilator weighs less than 5 kilograms.

11. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to account for known/intended leaks and unknown/unintended leaks using different compensation techniques.

12. The ventilator arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to selectively operate the ventilator arrangement in order to provide either of a pressure support ventilation therapy or a volume control ventilation therapy to the patient.

13. The ventilator arrangement of claim 12 , further comprising a first patient circuit including a passive exhalation device and a second patient circuit including an active exhalation device, wherein the ventilatory cycle includes an expiratory phase, and wherein the outlet port of the ventilator is structured to be selectively connected to one of the first patient circuit to provide passive exhalation during the expiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle, and the second patient circuit to provide active exhalation during the expiratory phase of the ventilatory cycle.

14. The ventilator arrangement of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first power connection being electrically connectable to an alternating current (AC) power source,
a second power connection being electrically connectable to a lead acid battery,
an internal rechargeable battery pack disposed within the interior of the housing,
a detachable battery pack removably coupled to the exterior of the housing, and
a power control mechanism structured to control the supply of power to the ventilator from a corresponding at least one of the AC power source, the lead acid battery, the internal rechargeable battery pack, and the detachable battery pack.

15. The ventilator arrangement of claim 12 , wherein the patient circuit of the ventilator is structured to selectively include one of a

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Duff Winslow Kevin
• Truschel William Anthony
• Mcdermott Mark Christopher
• Needham Cheryl Lin
• Mcdaniel Christopher Wayne
• Milojevic Ljubisa
• Cyprowski Ronald

Classifications

• A61M2205/8206

  battery-operated · CPC title

• A61M2016/0039

  in the inspiratory circuit · CPC title

• A61M16/107

  in the inspiratory path · CPC title

• A61M2205/17

  with redundant control systems · CPC title

• A61M16/024

  including calculation means, e.g. using a processor · CPC title