PATIENT CONTROL OF VENTILATION PROPERTIES

• US 20100288279A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Seiver, Adam, Ahmad, Samir, Doyle, Peter R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,550,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/125 Diluting primary gas with ambient air
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/161 with means for measuring the humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0036 in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/102 Measuring a parameter of the content of the delivered gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/025 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3355 Controlling downstream pump pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3365 Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 : Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 : Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/202 : partial carbon oxide pressure, e.g. partial dioxide pressure (P-CO2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/205 : partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 : Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 : relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

A ventilator (10) that pressurizes gas from a body of gas to provide a flow of gas to an airway of a subject (14) such that the gas flow mechanically facilitates the respiration of the subject (14). In order to enhance the comfort of the subject (14) during ventilation by the ventilator (10), the ventilator (10) enables the subject (14) to make unsupervised adjustments to one or more of the properties of the gas flow, within predetermined limits.

Claims

1. A ventilator that provides a flow of gas for delivery to an airway of a subject, the ventilator comprising:

a flow generating system adapted to generate a gas flow having one or more properties that facilitate respiration of a subject;

a processor adapted to control the flow generating system to control the one or more properties of the gas flow; and

a patient interface that is readily accessible to the subject and is adapted to receive a selection of an adjustment from the subject for at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow,

wherein the processor is configured to make the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow (a) adjustable via the patient interface and (b) restricted to adjustments to current levels of the at least one of the one or more properties that fall within a predetermined acceptable range to maintain a safety of ventilation for the subject, such that (i) if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will remain within the predetermined acceptable range to maintain the safety of the ventilation after the selected adjustment received via the patient interface is made, the processor controls the flow generating system to make the selected adjustment, and/or (ii) if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will fall outside of the predetermined acceptable range to maintain the safety of the ventilation after the selected adjustment received via the patient interface is made, the processor does not control the flow generating system to make the selected adjustment which prevents an improper adjustment that could expose the subject to risks to health and/or safety.

2. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured such that if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will fall outside of the predetermined acceptable range after the selected adjustment is made, the processor controls the flow generating system to adjust the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow to an edge of the predetermined acceptable range.

4. The ventilator of claim 1, further comprising a caregiver interface that is separate from the patient interface, and wherein the predetermined acceptable range is configurable by the caregiver via the caregiver interface.

5. The ventilator of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter that transmits information related to the one or more properties of the gas flow and information related to selected adjustments to a computing entity that is located remotely from the ventilator.

6. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable via the patient interface comprises one or more of a respiratory rate, a tidal volume, an inhalation pressure, a triggering sensitivity, or an exhalation pressure.

7. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein a plot of the pressure of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable via the patient interface comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

8. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein a plot of the flow rate of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable via the patient interface comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

9. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured such that if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will fall outside of the predetermined range after the selected adjustment is made, the processor provides an alert to the subject.

3. (canceled)

10. A method of providing a gas flow for delivery to an airway of a subject, the method comprising:

generating a gas flow having one or more properties that facilitate respiration of the subject;

configuring at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow to be (a) adjustable and (b) restricted to adjustments to current levels of the at least one of the one or more properties that fall within a predetermined acceptable range to maintain a safety of ventilation for the subject;

receiving a selection of an adjustment from the subject for at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow;

making the selected adjustment to the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will remain within the predetermined acceptable range to maintain the safety of ventilation for the subject after the selected adjustment is made; and

declining to make the selected adjustment to the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow would not remain within the predetermined acceptable range after the selected adjustment, which prevents an improper adjustment that could expose the subject to risks to health and/or safety.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow to an edge of the predetermined acceptable range if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow would not remain within the predetermined range after the selected adjustment.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting information related to the one or more properties of the gas flow and information related to the selected adjustment to a computing entity located remotely from the subject.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable comprises one or more of a respiratory rate, a tidal volume, an inhalation pressure, a triggering sensitivity, or an exhalation pressure.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a plot of the pressure of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a plot of the flow rate of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an alert to the subject if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow would not remain within the predetermined acceptable range after the selected adjustment.

12. (canceled)

18. A system configured to provide a gas flow for delivery to an airway of a subject, the system comprising:

means for generating a gas flow having one or more properties that facilitate respiration of the subject;

means for configuring at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow to be (a) adjustable and (b) restricted to adjustments to current levels of the at least one of the one or more properties that fall within a predetermined acceptable range to maintain a safety of ventilation for the subject;

means for receiving a selection of an adjustment from the subject for at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow;

means for making the selected adjustment to the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow will remain within the predetermined acceptable range to maintain the safety of ventilation for the subject after the selected adjustment is made; and

means for declining to make the selected adjustment to the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow would not remain within the predetermined acceptable range after the selected adjustment, which prevents an improper adjustment that could expose the subject to risks to health and/or safety.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for adjusting the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow to an edge of the predetermined acceptable range if the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow would not remain within the predetermined range after the selected adjustment.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for transmitting information related to the one or more properties of the gas flow and information related to the selected adjustment to a computing entity located remotely from the subject.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein a plot of the pressure of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable via the means for receiving a selection of an adjustment from the subject comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein a plot of the flow rate of the gas flow versus time is a waveform, and wherein the at least one of the one or more properties of the gas flow that is adjustable via the means for receiving a selection of an adjustment from the subject comprises one or more parameters of the waveform.

20. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

25. (canceled)