METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING A VENTILATOR PATIENT WITH A CAPNOMETER

• US 20120272962A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Doyle, Peter, Vandine, Joseph Doug, Sanborn, Warren, Graboi, Dan
• Application Number:
  US13/098,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272962A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0042 in the expiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/432 partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for managing the ventilation of a patient being ventilated by a medical ventilator. The disclosure describes a novel approach of displaying integrated ventilator information with capnometer data. The disclosure further describes a novel approach for determining if the ventilator breathing circuit is occluded or disconnected.

Claims

1. A method for managing ventilation of a patient being ventilated by a medical ventilator, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one CO₂ parameter;

monitoring breathing circuit pressure;

monitoring exhaled flow and calculating exhaled volume therefrom;

determining that the at least one CO₂ parameter is less than a predetermined CO₂ threshold amount, the exhaled pressure is less than a predetermined threshold pressure, and the exhaled volume is less than a predetermined threshold volume; and

executing a disconnection alarm.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one CO₂ parameter comprises at least one of ETCO₂ and VCO₂.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the disconnection alarm on at least one of a ventilator display or a capnometer display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the predetermined CO₂ threshold amount, the predetermined threshold pressure, and the predetermined threshold volume is received from operator input.

5. A method for managing ventilation of a patient being ventilated by a medical ventilator, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one CO₂ parameter of gas in the patient circuit;

monitoring at least one of exhaled volume and delivered volume;

determining that the at least one CO₂ parameter drops by a predetermined amount in a predetermined amount of time concurrently with a drop in the at least one of the exhaled volume by a predetermined amount and the delivered volume by a predetermined amount; and

executing an occlusion alarm.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one CO₂ parameter comprises at least one of ETCO₂ and VCO₂.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying the occlusion alarm on at least one a ventilator display or a capnometer display

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the predetermined drop amount of the at least one CO2 parameter, the predetermined amount of time, and the predetermined drop amount of the exhaled volume and the delivered volume is received from operator input.

9. A medical ventilator-capnometer system, comprising:

a pneumatic gas delivery system, the pneumatic gas delivery system adapted to control a flow of gas from a gas supply to a patient via a ventilator breathing circuit;

a flow sensor;

a pressure sensor;

a capnometer, the capnometer monitors an amount of carbon dioxide in respiration gas from the patient in the ventilator breathing circuit in order to monitor VCO₂ and ETCO₂;

a breathing circuit module, the breathing circuit module determines that concurrently at least one of the VCO₂ and the ETCO₂ are below a predetermined amount, pressure is below a predetermined amount, and an exhaled volume is below a predetermined amount in the ventilator breathing circuit based on flow sensor readings, pressure sensor readings, and capnometer readings before executing a disconnection alarm; and

a processor in communication with the pneumatic gas delivery system, the flow sensor, the pressure sensor, the capnometer, and the breathing circuit module.

10. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one of a ventilator display and a capnometer display.

11. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one of a visual disconnection alarm, an audio disconnection alarm, and a vibrational disconnection alarm.

12. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 9, further comprising:

an operator interface, the operator interface allows an operator to select and input at least one of the predetermined amount of VCO₂, the predetermined amount of ETCO₂, the predetermined amount of pressure, and the predetermined amount of exhaled volume.

13. A medical ventilator-capnometer system, comprising:

a pneumatic gas delivery system, the pneumatic gas delivery system adapted to control a flow of gas from a gas supply to a patient via a ventilator breathing circuit;

a flow sensor;

a capnometer, the capnometer monitors an amount of carbon dioxide in respiration gas from the patient in the ventilator breathing circuit in order to monitor VCO₂ and ETCO₂;

a breathing circuit module, the breathing circuit module determines that at least one of the VCO₂ and the ETCO₂ drops by a predetermined amount within a predetermined amount of time, concurrently as at least one of delivered volume and exhaled volume drop by a predetermined amount in the ventilator breathing circuit based on flow sensor readings and capnometer readings before executing an occlusion alarm; and

a processor in communication with the pneumatic gas delivery system, the flow sensor, the capnometer, and the breathing circuit module.

14. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one of a ventilator display and a capnometer display.

15. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 13, further comprising:

at least one of a visual occlusion alarm, an audio occlusion alarm, and a vibrational occlusion alarm.

16. The medical ventilator-capnometer system of claim 13, further comprising:

an operator interface, the operator interface allows an operator to select and input at least one of the predetermined drop amount of the VCO₂, the predetermined drop amount of the ETCO₂, the predetermined amount of time, the predetermined drop amount of the exhaled volume, and the predetermined drop amount of the delivered volume.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for managing ventilation of a patient being ventilated by a medical ventilator-capnometer system, the method comprising:

repeatedly monitoring at least one CO₂ parameter, the at least one CO₂ parameter comprises ETCO₂ and VCO₂;

repeatedly monitoring breathing circuit pressure;

repeatedly monitoring exhaled volume;

repeatedly determining that the at least one CO₂ parameter is less than a predetermined threshold amount, the exhaled pressure is less than a predetermined pressure threshold, and the exhaled volume is less than a predetermined volume threshold; and

repeatedly executing a disconnection alarm.

18. A medical ventilator-capnometer system, comprising:

means for monitoring at least one CO₂ parameter, the at least one CO₂ parameter comprises ETCO₂ and VCO₂;

means for monitoring at least one of exhaled volume and delivered volume;

means for determining that the at least one CO₂ parameter drops by a predetermined amount in a predetermined amount of time concurrently with a drop in the at least one of the exhaled volume by a predetermined amount and the delivered volume by a predetermined amount; and

means for executing an occlusion alarm.