E_Engineering
New measurement electronics for near-patient flow sensors with the NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch
NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch for non-invasive mechanical ventilation of premature infants
The new flow sensor system with the NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch
To monitor the flow of what is quite possibly the patient’s most important breaths
In essence, life begins with the very first breath we take on our own. Not so for premature infants. They are often dependent on mechanical ventilation. The problem with this is the lack of pressure-tight connection between the small patient and the ventilator. As a result, it is not possible to reliably assess their breath volume. This is exactly why we developed the NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch. With the help of two flow sensors and an external signal, it delivers exact readings for the first time – corrected for dead space and unaffected by leakage. Thus, it spares the premature baby the painful ventilation by means of an endotracheal tube and helps them get their lives off to a great start.
The Task
In essence, life begins with the very first breath we take on our own. Not so for premature infants. They are often dependent on mechanical ventilation. Today, most of them are ventilated non-invasively with a mask. The problem with this is the lack of pressure-tight connection between the small patient and the ventilator. If conventional, pressure-controlled devices are used, it is not possible to reliably assess the inspiratory and expiratory breath volume due to the leakage of the mask and the absence of an option for connecting a flow sensor. It was precisely for this reason that a customer consulted NICOLAY. Our job was to develop an OEM solution based on our NICOLAY flow-sensor connector that reliably delivers readings that are corrected for dead space and unaffected by leakage. To achieve this, the team here at NICOLAY developed a Flow sensor double switch to monitor the flow of what is quite possibly the infant’s most important breaths.
The Challenges
The Solution and the Added Value
One becomes two: the flow sensor double switch
the trick to the solution was to double the number of flow sensors. Instead of one, the NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch now integrates two sensors that operate in parallel into the ventilator’s tubing system. In combination with an external signal, they make it possible to precisely determine when the small patient inhales and thus determine the essential respiratory volume with extreme accuracy. The readings from this newly designed electronic measuring system are corrected for dead space and unaffected by leakage. Thanks to the NICOLAY Flow sensor double switch, it is now possible to reliably monitor non-invasive ventilation for the first time.
