Erin Byrne, Chief Technology Officer at TE Connectivity03.01.23
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a major acceleration in the demand for technologically advanced home respiratory care devices. As these devices mechanically supply respiratory breathing gas to patients suffering from an impaired respiratory function, either in a hospital setting or at home, they were absolutely essential during the pandemic.
Respiratory care equipment includes ventilators that pump breathable air into and out of the lungs, both invasive (through an artificial airway) and non-invasive (through a face mask). It also includes anesthesia machines, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, and oxygen concentrators, which mechanically supply and control respiratory gases for medical applications.
The first somewhat modern respiratory care device was introduced almost 100 years ago. And while these devices have evolved significantly during that time, the greatest advancement in their design, functionality, and value can be attributed to the addition of a variety of advanced sensors. As manufacturers embed sensors in more and more respiratory care devices to help to improve performance, small size, ruggedness, accuracy, and reliability are increasingly important.
CPAP machines are used to force breathable air into a patient’s lungs to treat sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In these machines, sensors perform a crucial role – measuring pressure, vibration, temperature, and humidity. Additionally, photo-optic sensors are also being used extensively by medical providers to help diagnose sleep apnea by measuring blood oxygen levels. Finally, piezo film sensing is being used to measure vibrations in breathing, providing valuable monitoring information for both doctors and patients.
Invasive mechanical ventilators are used to pump air directly into the trachea and the lungs. These ventilators are found in critical care settings and require sedation for patient use. This equipment, which includes an endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilator, assists in stabilizing patients experiencing respiratory failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Sensors play a critical role in these devices as well, accurately measuring volume, pressure, flow, and humidity to deliver a tidal breath under positive pressure.
Non-invasive ventilators are also used both in hospital and home care settings to pump air with supplemental oxygen via a mask that is placed over the mouth and nose in patients suffering from acute respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute decompensated heart failure. Sensors perform a vital role here by automatically modifying ventilation to suit the patient’s needs, enabling better prediction and interpretation of the performance of the device. Specifically, sensors for non-invasive ventilators maintain proper air flow, respiration control, barometric compensation, fan speed regulation, and air and gas temperature regulation.
In a third type of respiratory care equipment, oxygen concentrators supply oxygen-enriched air through oxygen tanks and lower the nitrogen content in the air. These mobile respiratory care devices help patients who can breathe unassisted but have a low level of blood oxygen. Here, sensors are again important in the proper functioning of these devices, and they also help to make them more portable, allowing a patient’s oxygen supply to last longer when they are away from home. In fact, oxygen concentrators require a multitude of sensors to operate, including temperature and humidity sensors for patient comfort. Low pressure sensors control airflow and the exhalation process while monitoring filter cleanliness. Pressure sensors monitor the oxygen tank and air supply pressure. Absolute pressure sensors can also be integrated to manage barometric compensation. All these sensors work with the oxygen concentrator and tank to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the equipment, as well as the power requirements, when compared to using costly and cumbersome oxygen tanks alone.
Erin Byrne is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for TE Sensors, a division of TE Connectivity. TE Sensors is a $1 billion provider of advanced sensors for the industrial, medical, and transportation markets. She is an expert in developing, manufacturing, and implementing sensors for Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and Medical applications. She can be reached at erin.byrne@te.com.
Respiratory care equipment includes ventilators that pump breathable air into and out of the lungs, both invasive (through an artificial airway) and non-invasive (through a face mask). It also includes anesthesia machines, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, and oxygen concentrators, which mechanically supply and control respiratory gases for medical applications.
The first somewhat modern respiratory care device was introduced almost 100 years ago. And while these devices have evolved significantly during that time, the greatest advancement in their design, functionality, and value can be attributed to the addition of a variety of advanced sensors. As manufacturers embed sensors in more and more respiratory care devices to help to improve performance, small size, ruggedness, accuracy, and reliability are increasingly important.
Sensors in Various Types of Respiratory Care Equipment
In Anesthesia machines, a blend of gases is mixed and delivered in precise amounts through multiple lines, with filters, regulators, and valves ensuring delivery of the proper amount of each gas. Here, highly accurate and precise sensors are used that are sensitive enough to detect minute flow rates around the zero point of respiratory flow, and to measure flow rates of several hundred liters per minute. They are critical in these devices, and they must also be durable enough for longer lifecycles.CPAP machines are used to force breathable air into a patient’s lungs to treat sleep apnea, a condition where breathing is interrupted during sleep, increasing the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. In these machines, sensors perform a crucial role – measuring pressure, vibration, temperature, and humidity. Additionally, photo-optic sensors are also being used extensively by medical providers to help diagnose sleep apnea by measuring blood oxygen levels. Finally, piezo film sensing is being used to measure vibrations in breathing, providing valuable monitoring information for both doctors and patients.
Invasive mechanical ventilators are used to pump air directly into the trachea and the lungs. These ventilators are found in critical care settings and require sedation for patient use. This equipment, which includes an endotracheal tube and mechanical ventilator, assists in stabilizing patients experiencing respiratory failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Sensors play a critical role in these devices as well, accurately measuring volume, pressure, flow, and humidity to deliver a tidal breath under positive pressure.
Non-invasive ventilators are also used both in hospital and home care settings to pump air with supplemental oxygen via a mask that is placed over the mouth and nose in patients suffering from acute respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute decompensated heart failure. Sensors perform a vital role here by automatically modifying ventilation to suit the patient’s needs, enabling better prediction and interpretation of the performance of the device. Specifically, sensors for non-invasive ventilators maintain proper air flow, respiration control, barometric compensation, fan speed regulation, and air and gas temperature regulation.
In a third type of respiratory care equipment, oxygen concentrators supply oxygen-enriched air through oxygen tanks and lower the nitrogen content in the air. These mobile respiratory care devices help patients who can breathe unassisted but have a low level of blood oxygen. Here, sensors are again important in the proper functioning of these devices, and they also help to make them more portable, allowing a patient’s oxygen supply to last longer when they are away from home. In fact, oxygen concentrators require a multitude of sensors to operate, including temperature and humidity sensors for patient comfort. Low pressure sensors control airflow and the exhalation process while monitoring filter cleanliness. Pressure sensors monitor the oxygen tank and air supply pressure. Absolute pressure sensors can also be integrated to manage barometric compensation. All these sensors work with the oxygen concentrator and tank to reduce the size, weight, and cost of the equipment, as well as the power requirements, when compared to using costly and cumbersome oxygen tanks alone.
Conclusion
Overall, sensors are at the center of the connected healthcare ecosystem, and they play a crucial role in the advancement of respiratory care. And as lifespans are extended and medical needs expand, the role of sensors will become even more significant as they will continue to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.Further Reading
This is the second part in a series on sensors. Don’t miss the other online exclusives also by Erin Byrne:- Why Advanced Sensors Are Crucial Within Medical Pumps
- Sensors: The Heart of Minimally Invasive Equipment Technology
- Sensors are the Heartbeat of Vital Signs Monitoring
Erin Byrne is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for TE Sensors, a division of TE Connectivity. TE Sensors is a $1 billion provider of advanced sensors for the industrial, medical, and transportation markets. She is an expert in developing, manufacturing, and implementing sensors for Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and Medical applications. She can be reached at erin.byrne@te.com.
