Safer Ventilator Prevents Contamination from Water Condensation
Obviously, there are many instances when people need to be put on ventilators, including cardiovascular disease, pulmonary edema, emphysema, or COPD. Ventilators are without a doubt already a great invention; however, one problem with them is that they have been humidifying the air too early the tubes, and as the air travels through the lengthy tubes, the humidified air tends to condensate. This condensation can often lead to microbes forming, and breathing in contaminated air. Also, because the humidity in the air is completely lost throughout the tubes, the air inhaled is completely dry, which is very uncomfortable for the patient.
There is a new technology that is concentrating on humidifying the air later in the tubes, right before it enters the mouth, so that there is no water sitting around in the tubes, and so that the inhaled air is more comfortable for the patient. It is made from something called capillary force vaporizing technology, is about the size of a watch battery, and has no moving parts. What is so incredible about this device is that it creates a pressurized vapor from an unpressurized liquid. The way that the machine is able to do this is by taking advantage of the phase change that happens when water goes from its liquid phase to its gas phase. Naturally, when a liquid is changed into a gas, the gas will want to fill up its container, and creates a pressure higher than it had as a liquid. This increased pressure forces the gas out of the device. The device is basically made of three disks: the bottom disk is in contact with the water and has lots of tiny holes in it, and is responsible for heating the water to its critical point, where it will undergo a phase change and become vapor (100 C). When the water reaches the phase change temperature, it expands and is forced into the second disk where there is only one tiny hole. The vapor is ejected from this tiny hole as a steady jet into the tube, right before it goes into the mouth. Because of this, the humidified air has no time to condensate and form microbes, and the inhaled air is more comfortable for the patient.
I found this article interesting because of the fact that in our design project we were interested in looking at a device that was able to heat and humidify air before it went into the lungs. This device would be perfect in that regard. I also just thought that this technology was very impressive. To be able to create something that small and that simple with no moving parts, and just based on some basic chemistry was astounding. I was also interested in why the technology was called capillary force vaporizing technology. My only guess was because the force is similar to the hydrostatic force that is seen in capillaries that forces the blood out of the fenestrated epithelium.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0906-breakthrough_for_breathing.htm
There is a new technology that is concentrating on humidifying the air later in the tubes, right before it enters the mouth, so that there is no water sitting around in the tubes, and so that the inhaled air is more comfortable for the patient. It is made from something called capillary force vaporizing technology, is about the size of a watch battery, and has no moving parts. What is so incredible about this device is that it creates a pressurized vapor from an unpressurized liquid. The way that the machine is able to do this is by taking advantage of the phase change that happens when water goes from its liquid phase to its gas phase. Naturally, when a liquid is changed into a gas, the gas will want to fill up its container, and creates a pressure higher than it had as a liquid. This increased pressure forces the gas out of the device. The device is basically made of three disks: the bottom disk is in contact with the water and has lots of tiny holes in it, and is responsible for heating the water to its critical point, where it will undergo a phase change and become vapor (100 C). When the water reaches the phase change temperature, it expands and is forced into the second disk where there is only one tiny hole. The vapor is ejected from this tiny hole as a steady jet into the tube, right before it goes into the mouth. Because of this, the humidified air has no time to condensate and form microbes, and the inhaled air is more comfortable for the patient.
I found this article interesting because of the fact that in our design project we were interested in looking at a device that was able to heat and humidify air before it went into the lungs. This device would be perfect in that regard. I also just thought that this technology was very impressive. To be able to create something that small and that simple with no moving parts, and just based on some basic chemistry was astounding. I was also interested in why the technology was called capillary force vaporizing technology. My only guess was because the force is similar to the hydrostatic force that is seen in capillaries that forces the blood out of the fenestrated epithelium.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0906-breakthrough_for_breathing.htm
posted by Richard Hendrick at 3:14 PM
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