SUMMARY:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Pulmonary and Clinical Care have developed a device capable of analyzing individual lungs in real-time to improve the quality of care for mechanically ventilated patients.
BACKGROUND:
Ventilators aid patients that have difficulty breathing by pressing positive air pressure into their lungs. Mechanical ventilators are a form of life support for patients with pulmonary diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has approximately 20,000 cases annually in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for ventilators as the disease causes damage to the lungs of patients. Currently, the standard of care assesses respiratory mechanics of lungs by measuring the lungs as a single system. However, some patients may have sustained damage to a single lung, making the delivery of oxygen and other gases disrupted by the resistance of airways. There is thus a need for a system that can measure individual lung capacities and enable adequate oxygenation and ventilation based on the needs of each lung separately.
INNOVATION:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Pulmonary and Clinical Care have developed a device that quantifies differences between lungs and regulates gas flow to each lung based on individual needs. Pressure sensors or imaging scans are utilized to quantify the individual capacity of each lung. Data that is gathered allows for the direct monitoring of physiological or pathological parameters of each lung. In addition, the device has embedded software that is designed to analyze clinical parameters of each lung in real-time. This innovation improves the quality of care for patients with varying lung capacities by allowing clinicians to monitor and adjust the ventilator's pressure to patients. The present invention offers an advantageous solution to patients suffering from ARDS or other respiratory diseases with non-uniform lung damage.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Diagnosis for chronic respiratory diseases
- Treatment for chronic respiratory diseases
ADVANTAGES:
- Individual lung assessment
- Asymmetric gas delivery
- Monitors individual lungs
- Real-time lung measurements
DEVELOPMENT TO DATE:
First successful demonstration by quantifying the physiological and pathological differences between each lung