Device and method for non-invasive analysis of particles during medical ventilation

Abstract

A diagnostic device is disclosed for characterisation of particles from a patient’s airways, such as a lung, when ventilated by a ventilator, and/or for control thereof, comprising a particle detecting unit configured to be connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, for obtaining data related to particles being exhaled from said patent’s airways.

1 . A diagnostic device for characterization of particles from a patient’s airways, when ventilated by a ventilator, and/or for controlling said ventilator, comprising:
 a particle detecting unit configured to be connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, said particle detecting unit is configured for obtaining particle data related to particles exhaled from said patent’s airways; and 
 a control unit configured for analyzing said particle data to diagnose and/or monitor a condition of said patients airways. 
 
     
     
         2 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said particle detecting unit is a particle counter or sizer. 
     
     
         3 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said particles are aerosols derived from said patient’s airways. 
     
     
         4 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said conduit is an expiration conduit downstream a Y-connector connectable to said patient. 
     
     
         5 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said conduit is a side-stream conduit connected to an expiration conduit downstream a Yconnector connectable to said patient. 
     
     
         6 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said particle detecting unit is configured to be connected to both an expiration conduit and an inspiration conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to adjust said ventilator to provide a mechanical ventilation mode based on said data related to particles being exhaled from said patent’s airways. 
     
     
         8 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to control said ventilator, due to a characteristic of said particles. 
     
     
         9 . A diagnostic system for characterization of particles from a patient’s airways, when ventilated by a ventilator, and/or for controlling said ventilator, comprising:
 a particle detecting unit configured to be connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, said particle detecting unit is configured for obtaining particle data related to particles being exhaled from said patent’s airways; and 
 a particle collection unit configured to be connected to said conduit downstream said ventilator. 
 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A diagnostic system of  claim 9 , wherein said particles are collected by collection plates in said particle collection unit and sorted according to their size or mass. 
     
     
         12 . The diagnostic system of  claim 9 , wherein chemical content of said particles are analyzed by at least one analysis technique selected from the group consisting of: time-of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF - SIMS), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS), biochemical assays or protocols based on labelled antibodies, quantitative PCR analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), fluorescence spectroscopy, TOC (total organic content) analysis, elemental analysis, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) and ELISA, with or without being first washed off said collection plates. 
     
     
         13 . A method for diagnosing or monitoring a condition of a patient’s airways when connected to a ventilator, comprising:
 providing a particle detecting unit connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, 
 obtaining particle data, by said particle detecting unit, related to particles exhaled from said patent’s airways; and 
 analyzing said particle data to diagnose and/or monitor said condition of said patient’s airways. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising:
 Use of using a particle counter to measure a number of particles in exhaled breath from a patient ventilated by a mechanical ventilator or respirator, for diagnosis and/or monitoring of said patent’s airways.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein data from said particle counter is used for controlling said mechanical ventilator or respirator, such as controlling PEEP, tidal volumes and/or CPAP. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising Use of using a particle counter to measure a number of particles in inhaled air to a patient being ventilated by a mechanical ventilator or respirator, for warning of filter failure. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising using a particle counter to measure a number of particles in inhaled air to a patient being ventilated by a mechanical ventilator during delivery of anesthesia, for warning of delivered medicament not fully evaporated or estimating an amount of medicament delivered to the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said particle detecting unit is an optical based particle counter or sizer. 
     
     
         19 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to control a positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP), tidal volumes and/or CPAP, due to a characteristic of said particles. 
     
     
         20 . The diagnostic device of  claim 1 , further comprising a particle collection unit configured to be connected to said conduit downstream said ventilator. 
     
     
         21 . A diagnostic system of  claim 9 , wherein the particle collection unit is an impactor.