ENHANCEMENT OF SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF RESPIRATORY PARAMETERS VIA SUPERIMPOSED PRESSURE SIGNAL

摘要

A ventilator system includes a ventilator (10) configured to deliver an air flow at positive pressure to a ventilated patient (12). A signal generator (50) is configured to generate a non-therapeutic pressure signal having amplitude less than the maximum positive pressure of the air flow delivered to the ventilated patient and having the highest frequency component of at least 0.5 Hz. A signal combiner (52) is configured to superimpose the non-therapeutic pressure signal on the air flow delivered to the ventilated patient. A ventilator monitor (44) is programmed to estimate respiratory system' s resistance R and compliance C and respiratory muscle pressure generated by the ventilated patient based on pressure and air flow measurements. The non-therapeutic pressure signal is effective to impart a signal component with frequencies beyond normal respiratory signal frequency range to the measured pressure and air flow, which improves the robustness of the estimation task.