PRESSURE BASED GAS LEAK TESTING

摘要

Gas-pressure-based testing, in some embodiments, features a self-leak-testing module (120) that includes an internal sensor and is configured for measuring, using the sensor, gas leakage (179, 180) from a set of walls that defines respective gas passageways that both exist within the module and are incident to the gas pressure measured. One or more walls of the set may extend outside the module. The module can be configured for deciding, based on a result of the measuring, whether a magnitude of the leakage exceeds a predetermined threshold. A source for applying the pressure may be internal (138) or external (104, 132, 135). Gas pressure based pattern recognition can be used to identify, optionally during treatment and in real time, one or more leak sites responsible for the leakage. The module is implementable as a ventilation monitoring module that measures differential flow of a breathing circuit, the testing serving to prevent cross-contamination of patients.

主权项

1. A self-leak-testing ventilator monitoring module comprising:
an internal sensor; internal valves; pressure transmission conduits having a proximal end coupled to module input ports and a distal end of the pressure transmission conduits are terminated by a receptacle external to said self-leak-testing ventilator monitoring module, wherein the receptacle is configured for being releasably coupled to at least one of (i) a leak-test-fixture having a gas charging capability from a fixture pressure source, (ii) a self-test plug and (iii) a connector coupled at one end of flexible tubing of a disposable flow sensor, wherein an opposite end of the flexible tubing includes an airway adaptor configured for being coupled within a breathing circuit wherein the self-test and the disposable flow sensor rely on an existing pressure source for providing a gas charging capability; gas passageways coupled between the internal sensor and the internal valves, and further coupled to said pressure transmission conduits and a microcontroller configured for controlling said self-leak-testing ventilator monitoring module between (i) an operational, non-test mode and (ii) a test mode, wherein the test mode includes the microcontroller controlling a gas pressure decay test in which the gas passageways are charged with gas to a test-imposed pressure, measuring, using said internal sensor, a change in pressure from the test-imposed pressure by at least a given amount within a predetermined time period sufficient for determining an existence or non-existence of gas leakage from a set of walls that defines respective gas passageways, and responsive to a determination of the existence of gas leakage, the microcontroller is further configured for providing a notification of the determination of the existence of gas leakage.