METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING A SIGNAL THAT REFLECTS RESPIRATORY EFFORTS IN PATIENTS ON VENTILATORY SUPPORT

摘要

A method and device for generating a signal that mirrors changes in the level of effort exerted by respiratory muscles of patients on mechanical ventilatory support comprising: monitoring and storing airway pressure (P_aw), rate of gas flow (F), and volume of gas flow (V), and generating a composite pressure signal using resistive pressure units (K_F) determined from elapsed data and selected to minimize step changes in the calculated signal and elastic pressure units (K_v) determined from elapsed data by steps comprising: - scanning stored F or P_aw during exhalation and identifying where their trajectory transiently reverses direction to detect transients; - selecting points within the exhalation that are at preselected distances away from the transients; - calculating the value of K_v required to force the values of the calculated signal at said selected points in elapsed breaths to be substantially equal when the selected value of K_F is used as the flow coefficient.