Methods and apparatus for oxygenation and/or CO2 removal
An apparatus for oxygenation and/or CO2 clearance of a patient. The apparatus comprising: a flow source or a connection for a flow source for providing a gas flow, a gas flow modulator, a controller to control the gas flow. The controller is operable to: receive input relating to heart activity and/or trachea gas flow of the patient, and control the gas flow modulator to provide a varying gas flow with at least two oscillating components. One oscillating component has a frequency based on the heart activity and/or trachea flow of the patient. One oscillating component has a frequency to: promote bulk gas flow movement, or promote mixing.
1. An apparatus for oxygenation and/or CO2 clearance of a patient, comprising:
a flow source or a connection for a flow source for providing a gas flow,
a gas flow modulator,
a controller to control the gas flow,
wherein the controller is operable to:
control a flow rate of the gas flow to provide a varying gas flow based on at least two oscillating components, wherein the at least two oscillating components comprises:
a first oscillating component having a frequency to promote bulk gas flow movement, wherein the frequency to promote bulk gas flow movement is lower than a frequency based on heart activity, and
a second oscillating component having a frequency to promote mixing, the frequency to promote mixing is higher than the frequency based on heart activity.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to control the gas flow modulator to provide the varying gas flow with a third oscillating component with a frequency to:
promote bulk gas flow movement, or
promote mixing.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the frequency of the second oscillating component and the frequency of the third oscillating component are different.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an input from a heart activity sensor.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency to promote bulk gas flow movement is based on a body cavity resonance, and the controller is operable to receive input relating to the body cavity resonance.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an input from a body cavity sensor.
7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein:
the body cavity is a lung or a chest cavity.
8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frequency based on heart activity is about 0.1 Hz to about 3 Hz.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frequency for bulk gas flow movement is about 0.05 Hz to about 5 Hz.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the varying gas flow has an overall waveform comprising all the oscillating components and/or a base component with a period of about 0.3 seconds to about 15 seconds.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each oscillating component is a flow rate component.
12. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a base flow rate, wherein the base flow rate is about 375 litres/min to 0 litres/min.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas flow modulator is a valve after the flow source, the controller being operable to control the valve to provide an oscillating gas flow.
14. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to control the gas flow modulator to provide the varying gas flow with the at least two oscillating components with a phase based on the heart activity.
15. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas flow modulator comprises:
an underwater pressure release valve,
oscillatable diaphragm,
in-line linear actuator,
flow chopper,
aerodynamic or mechanical flutter valve, or
proportional valve.
16. An apparatus according to claim 1 adapted to provide the gas flow to the patient via a patient interface, either non-sealing or sealing.
17. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:
the controller is further operable to receive input relating to the heart activity of the patient, and
the frequency of the first and/or second oscillating component is based on the input relating to the heart activity of the patient.
18. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas flow modulator is a blower, the controller being operable to control the blower to provide an oscillating gas flow.
19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an input from a flow sensor.
20. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the second oscillating component is about 3.5 Hz to about 150 Hz.