Non-invasive method and apparatus for optimizing the respiration of atelectatic lungs

1. Method for providing ventilatory settings with regard to airway pressure levels of an artificial ventilator, said artificial ventilator is connectable to a lung,

comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining data samples of gas concentration of an expired gas over a single breath, said data samples of gas concentration comprising of gas originating from an airway and/or alveoli of a lung;

b) selecting a plurality of data samples from obtained data samples from step a) excluding data samples representing airway gas only;

c) calculating a tracing value being sensitive to changes of alveolar dead space on a basis of selected data samples from said step b), wherein the tracing value is represented by an angle between an endtidal mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas and a steepest mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas during the single breath;

d) changing at least one airway pressure level of the artificial ventilator and then repeating steps a), b) and c) for obtaining a plurality of tracing values; and

e) observing a resulting course of the plurality of tracing values during a course of a sequential increase of a peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator followed by a sequential decrease of a positive end expiratory pressure, and from the observation of the resulting course, detecting airway pressure levels at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs;

wherein the gas concentration represents a CO 2 concentration; and

wherein when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung opening is detected if the angle reaches a maximal decrease, and when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung overdistension is detected if the angle results in a decrease of about 10% from its previous value, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, an open-lung condition is detected if the angle results in a minimal value observed before a closing pressure is detected, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, a closing pressure of the lungs is detected if a curve of the tracing values of the angle shows a permanent gradient change after a point corresponding to open-lung condition values.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the data samples according to step a) are obtained in a time domain and are converted from the time domain into a volumetric domain.

3. Method according to claim 2 , wherein a first ventilatory setting corresponds to a peak inspiratory pressure and wherein a second ventilatory setting corresponds to a positive end expiratory pressure.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of different types of tracing values for each breath are calculated in parallel and wherein from the resulting course of the plurality of different types of tracing values the peak inspiratory pressure at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension and/or the positive end expiratory pressure at which lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs are detected.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein during a recruitment maneuver of the lung the peak inspiratory pressure is set above a peak inspiratory pressure at which alveolar opening has been detected and the positive end-expiratory pressure is set above a positive end expiratory pressure at which alveolar closing has been detected.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the airway pressure level at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs is detected when said resulting course of the plurality of tracing values reaches a minimum or a maximum.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the endtidal mean slope and the steepest mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas during the single breath is determined either over time or volume.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the endtidal mean slope is determined by the endtidal mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas towards the final stage of a single breath.

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the steepest mean slope is determined by the steepest mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas in a vicinity of a point of inflection.

10. Apparatus for providing ventilatory settings with regard to airway pressure levels of an artificial ventilator, said artificial ventilator is connectable to a lung,

comprising:

a sensor for measuring samples of gas concentration in an expired gas during a single breath for several breaths;

an analog to digital converter for obtaining first data samples of said gas concentration of the expired gas over the single breath in a time domain;

data processor for selecting a plurality of second data samples from said first data samples, said data processor to exclude data samples representing airway gas only;

said data processor for calculating a tracing value being sensitive to changes of alveolar dead space on a basis of said second data samples, wherein the tracing value is represented by an angle between an endtidal mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas and a steepest mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas during the single breath; and

said data processor for detecting, during a change of at least one airway pressure level of the artificial ventilator, from a resulting course of a plurality of tracing values during a course of a sequential increase of a peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator followed by a sequential decrease of a positive end expiratory pressure, airway pressure levels at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs;

wherein the gas concentration represents a CO 2 concentration; and

wherein when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung opening is detected if the angle reaches a maximal decrease, and when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung overdistension is detected if the angle results in a decrease of about 10% from its previous value, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, an open-lung condition is detected if the angle results in a minimal value observed before a closing pressure is detected, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, a closing pressure of the lungs is detected if a curve of the tracing values of the angle shows a permanent gradient change after a point corresponding to open-lung condition values.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said data processor is further configured for assessing a volumetric rate of the expired gas and for converting the first data samples from a time domain to a volumetric domain.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a first ventilatory setting corresponds to a peak inspiratory pressure and wherein a second ventilatory setting corresponds to a positive end expiratory pressure.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a plurality of different types of tracing values are calculated in parallel and wherein from the resulting course of the plurality of different types of tracing values the peak inspiratory pressure at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension and/or the positive end expiratory pressure at which lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs are detected.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein during a recruitment maneuver of the lung the peak inspiratory pressure is set above a peak inspiratory pressure at which alveolar opening has been detected and the positive end-expiratory pressure is set above a positive end expiratory pressure at which alveolar closing has been detected.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said data processor is further configured for detecting the airway pressure level at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs when said resulting course of the plurality of tracing values reaches a minimum or a maximum.

16. Method according to claim 10 , wherein the endtidal mean slope and the steepest mean slope of the gas concentration in the expired gas during the single breath is determined either over time or volume.

17. Method for providing ventilatory settings with regard to airway pressure levels of an artificial ventilator, said artificial ventilator is connectable to a lung,

comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining data samples of gas concentration of an expired gas over a single breath, said data samples of gas concentration comprising of gas originating from an airway and/or alveoli of a lung;

b) selecting a plurality of data samples from obtained data samples from step a) excluding data samples representing airway gas only;

c) calculating a tracing value being sensitive to changes of alveolar dead space on a basis of selected data samples from said step b), wherein the tracing value consists of an angle of intersection between a first slope of a first phase and a second slope of a second phase of the gas concentration in the expired gas during the single breath, wherein the first slope of the first phase consists of an endtidal mean slope which is determined by the endtidal mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas towards the final stage of the single breath, and wherein the second slope of the second phase consists of a steepest mean slope which is determined by the steepest mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas in a vicinity of a point of inflection;

d) changing at least one airway pressure level of the artificial ventilator and then repeating steps a), b) and c) for obtaining a plurality of tracing values; and

e) observing a resulting course of the plurality of tracing values during a course of a sequential increase of a peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator followed by a sequential decrease of a positive end expiratory pressure, and from the observation of the resulting course, detecting airway pressure levels at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs;

wherein the gas concentration represents a CO 2 concentration; and

wherein when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung opening is detected if the angle reaches a maximal decrease, and when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung overdistension is detected if the angle results in a decrease of about 10% from its previous value, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, an open-lung condition is detected if the angle results in a minimal value observed before a closing pressure is detected, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, a closing pressure of the lungs is detected if a curve of the tracing values of the angle shows a permanent gradient change after a point corresponding to open-lung condition values.

18. Apparatus for providing ventilatory settings with regard to airway pressure levels of an artificial ventilator, said artificial ventilator is connectable to a lung,

comprising:

a sensor for measuring samples of gas concentration in an expired gas during a single breath for several breaths;

an analog to digital converter for obtaining first data samples of said gas concentration of the expired gas over the single breath in a time domain;

data processor for selecting a plurality of second data samples from said first data samples, said data processor to exclude data samples representing airway gas only;

said data processor for calculating a tracing value being sensitive to changes of alveolar dead space on a basis of said second data samples, wherein the tracing value consists of an angle of intersection between a first slope of a first phase and a second slope of a second phase of the gas concentration in the expired gas during each single breath, wherein the first slope of the first phase consists of an endtidal mean slope which is determined by the endtidal mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas towards the final stage of the single breath, and wherein the second slope of the second phase consists of a steepest mean slope which is determined by the steepest mean slope in a plot either over time or over volume of the gas concentration in the expired gas in a vicinity of a point of inflection;

said data processor for detecting, during a change of at least one airway pressure level of the artificial ventilator, from a resulting course of a plurality of tracing values during a course of a sequential increase of the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator followed by a sequential decrease of the positive end expiratory pressure, airway pressure levels at which alveolar opening or lung overdistension or lung open condition or alveolar closing occurs;

wherein the gas concentration represents a CO 2 concentration; and

wherein when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung opening is detected if the angle reaches a maximal decrease, and when the peak inspiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is increased continuously, a lung overdistension is detected if the angle results in a decrease of about 10% from its previous value, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, an open-lung condition is detected if the angle results in a minimal value observed before a closing pressure is detected, and when the positive end expiratory pressure of the artificial ventilator is decreased continuously, a closing pressure of the lungs is detected if a curve of the tracing values of the angle shows a permanent gradient change after a point corresponding to open-lung condition values.