An archetypal model of a breathable air-circuit in an electro-pneumatic ventilator device

Abstract

Mechanical ventilator is a machine that is mechanically designed to deliver breathable air in and out of the lungs to provide a breathing mechanism for a patient who is physically unable to breathe, it is an indispensable life-support device in critical care medicine and medical emergencies such as scenarios during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research presents a model design of the pneumatic circuit that is electronically controlled, by using computer-aided pneumatic rig over selected 5/3, 5/2, 3/2 solenoid gating valves, the performance of these valves must be investigated to ascertain the most appropriate valve to be used for the electro-pneumatic mechanical ventilator. An elaborate parametric investigation reported for volume-controlled ventilators illustrate the influences of key parameters on the dynamics of the ventilated respiratory system. This study presents the linearity of tidal volume, peak pressure and lung compliance for the parameters considered. However, the maximum pressure of the ventilation device increases slowly when the tidal volumes exceed 600 ml. In addition, influence of evacuation time of the ventilator predicted over high throughput in time regimes of 1 s; 1.2 s; 1.4 s; 1.6 s, and 1.8 s showed that the pressure platform in the pipe might not appear if the exhaust time of the ventilator is less than 1.6 s. The 5/2 solenoid valve was considered the best with consistent flowrate. The archetypal model of the pneumatic circuit developed in this research could find vital application in the design of patient-interfacing devices particularly in ventilators and neonatal incubator.