How sensors improve sleep

Introduction: Sleep apnea, commonly known as snoring, is a condition that afflicts many people. This has a big impact on their sleep. The treatment of this disease is a challenge for medical device manufacturers. This article is based on solving this problem, mainly analyzing the various sensor solutions used in sleep-breathing devices and explaining the differences between them, providing valuable technical insights for medical device manufacturers.

Sleep apnea syndrome, which is of great concern to millions of patients around the world, is commonly referred to as snoring. It refers to the repeated occurrence of respiratory arrest during sleep, which can sometimes reach as many as hundreds of times per night. It usually takes one minute each time or even Longer. If left alone, it will lead to memory loss and weight imbalance, but also cause high blood pressure and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The resulting lack of sleep and fatigue can also be the cause of work-related injuries and motor vehicle traffic accidents.

One of the commonly used treatments is the use of positive pressure breathing (PAP) machines. When the patient sleeps, a special mask is put on to send a certain amount of pressure air into the patient's nostrils to prevent suffocation. There are three forms of this type of ventilator:
l CPAP (Continuous Positive Pressure Ventilator) continuously supplies air with a certain pressure. This positive pressure prevents upper airway obstruction due to collapse of the upper airway during sleep, allowing the patient to breathe freely and avoid apnea. l Auto-PAP (automatic positive pressure breathing machine), can measure the patient's resistance when breathing, and according to the size of the resistance to adjust the air to the air pressure required to ensure that each breath is unobstructed. l Bilevel PAP (bi-level positive pressure breathing machine) provides two types of pressure: positive inspiratory pressure and positive exhalation pressure.
Picture note: Sensors used on sleeping ventilators to help control airflow, pressure, humidity, and temperature, as well as stable motor control.
Sensor type for sleep ventilators
Image Note: Typical sleep-breathing breathers use gas mass flow sensors, magnetic sensors, humidity sensors, temperature sensors, and pressure sensors.

Many types of sensors are used on sleep ventilators to monitor and help control airflow, pressure, humidity, and temperature while supporting stable motor control.

Gas mass flow sensor

Image Note: The Honeywell Zephyr gas mass flow sensor supports linear output, which is more intuitive than the original output of the basic air flow sensor, eliminating the need for output linearization and saving time and cost for sleep ventilator manufacturers. .

This type of sensor monitors the patient's respiratory status and then signals the sleep ventilator to decrease the speed of the fan when the patient begins to exhale, reducing the patient's resistance to exhalation, so that the patient does not feel as if they are "fighting" with the machine while breathing. Produces discomfort.

Sleeping ventilators use gas mass flow sensors to detect breathing cycles, making patients feel more comfortable and therefore more commonly used than machines without this feature.

Gas mass flow sensors used in sleep ventilators need to provide high resolution and accurate sensing to sense weaker airflow changes and more precisely control the air flow to the patient. These sensors need to be able to accurately measure the air flow provided and sense the presence or absence of air flow.

Another important consideration is power consumption. Low voltage losses allow the sleep ventilator to be battery powered, which gives the patient greater flexibility and freedom of use.

The last thing to note is that it is important to control the noise from the sleep ventilator motor when the patient tries to fall asleep. Motor noise or loud squeaking can affect the patient's sleep, which is contrary to the original intention of the sleep ventilator. If the pressure drop (pressure drop equals the resistance of the sensor) is too high, the motor will be more laborious and therefore requires a gas mass flow sensor and a relatively low pressure drop, otherwise it will increase noise and shorten the life of the motor.

Pressure Sensor

Low-voltage circuit board mounted pressure sensors can be used in all three PAP machines mentioned above to monitor the pressure of the air flow provided to the patient. When choosing a pressure sensor for a sleep ventilator, consider products with long-term stability, small size and low power consumption, and whether it can provide the lowest pressure drop, because this is about reducing noise and vibration, which is to ensure that the patient is comfortable and comfortable at night and high The importance of the degree of cooperation.

Magnetic sensor

To make the motor run smoothly, the sleep ventilator uses a fan system to cool the motor assembly. The magnetic sensor supports stable motor control, which can reduce the noise and vibration generated by the fan system. In addition to improving energy efficiency and providing stable operation, these sensors have also been designed to achieve compact, automated and lower-cost assembly of sleep-ventilator products due to their small form factor.

Humidity Sensor

Humidity sensors can be used to provide a warm, moist air flow that is comfortable for the patient. When moisture is added to the gas stream, it must be monitored and controlled. The humidity sensor is used in conjunction with a micro-controller that measures the humidity of the air flow and is coordinated with the humidity-controlling controller to ensure that the air flow has the proper humidity level.

Temperature Sensor

For temperature sensing, sleep-ventilator manufacturers can choose from sensing elements that provide the patient with a warm, moist airflow to improve breathing comfort. Warm, moist air also helps patients reduce sore throat caused by inhalation of dry cold air.

Discrete thermistors are usually installed directly in the airflow path to detect the temperature of the airflow. The sensor is used in conjunction with a microcontroller that detects the air temperature and interacts with a controller that controls and regulates the air temperature.

The manufacturer can choose to use a thermistor to assemble its own sensor detection system, or it can use a small, easy-to-install temperature detection assembly to locate the thermistor element in the medium to be measured and protect the thermistor from damage. The probe assembly also keeps hot gas or fluid flowing directly and evenly across the thermistor to accurately sense temperature.

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