New CPAP concept

[QuantiLog]

Hello everyone

My name is Lior and I was diagnosed with severe OSA about 18 months ago, I have been using CPAP since.

As an engineer I came-up with a new concept of a CPAP which I would like to share with you.

I am calling it: WAMLC (Wearable, All-Mechanical, Lightweight, CPAP).

The general idea is: to make the CPAP lightweight (less than 1 Kg) and vibrationless so the user can wear it, using a wide and comfortable belt.
It has no need of an external energy source nor does it need any chemical batteries, hense, it gain power from the user's breathing movements.

The benefit gained is no relative position of the user's mask vs. CPAP, the user can turn to each side (except from sleeping on his belly) without worrying about damaging the air hose.

Please check the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHanfV7J3U
and tell me what you think of it.

Best regards all

Lior

[OutaSync]

Interesting concept, but as a woman, I don't see how that equipment would fit in the limited space on my chest.

[Julie]

I sleep on my stomach... But apart from that, while the concept is interesting, is there any mechanism that you can set to how much pressure you use, or some way to gauge what's going on? And I'd certainly like a closer look at the mask part of things (is there a full face version?).

[QuantiLog]

Hi OutaSync and Julie, and thanks for your responses.

I really think that if this concept shall be build, than it should have a male and female versions of the product.

The concept presented has only the major components, a control unit that gauges and monitor the supplied air pressure shall be embedded to assure adequate air pressure supplied to the user.

Thanks

Lior

[socknitster]

Very interesting!

[snnnark]

Cool idea!
Some problems I can see are as follows.
1. You may be chasing perpetual motion i.e. the energy required to pump the pressure will be greater than the energy captured by the belt.
2. In its current belt position the user needs to be a diaphragmatic breather. Chest breathers will not move the belt enough.
3. It won't work for compsas or periodic breathers.
4. Humidifying may be difficult.

I don't think a purely mechanical pump will work but an electrical cable is a lot thinner to lie on than a hose so a small pump could be incorporated to make up any air shortfall!

It will be a lot easier to go to the bathroom etc.

Great thinking Lior, keep working on it!

Deon

[kwikwater]

Too cool!! Holler when you need volunteer testers!! I spend 30-40 nights a year camping, over half of which is on whitewater raft trips. This would be maaavelous!!! Beats packing a full size car battery to a personal nesting site!!! Keep working on it!!

[QuantiLog]

Hello everybody and thanks again for your responses.

I want to first relate to Deon response:
I checked the energy balance while initially designing the concept, and the energy required for 1 pressured air cycle is less than the energy that can be accumulated in 1 breating action, we need to remember that the CPAP is not a respirator machine, the user breaths by himself and the positive pressure required for overcome to blocking tissues.
The energy storage devise is designed to accumulate energy even from the smallest breathing movements.
A humidifier can be embedded though I still need to develop the water vaporizer that drew the energy from the energy storage mechanism.

Hello kwikwater, thanks for your response, just imagine how it would be like to be able to sleep at long flights and trips.

Best regards to all

Lior

[Muse-Inc]

Intriguing...using-converting kinetic energy to power an air pump that will generate the air needed to stent open the airways. Bet there's a way to measure the amt of energy used in sleep breathing to determine if it would be sufficient to create the required air pressure to stent open that person's airways...that would be a way to identify those who would benefit. IMHO seems there would be a % of those of us requiring CPAP therapy who would benefit from a device like that...and it sure would beat hauling our usual devices when we travel, that's for sure. I'm not so sure how comfortable side-sleeping with it would be tho...speaking as a female .

[Bert_Mathews]

Like the IDEA?
-but-
Think at the present it takes about 2-3 LB. of battery's to make it throw the night YOUR system would need PART of that as a BACKUP -OR- a mechanical generator BETTER than anything I've ever seen or heard of?

Pressures above 10cm is going to require more pressure/energy along with the ELECTRONICS to regulate & RECORD results.

KEEP thinking and I for one HOPE you at least get a prototype up and going --- ALSO I would like to be added to wiling Beta Testers!

JohnBFisher Did a GREAT Job in his research and power requirements in his post below! <Well worth the read!>
viewtopic/t49115/Battery-Backup-Design.html

BERT

[JohnBFisher]

... and tell me what you think of it. ...

I like the general concept. I suspect it will work well for folks who use mild to moderate pressure settings. The conversion of mechanical energy of breathing to electrical energy for the pump will need to be very efficient. I assume the energy storage device would be Lithium Ion battery. If so, some of the risks involved with Lithium Ion might make manufacturers see that as a negative of the design.

Another downside is how much of the mechanical energy of breathing can be converted without interfering with the process of breathing. You might unintentionally trigger the same effect as being obese. You end up with "restrictive lung disease". The result is hypoventilation due to the restriction of the normal breathing.

But don't think of this as a discouragement. Rather, I love the idea that the device becomes more and more self contained. It makes it more and more portable. That would be good for anyone who travels a good deal. Think of truckers, sales people, etc. It would also apply to the average home user if the unit can be made small enough and easy enough to use.

Anyway, best wishes with the design. Innovation is ALWAYS welcome!

[sleepycarol]

Keep us posted. Has a prototype actually been made to see if it could remotely even work? I am no engineer and my mind can't always grasp how you can tell when something will work through just a design.

I so admire those that can think of new inventions. I don't have a creative bone in my body and joke that if left up to me we would still be living in caves.

[QuantiLog]

Hello John and thanks for your remarks.

As for the battery issue, the energy storage device is all mechanical and no chemical based battery is used (as I explained in my first post), and that is because it is dangerous to sleep with a large chemical battery wrapped on the user, and it will never get FDA approval.

As for the pressure on the user caused by the energy gained from the breathing movements: the tangent tension of the belts shall be designed to 2-4 Kgf, so the feeling won't be more than wearing a tight shirt, no difficulty shall be imposed on the user breathing action.

Thanks

Lior

[avi123]

Lior, the only benefit that I see with the WAMLC is that it eliminates the air supply tubing. You can't use the respiration muscles movements for a source of energy b/c it will affect the same organ that the CPAP is meant to fix. Also, when you have an obstructive apnea then no breathing muscle is moving. Chaval al ha'zman!

[rested gal]

when you have an obstructive apnea then no breathing muscle is moving.

In a PSG sleep study, the belts around chest and abdomen are there to measure "effort." When a person has an obstructive apnea, the person is physically trying to breathe. "Trying to breathe", as in... using the muscles underneath those "effort" belts to try to inhale.

There is movement of the chest/abdomen when an obstructive apnea is in progress. That's one of the criteria for the apnea to be scored "obstructive" in a sleep study -- as opposed to being a "central apnea" where no effort/movement to breathe is happening.