Automatic Regulator for Supplemental Oxygen Therapy

Living tissues require a sufficient supply of oxygen for survival. An insufficient supply of oxygen may result from impairments of the respiration or oxygen transport systems, such as lung disease, heart disease, and anemia. Supplemental oxygen therapy increases the oxygen content in the lungs and blood oxygen saturation. The control of the oxygen flow is typically adjusted manually. This manual adjustment increases the risk for a mismatch between the oxygen flow rate and oxygen consumption that may change with physiological activity. An insufficient supply of oxygen increases the risk for cell damage and hypoxia. An excessive supply of oxygen risks oxygen toxicity and rapid depletion of the oxygen supply. This paper develops and tests the regulation of gas flow intake based on input of patient oxygen blood saturation. During testing of the prototype, gas pressure was regulated based on input oxygen blood saturation values, indicating control of gas flow. Further development and testing would be required for closed loop control of the system. Such a system would contribute toward improving the match of oxygen flow to physiological demands, and contribute to improving the health of many patients.