COPD / Ventilation method

Ansprechpartner

Dr. Hinrich Habeck, habeck@ascenion.de

Kurzbeschreibung

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem with currently about 210 million people suffering from this disease and approx. 3 million people dying each year worldwide (WHO estimation 2007). Non-invasive ventilation – besides medication - is considered as a treatment option, especially for patients having hypercapnic respiratory insufficiency. Current ventilation devices aim at supporting respiration by supplying an inspirational pressure during inhalation and a lower expirational pressure during exhalation. The prevailing opinion is to adjust the  pressure amplitude as high as possible in the scope of acceptance of the patient, in order to ensure the best possible respiration support. However, some studies have shown that an enlargement of the pressure amplitude does not result in the desired relief of the respiratory musculature, but rather frequently results in increased hyperinflation of the lungs. Therefore a better ventilation method is needed to avoid undesired hyperinflation and to improve respiration support of COPD patients.

The new method is based on real-time measurements of various patient's parameters regarding air flow dynamics. During inhalation and exhalation phase supplied air pressure is continuously regulated somewhat asymmetrically to the patient's breathing, thus mimics 'pursed lip breathing' and targets at a modulation of the patients breathing regulation reflexes. This dynamic adaption of air pressure head prevents additional hyperinflation during inhalation and keeps airways open during exhalation. By this means the invention provides for efficient gas exchange and relief of the respiratory musculature, slows down breathing rate, increases tidal volume, mitigate dyspnoea perception and presumably reduces intrapulmonal shear stress and thereby airway inflammation.

The beneficial effects of the new ventilation method were confirmed by treating COPD patients with an adapted ventilation device controlled manually.

Entwicklungsstand

The technology is offered for in-licensing and/or co-developmen