Drãgerwerk Ag & Co, Kgaa

Drager Medical Gmbh

Dräger Medical Ag & Co Kgaa

Dråger Medical Ag & Co. Kg

Eckhard Teschner

Steffen Leonhardt

Yvo Gärber

Hans Matthiessen

Dieter Weismann

Markus Hampe

Frank Ralfs

Jianhua Li

Stefan Mersmann

Karsten Hoffmann

Hans-Wilhelm Steen

Dieter Sahmkow

Robert Pikkemaat

Tim Baier-Löwenstein

Rainer Degenhart

Ola Stenqvist

An apparatus and process () for processing data () obtained by an imaging technique enables an improvement of a determination of quality and quantity of ventilation of the lungs. By including a correction data set KDS determined during one or more inhalation phases, it is determined which effects result from adjustments of pressure levels (PEEP, PEEP) () during ventilation. The result of the determination is provided as an output signal ().

Process and system with a measuring device and an analysis device for processing data

A device for determining the regional distribution of a parameter for lung perfusion includes an electrical impedance tomography unit with electrodes (E, . . . EN), which can be placed on the thorax, that are connected to a control and analysis unit () and an administering device () for the intravenous administration of a conductivity contrast medium. The control and analysis unit () is configured to display changes in impedance distribution occurring as a consequence of the administration of conductivity contrast medium as a parameter for lung perfusion in the section plane as a function of time. The administering device () has a controllable dispensing device. The control and analysis unit and the dispensing device are connected with one another via a data link (). A start time and an end time and a quantity of an administered bolus of the conductivity contrast medium are available to the control and analysis unit ().

Device for determining the regional distribution of a parameter for lung perfusion

A process is provided for operating a respirator and/or anesthesia device in the APRV mode with at least one pressure release phase with the step of setting a first point in time for terminating the pressure release phase. The process includes measuring the electrical impedance and/or impedance change of the lungs and setting the first point in time such that the measured impedance and/or impedance change are taken into account. A device is provided for carrying out the process according to the present invention.

Process for operating a respirator or anesthesia device in the APRV mode taking into the impedance and/or the impedance change

A device and a method () for the processing of data (), which were obtained by an imaging method, make possible an improvement in a location-specific visualization of the perfusion of the lung. With a reference to a comparison variable, a location-specific variable (), characteristic of a period of observation, regarding the perfusion of the lung and heart region, is determined and provided as an output signal.

Device and method for processing tomographic data

An apparatus for determining functional lung characteristics of a patient includes an electrical impedance tomography (EIT) imaging device adapted to record the impedance distribution within a plane of the thorax of the patient. The EIT imaging device includes a control and analysis unit for performing the impedance measurement and deriving the impedance distribution within the plane of the thorax. The control and analysis unit automatically performs steps including determining a global impedance change, defined as the impedance change with respect to an earlier measured reference impedance distribution integrated over the electrode plane, and recording the global impedance change curve as a function of time, performing breath detection in order to identify a breathing cycle, subdividing each breathing cycle to define a plurality of intratidal intervals, subdividing an EIT image from each interval into a plurality of regions of interest and calculating for each region of interest the ratio of the integrated impedance change within this region of interest to the global impedance change of this EIT image, for each intratidal interval presenting indications of the ratios determined for the regions of interest to provide an intratidal gas distribution representation for each interval.

Apparatus and method to determine functional lung characteristics

A process with a corresponding device for lung ventilation involves recording an image of the lung status with an electric impedance tomography (EIT) system () and the total area of ventilated lung areas is determined by a computing unit () from all image values, subsequently divided into at least two lung areas and the extent of the homogeneity of the ventilated lung areas is determined by comparison of the impedance changes within these areas. In case of a homogeneity rated as being too low, the respiration pressures are increased step by step by means of the respirator () and the respiration pressure at which the greatest possible homogeneity is obtained from subsequently determined status images is determined by means of the EIT system (). The respiration pressure is subsequently lowered again by the respirator () until the computing unit () detects a reduction in the homogeneity of ventilated lung areas, so that the respiration pressure is subsequently increased again by means of the respirator () to the last value at which no reduction in the homogeneity of the ventilated lung areas occurred.

Process and device for lung ventilation

An electro-impedance tomography (EIT) system (), with a computing unit () and a respirator () is described for gentle mechanical lung ventilation especially in case of atelectases. The presence, the extent and/or the spatial distribution of atelectases is detected by the EIT system () and sent to the respirator () so that the respiration pressure is increased step by step by the respirator () until the current image of the lung status corresponds to a first status image of healthy lungs or comes close to it with minimal deviations. The respiration pressure is subsequently reduced again step by step by the respirator () until the computing unit () detects a reduction of the ventilated lung areas and the respiration pressure is subsequently increased again by means of the respirator () to the last value at which no change occurred in the ventilated lung areas.

A device and a process for determining the change in the functional residual capacity (FRC) in a simple manner. Based on a first respiration phase for mechanical respiration, a recruitment maneuver is performed for this during a second respiration phase, and respiration is switched back to mechanical respiration during a third respiration phase. Reference values U, Uare formed from the end-expiratory values of the impedance measured signals U during the first respiration phase and the third respiration phase, and the difference &#x394;U (&#x394;FRC) between the reference value Uof the third respiration phase and the reference value Uof the first respiration phase is an indicator of the change in the functional residual capacity of the lung of the test subject.

Device and process for controlling a respirator

An electrode belt for impedance tomography shall be improved such that it has a simple design and makes possible good contacting of the electrodes () with the body of the test subject to be examined. The electrode belt () has at least 16 electrodes () on an electrode holder or belt material (), which is elastic at least in some sections. The belt formed of one or more belt material sections completely surrounds a test subject to be examined on the circumference of the body. Electrode feed lines () extend along the electrode holder (). The electrode feed lines and are connected to a feed line () at least at one feed point () on the electrode holder ().

Electrode belt

A device is provided for putting an electrode carrier on a recumbent patient. The device includes a first lifting cushion that supports the shoulder region and the head of the patient at the same time and into which a pressurized medium can be admitted. A second lifting cushion is provided that supports the lumbar region and into which pressurized medium can be admitted. A spacer is provided fixing the lifting cushions in relation to one another in the chest region.

Device and process for putting an electrode carrier on a patient

A ventilation system () is combined with a measuring method () for electric impedance tomography (EIT). Bidirectional data exchange between the two systems is provided. Both the ventilation system () and the measuring system () have a first and second communications electronic unit () each with associated transmitting and receiving means for the bidirectional data exchange.

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Lübeck, Germany

Eckhard Teschner