Patent ID: 6668824
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
A method for detecting disconnection of patient tubing of a pneumatically driven, electronically controlled ventilator system for providing breathing gas to a patient, the ventilator system having a breath cycle including an inspiratory phase and an exhalation phase, with a plurality of control intervals being established for the inspiratory phase and the exhalation phase, comprising the steps of:determining an onset of the exhalation phase of the breath cycle; monitoring exhalation flow and exhalation pressure in the patient tubing during a plurality of the control intervals of the exhalation phase; and determining whether a condition indicating possible disconnection of the patient tubing has occurred if, for a contiguous predetermined period of consecutive control intervals of the exhalation phase immediately following the onset of the exhalation phase, the exhalation pressure is within a predetermined range about zero, and if exhalation flow is less than or equal to a predetermined flow threshold.