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Development of a New Method for Evaluating Heat and Moisture Exchanger Performance
Kouhei Nagata1, Tomio Andoh2, Ken Kishimoto1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Teikyo University School of Medicine Hospital Mizonokuchi, Kawasaki, Japan.
Respiratory Care
|July 9, 2024
Summary
This study developed two reliable bedside methods to estimate the humidifying performance of heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) during mechanical ventilation. The new methods accurately assess HME water loss and retention, improving patient care.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Respiratory Care
Background:
- Standardized testing (ISO 9360) exists for heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) but lacks bedside reliability for ongoing performance evaluation.
- Clinical settings require practical methods to monitor HME humidification during mechanical ventilation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop and validate two clinically applicable bedside methods for estimating HME humidifying performance.
- Assess the reliability of these methods in a simulated mechanical ventilation model.
Main Methods:
- Simulated physiologically expired gas and delivered ventilation using a ventilator with constant flow through three HME types.
- Measured relative humidity (RH) and calculated absolute humidity (AH) and water content exchanged by HMEs.
- Correlated calculated water content with measured HME weight changes.
Main Results:
- RH, temperature, and AH varied near HMEs but were stable at the ventilator outlet.
- HME water loss correlated with manufacturer data and inversely with calculated exchange.
- Calculated water captured by HMEs correlated with weight changes, though potentially overestimated.
Conclusions:
- The developed system effectively differentiated the performance of three HME models.
- The water loss calculation method is reliable for estimating HME water retention during mechanical ventilation with constant flow.
