Ventilation arrangement with an anesthetic dosing unit and a pneumatic switch

A ventilation process for artificially ventilating a patient, the process is performed using a ventilation arrangement comprising a patient-side coupling unit, an anesthetic dosing unit with a dosing unit outlet, a carrier gas fluid guide unit connecting a carrier gas source to the anesthetic dosing unit, a supply fluid guide unit, an inspiratory fluid guide unit, a discharge fluid guide unit, a pneumatic switch with a switch inlet, a supply outlet, and a discharge outlet, wherein the pneumatic switch is configured to be switched into a supply position, in which the switch inlet is connected to the supply outlet, and into a discharge position, in which the switch inlet is connected to the discharge outlet,

• wherein the ventilation process is performed while the patient-side coupling unit is arranged on and/or in the body of the patient, the ventilation process comprising the steps of:
• with the ventilation arrangement, capturing a dosing specification which specifies a desired anesthetic concentration;
• with the anesthetic dosing unit, generating an anesthetic gas mixture comprising a carrier gas and an anesthetic, the generation is performed with an objective that an actual concentration of the anesthetic in the anesthetic gas mixture coincides with the desired anesthetic concentration of the captured dosing specification, and providing the anesthetic gas mixture at the dosing unit outlet,
• conveying the anesthetic gas mixture from the dosing unit outlet through a first segment of the supply fluid guide unit to the switch inlet,
• with the pneumatic switch in the supply position, conveying the anesthetic gas mixture through the pneumatic switch and through a second segment of the supply fluid guide unit to a feed-in point, supplying the anesthetic gas mixture into the inspiratory fluid guide unit at the feed-in point, and conveying a ventilation gas mixture comprising the anesthetic gas mixture from the feed-in point to the patient-side coupling unit;
• and
• with the pneumatic switch in the discharge position, conveying the anesthetic gas mixture through the pneumatic switch and the discharge fluid guide unit to a sink,
• wherein the step of capturing the dosing specification triggers the further steps of:
• switching the pneumatic switch to the discharge position;
• and
• with the control unit, determining that a target situation exists, which target situation exists upon an actual concentration of the anesthetic in the anesthetic gas mixture at a reference point in the first segment deviating by no more than a given tolerance from the desired anesthetic concentration specified in the dosing specification, and
• wherein the determination that the target situation exists triggers the step of switching the pneumatic switch to the supply position.

A ventilation system comprising:

• an anesthetic dosing unit with a dosing unit outlet, the anesthetic dosing unit being configured to generate an anesthetic gas mixture comprising a carrier gas and an anesthetic and to provide the anesthetic gas mixture at the dosing unit outlet;
• a carrier gas fluid guide unit connecting a carrier gas source to the anesthetic dosing unit;
• a pneumatic switch comprising a switch inlet, a supply outlet, and a discharge outlet, the pneumatic switch being configured to be switched into a supply position in which the switch inlet is connected to the supply outlet and into a discharge position in which the switch inlet is connected to the discharge outlet;
• a supply fluid guide unit, which comprises a first segment connecting the dosing unit outlet to the switch inlet and a second segment connecting the supply outlet to a feed-in point;
• an inspiratory fluid guide unit, which connects the feed-in point to a patient-side coupling unit;
• a discharge fluid guide unit, which connects the discharge outlet to a sink;
• and
• a signal-processing control unit, which is configured:
• to capture a dosing specification which specifies a desired anesthetic concentration;
• to switch the pneumatic switch to the discharge position in response to capturing the dosing specification;
• to check if a target situation exists, which target situation exists if an anesthetic concentration in the first segment deviates by no more than a given tolerance from the desired anesthetic concentration;
• and
• to switch the pneumatic switch to the supply position in response to determining that the target situation exists,
• wherein the ventilation system is configured, with the pneumatic switch in the supply position, to guide the anesthetic gas mixture through the first segment to the switch inlet, through the pneumatic switch to the second segment and to supply the anesthetic gas mixture to the feed-in point and into the inspiratory fluid guide unit, and
• wherein the ventilation system is configured, with the pneumatic switch in the discharge position, to guide the anesthetic gas mixture through the pneumatic switch to the discharge fluid guide unit and to the sink.