I-Corps: Non-invasive ventilation treatment for COPD patients

I-Corps的更广泛影响/商业潜力是一种治疗轻度和重度慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者的新型无创通气模式。200万美国人患有严重的慢性阻塞性肺病，即使接受了最大限度的药物治疗，他们也因为严重的呼吸短促而无法走上一段楼梯。随着病情的发展，病人被束缚在房子里，椅子上，最后是床上。这项技术以一种轻便、可移动、无创呼吸机的形式为患者提供了非侵入性的肺部支持，可以帮助这些患者在进行体育活动时提供支持，并帮助他们再次过上完整的生活，免于窒息。该技术的长期影响包括：(1)提高重度COPD患者的生活质量和治疗效果；(2)新型肺康复疗法的发展；(3)扩大无创通气技术在肺部护理领域的应用，补充和加强现有的通气技术。I-Corps项目是一种针对COPD患者的移动、无创通气技术。该设备的工作原理是通过胸腔和腹部的压力变化来补充患者的呼吸。每次吸气时，该装置都会产生真空，帮助提振胸部和腹部，帮助患者吸气。每次呼气时，该装置都会增加胸部的压力，帮助患者更快地呼气。通过辅助呼吸工作，患者不再感到呼吸短促，可以再次从事正常的日常活动。该设备促进健康的呼吸循环，防止气道过度膨胀和肺泡退化。无创通气和肺康复都被证明对COPD患者的生活质量和医疗结果有显著的积极影响。这项技术旨在改善病人的健康状况。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps is a novel noninvasive ventilation modality for treatment of mild and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Two million Americans have such severe COPD that, even on maximal medical therapy, they are unable to walk up a single flight of stairs due to severe shortness of breath. As the disease progresses, patients become bound to their house, their chair, and finally their bed. This technology provides a non-intrusive pulmonary support to patients in a form of a lightweight, mobile, and noninvasive ventilator, which can help support these patients during physical activity and help them live a full life again, free of suffocation. Long term impacts of this technology include: (1) increased quality of life and treatment effectiveness for severe COPD patients; (2) development of novel pulmonary rehabilitation therapies; (3) expansion of noninvasive ventilation technology in the field of pulmonary care to supplement and enhance current ventilation techniques.This I-Corps project is a mobile, non-invasive ventilation technology targeted at COPD patients. The device works by supplementing patient's breathing with pressure changes on their chest and abdomen. With each breath in, the device generates a vacuum that helps lift the chest and abdomen, helping the patient breathe in. With each breath out, the device increases pressure over the chest and helps the patient breath out faster. By assisting the work of breathing, patients no longer feel short of breath and can once again engage in normal daily activities. The device promotes a healthy breathing cycle, which prevents hyperinflation of the airways and degeneration of alveoli in the lungs. Noninvasive ventilation and pulmonary rehabilitation have both been shown to have significant, positive effects on the quality of life and medical outcomes of COPD patients. The technology aims to improve patient's well-being.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.