Grant: Alliance Grants

Respiratory illnesses affect the health and quality of life of millions of Canadians, and are one of the leading causes of death. Positive pressure ventilation is commonly used to treat respiratory illness. This can be as simple as wearing a mask over the nose and mouth that provides pressurized oxygen, or as invasive as tube inserted down the throat. These approaches can be effective, but have side effects including: discomfort even for simple masks, leading many patients to abandon them; un-natural pressurization; infection; need for constant sedation (in the case of intubation); and weakening of the diaphragm over time. We propose a novel mechanical structure that aims to enable wearable breathing assistance. The device is worn around the chest and abdomen, expanding to pull the chest wall outwards, leading to inspiration. It forms an active vest, intended to create a natural breathing motion. This is made possible by a device structure that expands without bending or buckling under negative pressure. Use of artificial muscle will be explored to make the device particularly compact. Ultimately, the aim is to create a wearable device that will make assisted breathing more natural, comfortable, portable, effective and with fewer side effects.