Systems and methods for preventing and treating infections with nitric oxide

Abstract

System and methods for providing nitric oxide can include at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a flow of a reactant gas, and at least one controller configured to regulate an amount of nitric oxide in the product gas generated by the at least one pair of electrodes using one or more parameters as an input to the controller. One or more sensors are configured to collect information relating to at least one of patient information, the reactant gas, the product gas, and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the product gas flows, the sensors configured to communicate the information to the controller to be used as the one or more parameters. The patient information includes information relating to a methemoglobin (MetHg) measurement collected from a MetHg sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for providing nitric oxide, comprising:
 at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a flow of a reactant gas;   at least one controller configured to regulate an amount of nitric oxide in the product gas generated by the at least one pair of electrodes using one or more parameters as an input to the controller; and   one or more sensors configured to collect information relating to at least one of patient information, the reactant gas, the product gas, and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the product gas flows, the sensors configured to communicate the information to the controller to be used as the one or more parameters,   wherein the patient information includes information relating to a methemoglobin (MetHg) measurement collected from a MetHg sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor is used by the controller to generate an amount of the product gas based on at least one of a threshold MetHg level and a rate of change of the MetHg measurement. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the MetHg threshold level is maintained by the controller for a predetermined time. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor is monitored by the controller such that the Methg measurement is maintained at less than the threshold MetHg level until a predetermined mass of NO has been delivered to the inspiratory gas 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor is used by the controller to deliver an amount of the product gas based on at least one of a threshold MetHg measurement and a rate of change of the MetHg measurement. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein a MetHg threshold level is maintained by the controller for a predetermined time. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor is monitored by the controller such that the Methg measurement is maintained at less than a threshold MetHg level until a predetermined mass of NO has been delivered to the inspiratory gas. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the MetHg sensor is integrated into the system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically change a NO dose using the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor to keep the MetHg measurement below a threshold while maximizing quantity of NO delivered. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to require an initial measurement from the MetHg sensor before NO delivery begins. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to suspend NO generation based on the information from the MetHg sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to resume NO generation when the MetHg measurement from the MetHg sensor decreases to a threshold level. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an injection pump configured to deliver methylene blue to a patient and in communication with the controller, the controller configured to control a delivery of the methylene blue to decrease a MetHg level. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to vary a mass of NO delivered within each breath of the inspiratory gas from zero to a predetermined maximum value to deliver a target mass of NO per unit time. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a concentration of NO in the product gas is at least 150 ppm. 
     
     
         16 . A method of generating nitric oxide (NO) comprising:
 ionizing a reactant gas using at least one pair of electrodes to generate a plasma for producing a product gas containing nitric oxide within a flow comprising a reactant gas; and   controlling an amount of nitric oxide in the product gas using one or more parameters as input to a control algorithm used by one or more controllers to control the electrodes, at least one of the one or more parameters being related to at least one of patient information, the reactant gas, the product gas, and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the product gas flows,   wherein at least one of the parameters related to patient information is in the form of a methemoglobin (MetHg) measurement from a MetHg sensor such that the MetHg measurement is used by the controller to control the amount of nitric oxide delivered to a patient.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein controlling the amount of nitric oxide delivered to the patient includes the controller using a predetermined threshold MetHg level. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the controller monitors the MetHg measurement such that MetHg measurement remains below the predetermined MetHg threshold level. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the controller delivers a predetermined mass of NO to the inspiratory gas. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein patient MetHg level is maintained below the predetermined MetHg level until a predetermined mass of NO has been delivered to a portion of the inspiratory gas that is inhaled by a patient. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to vary a mass of NO delivered within each breath of the inspiratory gas to deliver a target mass of NO per unit time. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a concentration of NO in the product gas is at least 150 ppm.