Systems and Methods for Generating Nitric Oxide

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating nitric oxide are disclosed. A nitic oxide (NO) generation system includes at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing NO from a flow of a reactant gas; and a controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide in the product gas produced by the at least one pair of electrodes by utilizing duty cycle values of plasma pulses selected from a plurality of discrete duty cycles to produce a target rate of NO production based on an average of discrete production rates associated with each of the plurality of discrete duty cycles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nitric oxide system, comprising:
 a plasma chamber configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a flow of a reactant gas; and   at least one controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide in the product gas using one or more parameters as an input to the controller, the one or more parameters including information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the product gas flows, the controller configured to provide one or more doses of nitric oxide for prevention of infection.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more doses of nitric oxide has a concentration of at least 80 ppm. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the one or more doses of nitric oxide has a concentration of 100 to 300 ppm. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide one or more doses over a period of time. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more doses is delivered periodically over the period of time, 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the infection is a respiratory or pulmonary infection. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a nitric oxide delivery device for providing the dose of nitric oxide. 
     
     
         8 . The system of claim  7 , wherein the nitric oxide delivery device is selected from the group consisting of an inhaler, an ambulatory device, a ventilator, a CPAP machine, an oxygen concentrator, a nasal cannula, a face mask, a CPAP mask, an endotracheal tube, a manual ventilation device, a catheter, a tracheal catheter, a anaesthesia device, a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) machine, a non-invasive positive pressure ventilator (NIPPV), a nebulizer, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a bypass system, an automated CPR system, an oxygen delivery system, an and delivery circuit. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein NO is delivered to a portion of the breath. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein NO is delivered to the entire inspired volume (or breath). 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the diluted concentration of NO within the breath is constant. 
     
     
         12 . A nitric oxide system, comprising:
 a plasma chamber configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a flow of a reactant gas; and   at least one controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide in the product gas using one or more parameters as an input to the controller, the one or more parameters including information relating to at least one of the reactant gas, the product gas, and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the product gas flows, the controller configured to provide a plurality of doses of nitric oxide over a period of time for reducing a risk of infection.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more doses of nitric oxide has a concentration of at least 80 ppm. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the infection is a pulmonary infection. 
     
     
         15 . A nitric oxide system, comprising:
 a source of gas including nitric oxide for delivery to a patient; and   at least one controller configured to regulate the amount of nitric oxide delivered to the patient using one or more parameters as an input to the controller, the one or more parameters including information relating to at least one of the gas including nitric oxide and an inspiratory gas into which at least a portion of the gas including nitric oxide flows, the controller configured to provide a plurality of doses of nitric oxide over a period of time for reducing a risk of infection.   
     
     
         16 . A method of delivering nitric oxide comprising:
 executing, by a controller, a dosing strategy configured to prevent infection in a patient; and   controlling, by the controller, the amount of nitric oxide to deliver one or more doses of nitric oxide in an amount and a frequency to prevent infection.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more doses of nitric oxide has a concentration of at least 80 ppm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , where in the one or more doses of nitric oxide has a concentration of 100 to 300 ppm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to provide one or more doses over a period of time. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more doses is delivered periodically over the period of time. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the infection is a respiratory or pulmonary infection. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising controlling an amount of nitric oxide generated by an NO generator to produce a target amount of nitric oxide as in the dosing strategy. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising a nitric oxide delivery device for providing the dose of nitric oxide. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the nitric oxide delivery device is selected from the group consisting of an inhaler, an ambulatory device, a ventilator, a CPAP machine, an oxygen concentrator, a nasal cannula, a face mask, a CPAP mask, an endotracheal tube, a manual ventilation device, a catheter, a tracheal catheter, a anaesthesia device, a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) machine, a non-invasive positive pressure ventilator (NIPPV), a nebulizer, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a bypass system, an automated CPR system, an oxygen delivery system, and delivery circuit.