Inhalation therapy apparatus having a valve for limiting the inspiration flow

• US 20030037785A1
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pari GmbH Spezialisten Fur Effektive Inhalation (PARI MEDICAL HOLDING GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Pari GmbH Spezialisten Fur Effektive Inhalation (PARI MEDICAL HOLDING GmbH)
• Inventors: Sonntag, Uwe
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/002 with air flow regulating means

Abstract

In an inhalation therapy apparatus a limiter section is provided in the air supply duct which serves as the limiting element for the movement of a valve element of an inlet valve. In the limiter section are provided openings through which surrounding air can flow when the valve element rests against the front edge of the limiter section facing the valve element.

Claims

1. Inhalation therapy apparatus having

a nebuliser chamber (1a) in which with the aid of an atomiser nozzle (1b) an aerosol is produced,

a connecting piece (2) through which the aerosol is discharged from the nebuliser chamber (1c),

an air supply duct (1c) through which the surrounding air enters the nebuliser chamber (1a), and

an inlet valve (4) which is arranged at one end of the air supply duct (1c) and which comprises at least one inlet opening (12) and one valve element (13) closing the inlet opening and which is arranged in the air supply duct (1c) in such a way that an underpressure in the nebuliser chamber (1a) moves the valve element (1c) in order to free the inlet opening (12),

characterised in that

in the air supply duct (1c) is provided a limiter section (1d) which restricts the movement of the valve element (13) in such a way that the freeing of the inlet opening (12) is essentially proportional to the underpressure only up to a threshold value of the underpressure in the nebuliser chamber (1a).

2. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the limiter section (1d) is constructed to be integral with the air supply duct (1c).

3. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the limiter section (1d) can be inserted into the air supply duct (1c).

4. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that limiter section (1d) has snap-in projections (20) which in the snap-in condition engage with snap-in notches (21) in the air supply duct (1c).

5. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that snap-in projections (20) and the snap-in notches (21) are constructed in such a way that the distance between the an edge of the limiter section (1d) facing the valve element (13) and the valve element (13) can be adjusted.

6. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the limiter section (1d) has openings (17).

7. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the openings (17) extend up to the edge (1c), facing the valve element, of the limiter section (1d) of the air supply duct (1c).

8. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the limiter section (1d) of the air supply duct (1c) is constructed in such a way that the valve element (13) does not rest against the edge (1e) of the limiter section (1d) of the air supply duct (1c) until a freely adjustable maximum inspiration flow of preferably 20 to 40 l/min, especially approximately 30 l/min is achieved.

9. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the limiter section (1d) has a cylindrical basic shape which substantially corresponds to the cylindrical form of the air supply duct (1c).

10. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the diameter of the limiter section (1d) of the air supply duct (1c) is substantially equal to the diameter of the air supply duct (1c).

11. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the valve element (13) is manufactured from silicon or another elastic material.

12. Inhalation therapy apparatus according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the diameter of the valve element (13) is bigger than the diameter of the limiter section (1d).