Carbon dioxide indicating apparatus, particularly, disk-like carbon dioxide indicating apparatus

• US 20040065329A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Vital Signs Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Geist, Leroy D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,929,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/207.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0043 Non-destructive separation of the package, e.g. peeling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0413 with detectors of CO2 in exhaled gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/432 partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)

Abstract

Carbon dioxide indicator for receiving gas containing carbon dioxide and for providing a visible indication of the presence of carbon dioxide in the gas, the indicator includes a connector for removably connecting the indicator to a source of gas containing carbon dioxide and which connector is for communicating at least a portion of such gas to the indicator. The carbon dioxide indicator may be a disk-like indicator and the connector may be a male luer or a locking male luer.

Claims

1. Carbon dioxide indicating apparatus, comprising:

tubular means providing a passageway for having gas containing carbon dioxide flow therethrough;

generally disk-like means provided transversely at one end of said tubular means, said disk-like means providing an internal chamber;

a body of visual indicating material residing in said chamber for providing a visible indication upon exposure to the gas containing carbon dioxide; and

said disk-like means providing a first opening in fluid communication with said passageway and for placing said indicating material in fluid communication with said passageway to expose said indicating material to the gas containing carbon dioxide and providing a second opening in fluid communication with the atmosphere and for placing said indicating material in fluid communication with the atmosphere, and at least a portion of said disk-like means being sufficiently transparent to permit said visible indication to be seen therethrough.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said visual indicating material is calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material which changes color upon exposure to the carbon dioxide to provide the visible indication.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said generally disk-like means are provided perpendicularly to said one end of said tubular means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tubular means comprises an elongated hollow tube having an outer diameter and wherein said generally disk-like means has an outer diameter larger than the diameter of said tube.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apparatus further comprises removable blocking means operatively associated with said disk-like means and for initially blocking said first opening and preventing said indicating material from being in fluid communication with said passageway and for initially blocking said second opening and preventing said indicating material from being in fluid communication with the atmosphere and which blocking means upon being removed places said indicating material in fluid communication with said passageway and the atmosphere.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said generally disk-like means comprise a base disk provided transversely at said one end of said tubular means and a cover disk mounted to and covering said base disk, said base disk and said cover disk including opposed spaced apart central portions providing an internal chamber.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said visual indicating material provides a plurality of visual indications upon being exposed to different concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said cover disk includes a top surface provided with a plurality of indicia for indicating the presence of a plurality of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas, and wherein said plurality of indicia correspond to said plurality of visual indications to permit visual comparison therebetween.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said plurality of indicia are disposed in radial segments on said top surface, and wherein said cover disk includes a central portion surrounded by said radial segments and being sufficiently transparent to permit said plurality of visual indications to be seen therethrough whereby said plurality of visual indications can be compared with said plurality of indicia.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said generally disk-like means comprise a base disk provided transversely at said one end of said tubular means and a cover disk mounted to and covering said base disk and having at least a central portion spaced from said base disk to provide an internal chamber in which said body of visual indicating material resides.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material provides a plurality of colors upon exposure to a plurality of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said cover disk includes a top surface provided with said plurality of names of colors for indicating the presence of a plurality of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas, said plurality of names of colors corresponding to said plurality of colors provided by said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material, and wherein at least a portion of said cover disk is sufficiently transparent to permit said plurality of colors provided by said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material to be seen therethrough whereby said plurality of colors provided by said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating means may be compared with said plurality of names of colors provided on said top surface of said cover disk.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said plurality of names of colors are disposed in radial segments on said top surface and wherein said cover disk includes a central portion surrounded by said plurality of names of colors disposed in said radial segments and being sufficiently transparent to permit said plurality of colors provided by said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material to be seen therethrough for comparison with said plurality of names of colors disposed in said radial segments on said top surface of said cover disk.

14. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said cover disk is provided with an inwardly extending, generally rectangular radially disposed slot, wherein said base disk is provided with a centrally formed cylindrical opening providing said first opening and is provided with an inwardly extending radial slot providing said second opening, and wherein said blocking means comprise an elongated generally rectangular blocking member having one end portion residing in said chamber and said slot and intermediate said body of indicating material and said cylindrical opening to initially prevent said indicating material from being in fluid communication with said passageway and said slot, and wherein the other end portion of said blocking member extends generally radially outwardly from said disk-like means through said slot for being pulled radially outwardly through said slot to pull said first end portion of said blocking member out said slot and to place said indicating material in fluid communication with said passageway and said slot.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said disk-like means comprise a base disk provided transversely at one end of said tubular means and a cover disk mounted to and covering said base disk, wherein said tubular means and said base disk are formed integrally and wherein said tubular means extends centrally and perpendicularly outwardly from said base disk.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said base disk is provided with a generally centrally formed inwardly extending depression to facilitate providing said internal chamber intermediate said cover disk and said base disk.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said base disk is provided with a centrally formed cylindrical opening providing said first opening.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said base disk is provided with an inwardly extending radially disposed slot providing said second opening.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said tubular means comprise a male luer and wherein said base disk is provided with an outwardly extending, internally threaded annular collar surrounded and spaced from said male luer to form in combination therewith a male locking luer for threaded, wedged, fluid-tight engagement with a female locking luer.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said base disk is provided with a plurality of radially disposed and outwardly extending tabs to facilitate rotation of said apparatus to enhance the fluid-tight engagement between said male locking luer and the female locking luer.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tubular means comprise first tubular means which comprise first connecting means, wherein said passageway comprises a first passageway, and wherein said apparatus further comprise second tubular means providing a second passageway, said second tubular means providing second connecting means for being interconnected with said first connecting means to place said first passageway in fluid communication with said second passageway, said second passageway for having the gas containing carbon dioxide first flow therethrough with a portion thereof flowing from said second passageway into said first passageway.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said connecting means comprise a male luer and wherein said disk-like means provide an internally threaded annular collar surrounding and spaced from said male luer to provide in combination therewith a male locking luer, and wherein said second connecting means provide a female locking luer extending outwardly from said second tubular means and including a female luer having an outer portion provided with a pair of diametrically opposed radially outwardly extending tabs for threadedly engaging said internal threads of said internally threaded collar to cause said male luer and said female luer to telescopically and sealingly engage and place said first passageway and said second passageway in a fluid-tight fit.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said female luer extends perpendicularly outwardly from at least a portion of said second tubular means.

24. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said female luer is disposed angularly with respect to at least a portion of said second tubular means.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second tubular means comprise a hollow generally cylindrical longitudinally extending second tubular means.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second tubular means comprise a hollow elbow connector.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second tubular means comprise a machine cuff.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second tubular means comprise a hollow wye bifurcated connector.

29. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second tubular means comprise a hollow parallel-wye connector.

30. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said base disk is provided with a central cylindrical opening in fluid communication with said passageway and providing said first opening and is further provided with an inwardly extending radial slot in fluid communication with the said chamber and the atmosphere and providing said second opening, and wherein said base disk includes an upper peripheral portion and wherein said cover disk includes a lower peripheral portion provided with adhesive means for adhesively engaging said upper peripheral portion of said base disk to mount said cover disk to said base disk, wherein said blocking means comprise an elongated blocking member having a first end portion and an opposed second end portion, said first end portion being folded back upon itself in U-shaped fashion and initially residing intermediate said indicating means and said cylindrical opening and said slot to initially prevent said indicating material from being in fluid communication with said passageway and the atmosphere, said first end portion including a free end portion residing on top of said blocking member and being adhesively engaged by said adhesive means, said second end portion of said blocking member extending radially outwardly between said cover disk and said base disk.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said second end portion of said blocking member is for being pulled radially outwardly from said apparatus to unfold said first end portion of said blocking member and to pull such second end portion of said blocking member radially outwardly between said cover disk and said base disk sufficiently to place said indicating material in fluid communication with said passageway and the atmosphere, and said second end portion of said blocking member for being pulled sufficiently radially outwardly to disengage said free end portion of said second end portion of said blocking member from said adhesive means and to remove said blocking member from said apparatus.

32. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said generally disk-like means comprise a base disk provided transversely at one end of said tubular means and a cover disk mounted to and covering said base disk, wherein said base disk is provided with an inwardly extending and centrally formed circular recess, a centrally formed cylindrical opening in fluid communication with said passageway and providing said first opening and an inwardly extending rectangular first slot extending between said circular recess and said atmosphere and providing said second opening, wherein said cover disk is provided with an inwardly extending and centrally formed rectangular recess, a centrally formed circular recess extending inwardly from said rectangular recess and a radially disposed rectangular second slot extending between said rectangular recess and the atmosphere and at least partially overlying said first slot, said recesses being opposed and cooperatively providing said internal chamber, wherein said apparatus further comprise an elongated generally rectangular blocking member having one end portion folded upon itself with the free end thereof residing on top of said blocking member and providing a folded end portion, wherein said body of visual indicating material is a circular disk of visual indicating material residing in said circular recess formed in said cover disk, wherein said folded end portion of said blocking member resides in said rectangular recess and partially overlying said first slot and wherein the other end of said blocking member extends through said second slot and overlies said first slot, and wherein said folded end portion of said blocking member blocks said circular disk of visual indicating material from being in fluid communication with said passageway and the atmosphere.

33. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said base disk comprises a rigid plastic base disk having an upper peripheral portion and wherein said cover disk comprises a disk of thin plastic film having a lower peripheral portion provided with adhesive adhesively engaging said upper peripheral portion of said base disk to mount said cover disk to said base disk.

34. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said body of visual indicating material resides in said chamber, wherein said base disk comprises a rigid plastic base disk having an upper peripheral portion, wherein said cover disk comprises a disk of thin film plastic having a lower peripheral portion provided with adhesive engaging said upper peripheral portion of said base disk to mount said cover disk to said base disk, wherein said removable blocking member comprises an elongated removable blocking member including a folded first end portion initially residing in said chamber intermediate said body of visual indicating material and said central opening to seal said body of visual indicating material from said central opening and said connector, and wherein said elongated removable blocking member includes a second end portion extending radially outwardly between said cover disk and said base disk with a portion thereof engaged adhesively by said adhesive, said outer portion of said removable blocking member overlying said radial slot and sealing said visual indicating material and said chamber from the atmosphere, upon said second end portion of said removable blocking member being pulled radially outward said first folded end portion unfolding and being pulled radially outwardly between said cover disk and said base disk to expose said visual indicating material and said chamber and to said connector through said central opening and wherein upon further radial outward pulling of said second end portion said first end portion and said second end portion of said removable blocking member being pulled radially outwardly from said cover disk and said base disk and to disengage said removable blocking member from adhesive engagement with said adhesive and to completely remove said removable blocking member from said apparatus to expose said visual indicating material to the atmosphere through said radial slot.

35. Carbon dioxide indicating apparatus, comprising:

a circular disk-like carbon dioxide indicator for receiving gas containing carbon dioxide and for providing a visible indication of the presence of carbon dioxide in the gas, said indicator including an underside having a central portion and including a connector extending perpendicularly outwardly from said central portion and for removably connecting said indicator to a source of the gas containing carbon dioxide and for communicating at least a portion of the gas containing carbon dioxide to said indicator.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said connector includes one of a male luer and a female luer.

37. The apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said male luer and said female luer comprise a male locking luer and a female locking luer.

38. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said indicator comprises a circular disk-like member providing an internal chamber, a first opening placing said chamber in fluid communication with said connector and a second opening placing said chamber in fluid communication with the atmosphere, wherein said apparatus further includes a body of indicating material residing in said chamber and for providing said visible indication upon exposure to the carbon dioxide contained in the gas, and wherein said apparatus further includes a seal including a first portion residing in said chamber intermediate said body of indicating material and said first opening and said second opening and wherein said seal includes a second portion extending substantially radially outwardly from said circular disk-like member and for being pulled radially outward to remove said first portion of said seal from said chamber and to place said indicating material in fluid communication with said connector and the atmosphere.

39. The apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said connector comprises one of a male luer and a female luer.

40. The apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said connector comprises one of a male locking luer and a female locking luer.

41. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said indicating material is for providing a plurality of visible indications each indicative of a different concentration of carbon dioxide in the gas and wherein said circular disk-like member includes a circular top surface provided with a plurality of indicia each indicative of a different concentration of carbon dioxide in the gas and wherein said plurality of indicia correspond to said plurality of visible indications and provide for visual comparison therebetween.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41 wherein said plurality of indicia are disposed radially on said circular top surface and wherein said circular disk-like member includes a top central portion surrounded by said plurality of radially disposed indicia and which top central portion is sufficiently transparent to permit said plurality of visible indications to be seen therethrough and be compared visually with said plurality of indicia.

43. The apparatus according to claim 42 wherein said indicating material is calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material and provides a plurality of colors upon exposure to a plurality of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas and wherein said plurality of indicia comprise a plurality of names of colors corresponding to the plurality of colors provided by said calorimetric carbon dioxide indicating material and include numbers defining the plurality of concentrations of carbon dioxide in the gas.

44. The apparatus according to claim 41 wherein said circular disk-like member is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending and radially disposed tabs for facilitating rotation of said circular disk-like member to place said one of said male locking luer and female locking luer in wedged, sealing engagement with one of a female locking luer and a male locking luer.

45. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said connector is a first connector and wherein said apparatus further comprises tubular means providing said source of gas containing carbon dioxide and wherein said tubular means includes a second connector for being connected to said first connector to communicate at least a portion of the gas containing carbon dioxide from said tubular means to said carbon dioxide indicator.

46. The apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said tubular means comprise hollow generally cylindrical longitudinally extending tubular means.

47. The apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said tubular means comprise a hollow elbow connector.

48. The apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said tubular means comprise a hollow wye bifurcated connector.

49. The apparatus according to claim 45 wherein said tubular means comprise a hollow parallel-wye connector.

50. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said carbon dioxide indicator includes a circular disk-like portion, a body of visual indicating material providing said visible indication and an elongated sealing member, said circular disk-like portion including a bottom and said connector extending centrally and perpendicularly outwardly from said bottom, and said circular disk-like portion providing an internal chamber and an opening in fluid communication with said connector, a first radial slot extending between said internal chamber and the atmosphere and a second radial slot extending between said chamber and the atmosphere and at least partially overlying said first slot, one end of said sealing member extending through said second slot and residing in said chamber intermediate said body of indicating material and said opening and sealing said indicating material from said opening and sealing said indicating material from said first slot and from the atmosphere, the other end of said sealing member extending generally radially outwardly from said disk-like portion and upon said other end of said sealing member being pulled radially outwardly said one end portion of said sealing member being pulled radially outwardly through said second slot and placing said body of indicating material in fluid communication with said opening and said connector and the atmosphere.

51. The apparatus according to claim 50 wherein said circular disk-like portion includes a circular base disk and a circular cover disk, said connector extending centrally and perpendicularly outwardly from said circular base disk, wherein said disks cooperatively provide said internal chamber, wherein said first slot is provided in said base disk and wherein said second slot is provided in said cover disk, and wherein said one end portion of said sealing member is a folded end portion folded upon itself with the free end thereof residing on top and wherein upon said other end of the sealing member being pulled radially outwardly said folded end portion of said sealing member unfolding and being pulled radially outwardly through said second slot until said folded end portion and said one end portion of said sealing member are removed from said disk-like portion.

52. The apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said indicator comprises a disk-like member including a rigid plastic base disk having an upper peripheral portion and a cover disk comprising a disk of thin plastic film having a lower peripheral portion provided with adhesive adhesively engaging said upper peripheral portion of said base disk to mount said cover disk to said base disk.