Metered administration of a therapeutic gas

• US 20040168686A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INO Therapeutics GmbH
• Original Assignee: INO Therapeutics GmbH
• Inventors: Krebs, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 6,962,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/009 Removing used or expired gases or anaesthetic vapours filtering, sterilising or disinfecting the exhaust air in drainage systems A61M1/784; bacterial filters in the expiratory path A61M16/1065
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1015 using a gas flush valve, e.g. oxygen flush valve
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/025 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0275 Nitric oxide [NO]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0291 Xenon
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/10 of nitrous oxide (N2O)

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the metered administration of a therapeutically effective gas to a patient, comprising a step to remove harmful or undesired substances from the gas-carrying system or from parts of the gas-carrying system. According to the invention, the step consists of purging with one or more other gases or gas mixtures and/or it consists of evacuation.

Claims

1. A method for the metered administration of one or more therapeutically effective gases to a patient, comprising a step to remove harmful or undesired substances from the gas-carrying system or from parts of the gas-carrying system, characterized in that the step consists of purging with one or more other gases or gas mixtures and/or it consists of evacuation.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by the following therapeutically effective gases:

NO, CO or CO₂ mixtures used to stimulate breathing, H₂ mixtures, N₂O mixtures, SF₆ mixtures, nitrosoethanol, anesthetic gases.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the other gas is selected from the group consisting of air, O₂, N₂, Ar, Xe, He, SF₆, an anesthetic gas, mixtures thereof and other gases which do or do not have a therapeutic effect.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the purging or evacuation step is one of time-controlled, sensor-controlled and event-controlled.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the parts of the system to be cleared comprise feed lines, valves, tubing, dead spaces, and patient intake elements.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the patient intake elements are selected from the group consisting of nosepieces and masks.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the other gas is selected from the group consisting of air, O₂, N₂, Ar, Xe, He, SF₆, an anesthetic gas, mixtures thereof and other gases which do or do not have a therapeutic effect.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the purging or evacuation step is one of time-controlled, sensor-controlled and event-controlled.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the parts of the system to be cleared comprise feed lines, valves, tubing, dead spaces, and patient intake elements.

10. A device for the metered administration of one or more therapeutically effective gases to a patient, comprising a device to remove harmful or undesired substances, characterized by one of a second gas line and an evacuation line in addition to a first gas line.

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the first gas line includes a pressure gauge, a flowmeter and a gas valve and in that the second line likewise includes a pressure gauge, a flowmeter and a valve.

12. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the second gas line is a compressed-air connection.

13. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that the evacuation line comprises one of an evacuation unit and a connection to an existing evacuation line.

14. The device according to claim 11, characterized in that the evacuation line comprises one of an evacuation unit and a connection to an existing evacuation line.

15. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the evacuation line comprises one of an evacuation unit and a connection to an existing evacuation line.