Portable ventilator system

• US 20060144396A1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vyaire Medical 203 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Williams, Malcolm, DeVries, Douglas F., Holmes, Michael, Boyle, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.210
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/00 Sprayers or atomisers specially adapted for therapeutic purposes in general B05B; aerosol containers B65D83/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0057 Pumps therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0069 the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/026 specially adapted for predicting, e.g. for determining an information representative of a flow limitation during a ventilation cycle by using a root square technique or a regression analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/202 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/206 Capsule valves, e.g. mushroom, membrane valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0036 in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1025 the O2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/16 with back-up system in case of failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3365 : Rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 : remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 : sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 : using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 : Reducing noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 : Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 : with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 : by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 : by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 : with testing or calibration facilities
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 : battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 : Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 : connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 : Docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/205 : partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/432 : partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/435 : partial O2 pressure (P-O2)
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/17 : and for generating speed information

Abstract

A portable ventilator uses a Roots-type blower as a compressor to reduce both the size and power consumption of the ventilator. Various functional aspects of the ventilator are delegated to multiple subassemblies having dedicated controllers and software that interact with a ventilator processor to provide user interface functions, exhalation control and flow control servos, and monitoring of patient status. The ventilator overcomes noise problems through the use of a noise attenuating system comprising noise reducing pressure compensating orifices on the Roots blower housing and multiple noise reducing chambers. The ventilator is configured with a highly portable form factor, and may be used as a stand-alone device or as a docked device having a docking cradle with enhanced interface and monitoring capabilities.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A portable ventilator comprising:

a Roots blower being operable in variable speed mode;

a speed servo configured to accelerate and decelerate the Roots blower to provide ventilation to a patient; and

an exhalation servo control system configured to provide a desired positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) from an output of the Roots blower.

26. A portable ventilator comprising:

a Roots blower being operable at a substantially constant speed and configured to provide compressed air for ventilating a patient;

a speed servo configured to maintain the Roots blower at the substantially constant speed to provide a desired flow rate; and

an exhalation servo control system configured to close an output valve during an exhalation phase of patient ventilation.

27. A portable ventilator comprising:

a ventilator housing having a Roots blower, the ventilator housing comprising a first user interface and a cradle interface;

a docking cradle having a ventilator interface configured to engage the cradle interface; and

a monitor coupled to the docking cradle, the monitor providing a second user interface.

28. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the docking cradle comprises a power supply for providing electrical power to the portable ventilator.

29. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the cradle interface includes a removable memory card slot for a removable memory card configured to allow transfer of patient information between the portable ventilator and a personal computer.

30. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the cradle interface includes a patient monitor interface configured to support a remote patient monitoring system.

31. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the cradle interface includes a remote alarm interface.

32. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the cradle interface includes a service diagnosis port.

33. The portable ventilator of claim 27, wherein the cradle interface includes flash memory capability to facilitate at least one of manufacturing updates, service updates and field software updates.

34. A portable ventilator comprising:

a Roots blower for providing gas flow to a patient;

a noise attenuation system for reducing noise generated by the Roots blower.

35. The portable ventilator of claim 34, wherein the noise attenuation system is configured to reduce the noise level of the ventilator to less than approximately 50 dbA at a distance of one (1) meter from the ventilator.

36. The portable ventilator of claim 34, wherein the noise attenuation system comprises at least one noise reduction chamber.

37. The portable ventilator of claim 34, wherein:

the Roots blower includes a housing having an inlet port and an outlet port;

the noise attenuation system comprising at least one noise reducing groove disposed in at least one of the inlet and outlet ports.

38. The portable ventilator of claim 34, wherein the Roots blower includes an impeller formed from a thermoplastic material.

39. The portable ventilator of claim 38, wherein the thermoplastic comprises a poly ether ether ketone thermoplastic (PEEK).

40. The portable ventilator of claim 36, further comprising at least one perforated tube disposed in the at least one noise reducing chamber.

41. The portable ventilator of claim 40, wherein the perforated tube includes a plurality of tubelets protruding outwardly therefrom in a manner to creating a muffling pathway for attenuating sound waves.

42. The portable ventilator of claim 34, wherein the noise attenuation system comprises active sound canceling of noise generated by the Roots blower.

43. The portable ventilator of claim 42, further comprising at least one microphone and at least one speaker, wherein the microphone is configured to monitor audible noise of the Roots blower and generate a signal representative thereof, the speaker being configured to generate anti-noise output in response to the signal to at least partially cancel the Roots blower noise.

44. The portable ventilator of claim 34, further comprising a die-cast chassis having a plurality of integrally formed noise reducing chambers.

45. The portable ventilator of claim 34, further comprising an energy absorbing outer shell.

46. The portable ventilator of claim 45, wherein the energy absorbing outer shell is capable of absorbing sufficient energy so as to allow uninterrupted operation of the ventilator after being dropped from a height of up to at least three feet onto a hard surface.

47. The portable ventilator of claim 34 further comprising a padded carrying case configured to provide impact absorption for the ventilator.

48. The portable ventilator of claim 34, comprising a multiple-processor ventilator control system having a ventilator processor.

49. The portable ventilator of claim 48, wherein:

the multiple-processor ventilator control system further comprises at least one of a blower processor, an exhalation processor, a blender processor, and a pressure processor;

each processor being operable to communicate with the ventilator processor;

the blower processor being operative to control operation of the Roots blower;

the exhalation processor being operative to control actuation of an exhalation control valve;

the blender processor being operative to regulate oxygen concentration in gas delivered to the patient;

the pressure processor being operative to monitor at least one pressure transducer disposed within the portable ventilator.

50. The portable ventilator of claim 49, further comprising:

an electric motor adapted to drive the Roots blower

wherein the blower processor is operative to provide closed loop control signals to the electric motor such that the Roots blower provides a desired flow rate and pressure to the patient.

51. The portable ventilator of claim 50, wherein the control signals are based on based on pre-determined characterization data for the electric motor.

52. The portable ventilator of claim 49, wherein the control signals are based on a measured gas flow generated by the Roots blower.

53. The portable ventilator of claim 52 further comprising:

a flow transducer located downstream of the outlet port and being configured to provide a measurement of gas flow from the Roots blower.

54. The portable ventilator of claim 53, wherein the flow transducer is a heated-wire flow transducer.

55. The portable ventilator of claim 53, wherein:

the Roots blower includes a housing having an outlet port;

the flow transducer being disposed within a noise reducing chamber located downstream of the outlet port.

56. A portable ventilator comprising:

a Roots blower for providing gas flow to a patient;

at least one of a blower module, a transducer module, an exhalation control module and a blender module.

57. The portable ventilator of claim 56, wherein:

the blower module is operative to control operation of the Roots blower;

the exhalation module being operative to control actuation of an exhalation control valve;

the blender module being operative to regulate oxygen concentration in gas delivered to the patient;

the pressure module being operative to monitor pressure transducers of the portable ventilator.