Acoustic respiratory therapy apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for assisting a patient in loosening and/or clearing fluids, phlegm and mucus collected in a patient'"'"'s sinuses, lungs, bronchial and/or tracheal passages comprising:
- an elongated curved hollow housing having a substantially closed end portion and an open end portion, the open end portion forming at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber;
a generally funnel shaped tapered mouthpiece having a large end adapted to fit onto the open end portion of the housing, tapering to a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s airways, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber, wherein the mouthpiece includes a valve operable to permit a patient breathing through the mouthpiece to inhale through a valve opening and exhale through a bypass passage around the valve while coupling the acoustic coupling chamber into the patient'"'"'s mouth; and
an acoustic signal generator housed within said hollow housing having an acoustic transducer directing acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber into a patient'"'"'s airways when the mouthpiece is coupled into the patient'"'"'s airways.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An active respiratory therapeutic device for clearing breathing passages, loosening and breaking up mucus plugs and phlegm in a patient'"'"'s sinuses, trachea, bronchial passages and lungs while a patient is breathing normally through the device is disclosed. The apparatus preferably includes a C shaped curved hollow housing having a closed end portion and an open threaded end portion. The open end portion forms at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber. A generally funnel shaped tapered mouthpiece tapers to a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s mouth. The mouthpiece forms another part of the acoustic coupling chamber. An acoustic signal generator housed within the hollow housing generates and directs acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber. The mouthpiece preferably includes a valve permitting a patient breathing through the mouthpiece to inhale through a valve opening and exhale through a bypass passage around the valve while at the same time coupling the acoustic coupling chamber into the patient'"'"'s airways.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An apparatus for assisting a patient in loosening and/or clearing fluids, phlegm and mucus collected in a patient'"'"'s sinuses, lungs, bronchial and/or tracheal passages comprising:
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an elongated curved hollow housing having a substantially closed end portion and an open end portion, the open end portion forming at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber;
a generally funnel shaped tapered mouthpiece having a large end adapted to fit onto the open end portion of the housing, tapering to a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s airways, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber, wherein the mouthpiece includes a valve operable to permit a patient breathing through the mouthpiece to inhale through a valve opening and exhale through a bypass passage around the valve while coupling the acoustic coupling chamber into the patient'"'"'s mouth; and
an acoustic signal generator housed within said hollow housing having an acoustic transducer directing acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber into a patient'"'"'s airways when the mouthpiece is coupled into the patient'"'"'s airways. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for assisting a patient in loosening and/or clearing fluids, phlegm and mucus collected in a patient'"'"'s sinuses, lungs, bronchial and/or tracheal passages comprising:
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an elongated curved hollow housing having a substantially closed end portion and an open end portion, the open end portion forming at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber;
a generally tapered mouthpiece having a large open end adapted to fit on and fasten to the open end portion of the housing, wherein the mouthpiece tapers to a smaller end portion sized to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s airway, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber;
a programmable acoustic signal generator housed within a web portion of the housing between the closed end portion and the open threaded end portion, the hollow housing having an acoustic transducer in the chamber directing acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber into the patient'"'"'s airways when the mouthpiece is held in the patient'"'"'s mouth; and
wherein the acoustic signal generator includes a microprocessor on a printed circuit board in the web portion and wherein the web portion has a plurality of apertures therethrough aligned with contact pads on the internal printed circuit board for connecting a programmable computer to the microprocessor in the signal generator. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for assisting a patient in loosening phlegm, fluids and mucus collected in a patient'"'"'s sinuses, lungs, bronchial and/or tracheal passages comprising:
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an elongated curved hollow housing having a substantially closed end portion and an open end portion, the open end portion forming at least part of an acoustic coupling chamber;
a generally funnel shaped tapered mouthpiece having a large end adapted to fit onto the open end portion of the housing, tapering to a small end portion sized to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s airways, the mouthpiece forming another part of the acoustic coupling chamber; and
an acoustic signal generator housed within said hollow housing having an acoustic transducer directing acoustic vibrations into and through the coupling chamber into a patient'"'"'s airways when the mouthpiece is coupled into the patient'"'"'s airways, wherein the acoustic signal generator includes a microprocessor connected to a receiver in the housing for receiving a signal from an external source. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification