ANESTHESIA VENTILATOR SYSTEM INCLUDING MANUAL VENTILATION

• US 20070125377A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Heinonen, Erkki, Bromster, Leif
• Granted Patent: US 7,992,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.210
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0084 self-reinflatable by elasticity, e.g. resuscitation squeeze bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/01 specially adapted for anaesthetising A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/203 Proportional
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/204 used for inhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0042 in the expiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1025 the O2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/70 with testing or calibration facilities

Abstract

A ventilation system for intensified breathing that includes both a manual ventilation system and automatic ventilation system. The gas mixture from a gas supply system is supplied to a switching valve that is operable between a manual position and an automatic position. When the switching valve is in the manual position, the inhalation gas from the supply system is guided to a manual ventilation bag. When the ventilation bag is squeezed during manual inhalation, the gas flow from the manual bag is directed to the inhalation limb of the patient circuit. When the manual ventilation bag is released, the pressure within the ventilation bag falls below the exhalation pressure, thereby indicating the beginning of the exhalation phase and the re-inflation of the manual ventilation.

Claims

1. A ventilation system for intensified breathing of a patient, the system comprising:

a gas supply system for providing a supply of inhalation gas for breathing by the patient;

an inhalation conduit positioned to supply the inhalation gas to the patient;

a switching valve assembly operable in a first state and a second state and positioned to receive the inhalation gas from the gas supply system, the switching valve being positionable in a first state to divert the inhalation gas to the inhalation conduit and a second state;

a manual ventilation bag positioned to receive the inhalation gas directly from the switching valve assembly when the switching valve assembly is in the second state, the manual ventilation bag being selectively inflatable with the inhalation gas when the switching valve assembly is in the second state, wherein upon compression, the manual ventilation bag supplies the inhalation gases to the inhalation conduit; and

an exhalation conduit for receiving exhaled gases expired from the patient.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a bag pressure sensor positioned to detect the pressure in the manual ventilation bag, wherein when the switching valve assembly is in the second state, the gas supply system supplies the inhalation gas to the manual ventilation bag when the pressure in the manual ventilation bag is below a minimum gas pressure.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the gas supply system comprises:

a first flow control valve coupled to a supply of oxygen and operable to control the flow of oxygen to the switching valve assembly; and

a second flow control valve coupled to a supply of air and operable to control the flow of air to the switching valve assembly,

wherein the first and second flow control valves are selectively opened to supply the inhalation gas to the manual ventilation bag when the switching valve assembly is in the second state and the pressure in the manual ventilation bag is below the minimum gas pressure for the patient.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

an exhalation valve positioned in the exhalation conduit to selectively control the exhalation of breathing gases from the patient; and

an exhalation pressure sensor operable to detect the pressure in the exhalation conduit;

wherein the exhalation valve is movable to an open position to permit the exhalation of breathing gases from the patient when the detected pressure in the manual ventilation bag is less than the detected pressure in the exhalation conduit.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the exhalation valve is movable to the open position only when the exhalation pressure in the exhalation conduit is greater than the PEEP pressure for the patient.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the first and second flow control valves are closed to restrict the supply of inhalation gas to the manual ventilation bag when the detected pressure in the manual ventilation bag is greater than a minimum bag pressure.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the switching valve assembly comprises:

an auto-ventilation valve assembly positioned between the gas supply system and the inhalation conduit, the auto-ventilation valve assembly being operable between an open position and a closed position; and

a manual ventilation valve assembly positioned between the gas supply system and the manual ventilation bag, the manual ventilation valve assembly being operable between an open position and a closed position,

wherein only one of the auto-ventilation and manual ventilation valve assemblies is in the open position at any time.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the switching valve assembly comprises a single switching valve movable between a first position to divert the inhalation gas directly to the inhalation conduit and a second position to divert the inhalation gas directly to the manual ventilation bag.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a check valve positioned between the inhalation conduit and the manual ventilation bag to prevent the flow of exhalation gases from the patient to the manual ventilation bag.

10. A method of controlling the delivery of an inhalation gas to a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a patient circuit having an inhalation conduit for delivering the inhalation gas to the patient and an exhalation conduit for receiving exhaled gases from the patient;

providing a gas supply system selectively operable to control the supply of the inhalation gas;

positioning a switching valve assembly to receive the supply of inhalation gas, the switching valve assembly being positionable in a first state and a second state;

selectively moving the switching valve assembly to the first state to divert the inhalation gas directly to the inhalation conduit to provide auto-ventilation;

selectively moving the switching valve assembly to the second state to divert the inhalation gas directly to a manual ventilation bag for manual ventilation of the patient;

manually deflating the manual ventilation bag to supply the inhalation gas from the manual ventilation bag to the inhalation conduit;

monitoring the pressure in the manual ventilation bag; and

operating the gas supply system to provide the inhalation gas to fill the manual ventilation bag when the switching valve assembly is in the second state and the pressure in the manual ventilation bag is below a minimum bag pressure.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of opening an exhalation valve coupled to the exhalation conduit to permit the exhalation of gas from the patient when the pressure in the exhalation conduit exceeds the pressure in the manual ventilation bag and exceeds a PEEP pressure for the patient.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the switching valve assembly comprises:

an auto-ventilation valve assembly positioned between the gas supply system and the inhalation conduit, the auto-ventilation gas valve assembly being operable between an open position and a closed position; and

a manual ventilation valve assembly positioned between the gas supply system and the manual ventilation bag, the manual ventilation valve assembly being operable between an open position and a closed position,

wherein only one of the auto-ventilation and manual ventilation valve assemblies is in the open position at any time.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

opening the auto-ventilation assembly and closing the manual ventilation valve assembly to provide automatic ventilation of the patient; and

opening the manual ventilation valve assembly and closing the auto-ventilation valve assembly to provide manual ventilation of the patient.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of closing the exhalation valve to prevent the exhalation of gas from the patient when the pressure in the exhalation conduit falls below the PEEP pressure.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the gas supply system includes an oxygen flow control valve coupled to a supply of oxygen and an air flow control valve coupled to a supply of air, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

selectively opening the oxygen flow control valve and the air flow control valve to provide the inhalation of gas to the switching valve assembly.