INTERFACE ACCESSORY FOR USE WITH AN AEROSOL INHALATION SYSTEM

• US 20070137644A1
• Filed: 01/15/2007
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: D'Alo, Herbert, Dhuper, Sunil
• Granted Patent: US 7,841,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0015 located upstream of the dispenser, i.e. not traversed by the product
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0018 with exhalation check valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0086 Inhalation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0088 with variable volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an aerosol inhalation system includes a single source of gas and a Y-connector having a first port in fluid communication with the )as source via a first conduit and second and third ports. The system also has an accessory having a main conduit body that includes a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, all of which are in fluid communication with the main conduit section. The first leg is fluidly connected to the second part of the Y-connector via a second conduit to permit gas from the single source to flow through the first leg, the accessory including a patient interface conduit that delivers aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient. A nebulizer is sealingy and removably disposed within the third leg and includes a gas inlet port that is fluidly connected to the third part of the Y-connector to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit.

Claims

1. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a single source of gas;

a Y-connector having a first port in fluid communication with the gas source via a first conduit and second and third ports;

an accessory having a main conduit body that includes a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, all of which are in fluid communication with the main conduit section, the first leg being fluidly connected to the second port of the Y-connector via a second conduit to permit gas from the single source to flow through the first leg, the accessory including a patient interface conduit that delivers aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient; and

a nebulizer sealingly and removably disposed within the third leg, the nebulizer including a gas inlet port that is fluidly connected to the third port of the Y-connector to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

a holding, chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the first leg and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second leg; and

an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first, second and third legs are sealingly closed off from the patient interface conduit resulting in exhaled air being delivered to a first end of the main conduit body that is selectively open when the patient exhales and conversely, when the patient inhales, the first, second and third legs are opened to the main conduit body resulting in the aerosolized medication being delivered through the main conduit body to the patient interface conduit and to the patient.

3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the arrangement of valves includes an exhalation valve that is disposed at the first end of the main conduit body, the exhalation valve moving between an open position when the patient exhales, thereby opening the main conduit body to atmosphere and a closed position when the patient inhales.

4. The accessory of claim 3, wherein the exhalation valve comprises a one way valve.

5. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the arrangement of valves includes a first inhalation valve that is in communication with the first leg and a second inhalation valve that is disposed within the main conduit body between the first and second legs, each inhalation valve moving between an open position when the patient inhales, thereby, opening at least one of the first, second and third legs to the patient interface conduit and a closed position when the patient exhales.

6. The accessory of claim 5, wherein each of the inhalation valves comprises a one way valve.

7. The accessory of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second and third legs is a tubular structure.

8. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of an expandable/collapsible material.

9. The accessory of claim 8, wherein the reservoir bag includes a first connector that is in communication with the first compartment and a second connector that is in communication with the second compartment, the first connector being slidingly and sealingly received within the first leg and the second connector being slidingly and sealingly received with the second leg.

10. The accessory of claim 9, wherein the first connector includes a supplemental fluid port that permits introduction of a fluid into the first connector and into the first compartment of the reservoir bag and an inhalation valve disposed at an end of the first connector, the inhalation valve opening when the patient inhales to provide communication between the supplemental fluid port and the main conduit body.

11. The accessory of claim 10, wherein the first leg includes a fluid port that is in communication with the main conduit body, the fluid port being disposed between the inhalation valve at the end of the first connector and an entrance into the main conduit body.

12. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the first connector comprises a tubular structure that is received within a tubular structure of the first leg such that the inhalation valve is contained within the first leg below the fluid port but above the supplemental fluid port.

13. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the main conduit body is formed of first and second sections that are coupled together to form a unitary structure, the first section including the first leg and the second section including the second and third legs.

14. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the holding chamber has a supplemental fluid port associated therewith which is in fluid communication with the first leg for introducing a gas into the first leg and into the first compartment of the holding chamber, the supplemental fluid port having a first inner diameter and the gas inlet port of the nebulizer has a second inner diameter which is greater than the first inner diameter.

15. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the second inner diameter is at least 10% greater than the first inner diameter.

16. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the second inner diameter is between about 10% to about 20% greater than the first inner diameter.

17. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the gas is oxygen and the first and second inner diameters are selected so that the nebulizer receives a flow rate between about 8 LPM (liters per minute) to about 12 LPM.

18. The accessory of claim 14, wherein the gas is helix and the first and second inner diameters are selected so that the nebulizer receives a flow rate of about 16.5 LPM.

19. An aerosol inhalation system comprising;

a single source of gas;

a Y-connector having a first port in fluid communication with the gas source via a first conduit and second and third ports;

an accessory having a main conduit body that includes a first leg, a second leg, and a third leg, all of which are in fluid communication with the main conduit section, the first leg being fluidly connected to the second port of the Y-connector via a second conduit that is connected to the second port and a first gas inlet port associated with the first leg to permit gas from the single source to enter and flow through the first leg, the accessory including a patient interface conduit that delivers aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient; and

a nebulizer sealingly and removably disposed within the third leg, the nebulizer including, a second gas inlet port that is fluidly connected to the third port of the Y-connector to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit, wherein the first gas inlet port has a first inner diameter and the second gas inlet port of the nebulizer has a second inner diameter which is greater than the first inner diameter.

20. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the second inner diameter is at least 10% greater than the first inner diameter.

21. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the second inner diameter is between about 10% to about 20% greater than the first inner diameter.

22. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the second inner diameter is at least 20% greater than the first inner diameter.

23. The accessory of claim 19, wherein the gas is oxygen and the first and second inner diameters are selected so that the nebulizer receives a flow rate between about 8 LPM (liters per minute) to about 12 LPM.

24. A method of delivering aerosolized medication to a patient comprising the

steps of:

connecting a single source of gas to a first port of a Y-connector via a first conduit, the Y-connector, having second and third ports;

providing an accessory having a main conduit body that includes a first leg and a second leg, both of which are in fluid communication with the main conduit section, the accessory having a patient interface conduit that delivers aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient;

connecting the first leg to the second port of the Y-connector via a second conduit to permit gas from the single source to flow through the first leg and into the main conduit body, and

disposing a nebulizer within the third leg and connecting a first gas inlet port of the nebulizer to the source of gas via a third conduit that is connected to the third port of the Y-connector to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit.

25. The method of claim 24, further including the steps of:

providing a second leg in the main conduit body; and

attaching a holding chamber to the first and second legs of the main conduit body, the holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the first leg and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second leg; and

providing an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first, second and third legs are sealingly closed off from the patient interface conduit resulting in exhaled air being delivered to a first end of the main conduit body that is selectively open when the patient exhales and conversely, when the patient inhales, the first, second and third legs are opened to the main conduit body resulting in the aerosolized medication being delivered through the main conduit body to the patient interface conduit and to the patient.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of connecting the first leg to the second port of the Y-connector via a second conduit comprises the step of connecting the second conduit to a second gas inlet port that is associated with the first leg, and the method further includes the step of:

selecting an inner diameter of the second gas inlet port such that it is less than an inner diameter of the first gas inlet port.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the gas is oxygen and the inner diameter of the second gas inlet port and the inner diameter of the first gas inlet port are selected so that the nebulizer receives a flow rate between about 8 LPM (liters per minute) to about 12 LPM.