Ventilator circuit for oxygen generating system

• US 20070272243A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Impact Instrumentation, Inc. (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Beck, George, Sherman, Leslie H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.150
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0063 Compressors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0858 Pressure sampling ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1045 Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/201 Controlled valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• 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 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3365 Rotational speed

Abstract

A ventilator circuit is provided for use with a ventilator and a low pressure low flow oxygen source to provide a hyper-oxygenated mixture of air and oxygen at the onset of inspiration. The ventilator circuit achieves this result by using its inspiratory limb to store oxygen between breaths. As a result, the oxygen content of dead space gas is increased before delivery to the distal alveoli of the patient. Accordingly, the ventilator circuit achieves an efficient use of available oxygen and requires less oxygen to a desired oxyhemoglobin percentage at the patient.

Claims

1. A ventilator circuit for use with a ventilator to provide a mixture of air and oxygen to a patient that receives oxygen from a low pressure low flow supply, the ventilator circuit comprising:

a fill enable valve for selectively enabling the flow of gas from the ventilator and a replenishing supply of oxygen;

an inspiratory line extending from the fill enable valve towards the patient;

an exhalation valve in communication with an end of the inspiratory line remote from the fill enable valve, the exhalation valve being operable for selectively accommodating an outflow of exhaled gas from the patient; and

an oxygen fill line extending from a low pressure low flow supply of oxygen and into communication with the inspiratory line at a location near the exhalation valve, whereby oxygen from the oxygen fill line can fill the inspiratory line during an exhalation cycle performed by the ventilator.

2. The ventilator circuit of claim 1, further comprising a one way check valve in the inspiratory line between the oxygen fill line and the exhalation valve for enabling oxygen from the oxygen fill line to substantially fill the inspiratory line during the exhalation cycle without venting through the exhalation valve.

3. The ventilator circuit of claim 2, further comprising a check valve in the oxygen fill line and oriented to permit the ventilator circuit to operate without leaking if the low pressure low flow oxygen is disconnected from the oxygen fill line.

4. The ventilator circuit of claim 2, further comprising a patient connector communicating with the end of the inspiratory line remote from the ventilator for delivering gas to the patient and for accommodating gas to be exhaled from the patient through the exhalation valve.

5. The ventilator circuit of claim 4, further comprising a wye fitting having a first leg communicating with the end of the inspiratory line remote from the fill enable valve, a second leg connected to the patient connection and a third leg communicating with the exhalation valve.

6. The ventilator circuit of claim 5, further comprising an exhalation line extending from the third leg of the wye fitting to the exhalation valve.

7. The ventilator circuit of claim 6, further comprising a dual lumen line having first and second lumen therein, the first lumen defining a portion of the inspiratory line, the second lumen defining a portion of the exhalation line.

8. A ventilator circuit for use with a ventilator and a low pressure low flow oxygen source, the ventilator circuit comprising:

a fill enable valve for selectively enabling a flow of gas from the ventilator and the low pressure low flow oxygen source; and

an inspiratory line extending from the fill enable valve towards a patient, the ventilator circuit using the inspiratory line to store oxygen between breaths, whereby the ventilator circuit provides a hyper-oxygenated mixture of air and oxygen to the patient at the onset of inspiration.

9. The ventilator circuit of claim 8, further comprising an oximeter for measuring oxygen content of blood and a controller for storing an acceptable range oxyhemoglobin parameters for the patient, the ventilator circuit cooperating with the oximeter means and the controller for controlling an amount of oxygen stored between breaths and maintaining oxyhemoglobin within the preset parameters.

10. The ventilator circuit of claim 9, further comprising a capnograph for measuring tidal volumes of carbon dioxide, the ventilator circuit, the oximeter means and the controller further cooperating with the capnograph for maintaining both oxyhemoglobin and end tidal carbon dioxide within preset parameters.

11. A ventilator circuit for use with a ventilator and a low pressure low flow oxygen source, the ventilator circuit comprising:

a fill enable valve for selectively enabling a flow of gas from the ventilator and the low pressure low flow oxygen source; and

an inspiratory line extending from the fill enable valve towards a patient, the ventilator circuit using the inspiratory line to store oxygen between breaths, whereby the ventilator circuit increase oxygen content of dead space gas before the gas from the ventilator and the low pressure low flow oxygen source gets delivered to distal alveoli of the patient.