HIGH FREQUENCY OSCILLATION RESPIRATORY THERAPY

• US 20080245368A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vyaire Medical Consumables LLC
• Original Assignee: CareFusion 2200 Inc (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Wise, Geoffrey C., Dunsmore, Thomas J., Wilschke, Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0006 with means for creating vibrations in patients' airways
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0096 High frequency jet ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/127 by Venturi effect, i.e. entrainment mixers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws

Abstract

A respiratory therapy device including a housing, a flow diverter structure, a high frequency pressure port (HF port), and an entrainment port. The housing defines a primary passageway having a patient interface side. The flow diverter structure is in fluid communication with the primary passageway and is characterized by the absence of a venturi tube. The HF port is configured for fluid connection to a source of oscillatory gas flow, and is fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure. The entrainment port is openable to ambient air, and is fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure. With this construction, the device is configured such that flow characteristics of gas flow from an external source are altered upon interacting with the flow diverter structure to create a pressure drop for drawing in ambient air through the entrainment port in delivering a percussive pressure therapy to the patient side.

Claims

1. A respiratory therapy device comprising:

a housing defining a primary passageway having a patient interface side;

a flow diverter structure maintained by the housing in fluid communication with the primary passageway opposite the patient interface side, wherein the flow diverter structure is characterized by the absence of a venturi tube;

a high frequency pressure port maintained by the housing and configured for fluid connection to a source of oscillatory gas flow, the high frequency pressure port being fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure; and

an entrainment port maintained by the housing and openable to ambient air, the entrainment port being fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure;

wherein the device is configured such that flow characteristics of gas flow from an external source are altered upon interacting with the flow diverter structure to create a pressure drop for drawing in ambient air through the entrainment port in delivering a percussive pressure therapy to the patient interface side of the primary passageway.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a nebulizer port formed by the housing in fluid communication with the primary passageway at a location fluidly between the patient interface side and the flow diverter structure; and

a nebulizer fluidly connected to the nebulizer port.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the flow diverter structure is fluidly positioned between the primary passageway and a chamber, the high frequency pressure port being fluidly open to the chamber.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the entrainment port is fluidly open to the chamber.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the high frequency pressure port is fluidly connected to a nozzle terminating at a nozzle end, the nozzle end positioned to direct a jet gas flow toward the flow diverter structure.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the flow diverter structure includes:

a neck region fluidly connecting the chamber and the primary passageway, the neck region forming a reduced-size passage having an inlet side adjacent the chamber and an outlet side adjacent the primary passageway, wherein the outlet side has a diameter less than a diameter of the inlet side.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the primary passageway is positioned immediately adjacent the outlet side, and further wherein the reduced-size passage has a constant diameter.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the flow diverter structure further includes a diverter body positioned fluidly between the nozzle end and the reduced-size passage, the nozzle oriented such that gas flow from the nozzle end impinges upon the diverter body and is directed toward the reduced-size passage.

9. The device of claim 7, further comprising:

a continuous positive pressure port including a continuous positive pressure nozzle projecting into the chamber, wherein the continuous positive pressure port is configured for fluid connection to a source of continuous positive pressure gas flow.

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the flow diverter structure includes a plate extending across the housing and forming an orifice fluidly connecting the chamber and the primary passageway.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the plate has a first side facing the chamber and a second side facing the primary passageway, and further wherein the orifice has a constant diameter in extension from the first side to the second side.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the plate is spaced from the nozzle end, and further wherein the orifice is aligned with a central axis of the nozzle.

13. The device of claim 5, wherein an opening of the entrainment port to the chamber is located fluidly between the nozzle end and the flow diverter structure.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the flow diverter structure includes an obstruction body movably disposed within the housing, and further wherein the high frequency pressure port is fluidly connected to the flow diverter structure such that a pressure pulse at the high frequency pressure port causes movement of the obstruction body, the device further comprising:

a continuous positive pressure port maintained by the housing and configured for fluid connection to a source of continuous positive pressure gas flow;

wherein the obstruction body is fluidly aligned with an outlet end of the continuous positive pressure port to affect gas flow from the continuous positive pressure port toward the primary passageway.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the flow diverter structure is configured to move the obstruction body between first and second positions, the device configured such that the obstruction body affects gas flow from the continuous positive pressure port differently in the first position as compared to the second position.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the obstruction body more overtly restricts gas flow from the continuous positive pressure port to the primary passageway in the first position as compared to the second position.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein movable assembly of the obstruction body to the housing is selected from the group consisting of slidable and rotatable.

18. A respiratory therapy system comprising:

a respiratory therapy device including;

a housing defining a primary passageway having a patient interface side,

a flow diverter structure maintained by the housing in fluid communication with the primary passageway opposite the patient interface side, wherein the flow diverter structure is characterized by the absence of a venturi tube,

a high frequency pressure port maintained by the housing and fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure,

an entrainment port maintained by a housing and openable to ambient air, the entrainment port being fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure; and

a source of oscillatory gas flow;

wherein the source of oscillatory gas flow is fluidly connected to the high frequency pressure port;

and further wherein the device is configured such that flow characteristics of gas flow from an external source are altered upon interacting with the flow diverter structure to create a pressure drop for drawing in ambient air through the entrainment port in delivering a percussive pressure therapy to the patient interface side of the primary passageway.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the device further comprises chamber formed by the housing and fluidly connected to the high frequency pressure port, and a continuous positive pressure port fluidly connected to the chamber, the system further comprising:

a source of continuous positive pressure gas flow fluidly connected to the continuous positive pressure port.

20. A respiratory therapy device comprising:

a housing defining a primary passageway having a patient interface side;

a positive pressure port maintained by the housing and configured for fluid connection to a source of positive pressure gas flow;

a flow diverter structure including an obstruction body movably maintained within the housing fluidly between the continuous positive pressure port and the primary passageway;

a high frequency pressure port maintained by the housing and fluidly connected to the flow diverter structure, wherein the high frequency pressure port is configured for fluid connection to a source of oscillatory gas flow such that a pressure pulse delivered to the high frequency pressure port causes movement of the obstruction body; and

an entrainment port maintained by the housing and openable to ambient air, the entrainment port being fluidly associated with the flow diverter structure;

wherein the device is configured such that flow characteristics of gas flow from the positive pressure port are selectively altered upon interface with the obstruction body to deliver a percussive pressure therapy to the patient interface side of the primary passageway.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the flow diverter structure includes a hub slidably disposed within the housing, and further wherein movement of the hub is transferred into movement of the obstruction body relative to the positive pressure port.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the obstruction body is longitudinally movable relative to a central axis of the positive pressure port.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the obstruction body is rotatably movable relative to a central axis of the positive pressure port.