LUNG THERAPY DEVICE

• US 20080283051A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comedica Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Comedica Incorporated
• Inventors: FARAM, Joseph Dee
• Granted Patent: US 9,050,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/200.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0028 using prepacked dosages, one for each application, e.g. capsules to be perforated or broken-up
• 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 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/127 by Venturi effect, i.e. entrainment mixers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/201 Controlled valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/582 by tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback

Abstract

The invention relates in general to a respiratory therapy device, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for providing continuous positive airway pressure therapy that may be connected to a small-volume nebulizer in order to provide a combination therapy that requires only a single source of gas. The apparatus of the invention includes a valveless patient interface and a source of pressurized gas which may be split into two streams to provide both continuous positive airway pressure therapy as well as aerosol therapy to a patient.

Claims

1. A lung therapy device for delivering continuous positive airway pressure comprising:

a means of fluidly connecting to a single source of gas under pressure;

a means for dividing said single source of gas under pressure into two distinct flow streams;

a means for restricting the flow of at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

a housing fluidly connected to at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

said housing further containing an absence of valves that move during the therapy;

said housing further having a proximal end with an opening which therethrough a patient may inhale inspiratory gas into said patient'"'"'s airways and exhale expiratory gas from said patient'"'"'s airways;

said opening in said proximal end further being fluidly connectable to a patient interface connector;

said housing further having a distal end with a gas inlet port fluidly connectable to one of two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

said housing further having at least one entrainment port open to the ambient;

said housing further having a pressure monitoring port;

said housing further containing a chamber shaped such that the flow of gas passing therethrough is amplified;

said housing further containing a port connectable to a nebulizer;

a means for connecting said nebulizer to at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said proximal end of said housing further includes at least one exhalation port open to the ambient.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said housing further contains a means for adjusting the size of said at least one exhalation port.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for adjusting said size of said at least one exhalation port further contains a means for diverting the flow of exhaled gas away from the clinician.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said housing further contains a means for indicating the selected size of said at least one exhalation port by means of at least one of visual indicator and a tactile indicator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said port connectable to a nebulizer further contains a means of being sealed if not in use.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of two distinct flow streams connectable to a nebulizer further contains a means of being sealed if not in use.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure monitoring port further consists of a pressure monitoring conduit removably connected to said housing having a first end fluidly connected to said proximal end of said housing, and a second end fluidly connected to a port at said distal end of said housing, wherein said port at said distal end is connectable to a means of measuring pressure.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber for amplifying said flow of gas within said housing is shaped to form a venturi.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber for amplifying said flow of gas within said housing is shaped to create a Coanda effect.

11. A lung therapy device for delivering continuous positive airway pressure comprising:

a means of fluidly connecting to a single source of gas under pressure;

a means for dividing said single source of gas under pressure into two distinct flow streams;

a means for restricting the flow of at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

a housing fluidly connected to at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

said housing further containing an absence of valves that move during the therapy;

said housing further having a proximal end with an opening which therethrough a patient may inhale inspiratory gas into said patient'"'"'s airways and exhale expiratory gas from said patient'"'"'s airways;

said opening in said proximal end of said housing further being fluidly connectable to a patient interface connector;

said proximal end of said housing further including at least one exhalation port open to the ambient;

said housing further having a distal end with a gas inlet port fluidly connectable to one of two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure;

said housing further having at least one entrainment port open to the ambient;

said housing further having a pressure monitoring port;

said housing further containing a chamber shaped to form a venturi such that the flow of gas passing therethrough is amplified;

said housing further containing a port connectable to a nebulizer;

a means for connecting said nebulizer to at least one of said two distinct flow streams of said single source of gas under pressure.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said housing further contains a means for adjusting the size of said at least one exhalation port.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means for adjusting said size of said at least one exhalation port further contains a means for diverting the flow of exhaled gas away from the clinician.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said housing further contains a means for indicating the selected size of said at least one exhalation port by means of at least one of visual indicator and a tactile indicator.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said port connectable to a nebulizer further contains a means of being sealed if not in use.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said at least one of two distinct flow streams connectable to a nebulizer further contains a means of being sealed if not in use.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said pressure monitoring port further consists of a pressure monitoring conduit removably connected in said housing having a first end fluidly connected to said proximal end of said housing, and a second end fluidly connected to a port at said distal end of said housing, wherein said port at said distal end is connectable to a means of measuring pressure.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said chamber for amplifying said flow of gas within said housing is shaped to create a Coanda effect.

19. A method of administering a combination lung therapy of continuous positive airway pressure and aerosol therapy comprising the steps of:

providing a single-patient-use continuous positive airway pressure device, a patient interface, and a small-volume nebulizer;

filling the small-volume nebulizer with an appropriate amount and kind of medication;

connecting said small-volume nebulizer to said single-patient-use continuous positive airway pressure device and patient interface to form a combination therapy unit;

connecting said combination therapy unit to a single source of gas under pressure;

delivering combination therapy to patient.