Nasal cannula

• US 20090025723A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Heiko Krause, Ingo Muller, Martin Baecke, Silvio Kilz, Ulla Schobel
• Original Assignee: Heiko Krause, Ingo Muller, Martin Baecke, Silvio Kilz, Ulla Schobel
• Inventors: Krause, Heiko, Muller, Ingo, Kilz, Silvio, Schobel, Ulla, Baecke, Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/920,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025723A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.170
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0808 Condensation traps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1095 in the connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3372 Temperature compensation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 Reducing noise

Abstract

The invention relates to a nasal cannula for an anti-snoring apparatus, comprising a forked tube pneumatically connected to apertures, which are embodied and positioned in such a way that air can be administered into the nose of a user via these apertures. The nasal cannula further comprises a heating wire extending in the interior of forked tube in such a way that the heating wire can heat the air supplied through the forked tube. The invention moreover relates to a nosepiece and to a Y-shaped element for nasal cannula including internal radius steps at tube connection points. The invention further relates to a nosepiece and to a Y-shaped element having rounded off transition regions. The invention finally relates to a method for avoiding condensation in nasal cannulas. To this end, the gas is heated as it flows through the tubes of a nasal cannula.

Claims

1. A nasal cannula for an anti-snoring or PAP apparatus, comprising:

a forked tube (3) pneumatically connected to apertures (12;

52), which are embodied and positioned in such a way that air can be administered into the nose of a user via these apertures (12;

52),

characterized by;

a heating wire (8, 31, 33) extending in the forked tube (3) in such a way that the heating wire (8) can heat the air supplied through the forked tube (3).

2. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein a temperature sensor (7) is mounted in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) so that the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air administered via the apertures (12;

52).

3. The nasal cannula according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor (7) is connected to the heating wire (8) in such a way that it can be supplied with electric energy via the heating wire (8) and that the temperature signal of the temperature sensor (7) can also be read out via the heating wire (8).

4. The nasal cannula according to claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor (7) is a digital temperature sensor modulating its temperature signal onto the voltage supplied to the temperature sensor (7) via the heating wire (8).

5. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses.

6. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses, wherein a temperature sensor (7) is mounted in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) so that the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air administered via the apertures (12;

52).

7. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses, wherein the temperature sensor (7) is a digital temperature sensor modulating its temperature signal onto the voltage supplied to the temperature sensor (7) via the heating wire (8).

8. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses, wherein the shell of the insulation (22) includes elevations with triangular cross-sections which extend approximately in the longitudinal direction of the heating wire (8), so that the insulation (22) has altogether a star-shaped cross-section.

9. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses, wherein the metal core (21) includes elevations and recesses on its shell.

10. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the forked tube (3) comprises stabilizing filaments (31, 33).

11. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, characterized in that two elements of the forked tube (3) are mechanically connected to a double-lumen tube (13) at a connector-sided end.

12. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to a pneumatic connector part (10) of a connector (6) and wherein the heating wire (8) is electrically connected to an electrical connector part (9) of the connector (6).

13. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the apertures are formed by prongs (12, 52) approximately in the center of a nosepiece (2, 42), wherein a left element of the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to the left side of the nosepiece (2, 42) and a right element of the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to the right side of the nosepiece (2, 42) and the heating wire (8, 31, 33) extends from the left element of the forked tube (3) through the interior of the nosepiece (2, 42) to the right element of the forked tube (3).

14. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, characterized in that two elements of the forked tube (3) are mechanically connected to a double-lumen tube (13) at a connector-sided end, wherein the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to a pneumatic connector part (10) of a connector (6) and wherein the heating wire (8) is electrically connected to an electrical connector part (9) of the connector (6), wherein the apertures are formed by prongs (12, 52) approximately in the center of a nosepiece (2, 42), wherein a left element of the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to the left side of the nosepiece (2, 42) and a right element of the forked tube (3) is pneumatically connected to the right side of the nosepiece (2, 42) and the heating wire (8, 31, 33) extends from the left element of the forked tube (3) through the interior of the nosepiece (2, 42) to the right element of the forked tube (3).

15. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the forked tube (3) comprises stabilizing filaments (31, 33), wherein two elements of the forked tube (3) are mechanically connected to a double-lumen tube (13) at a connector-sided end.

16. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein the heating wire (8) has a wire-shaped metal core (21) surrounded by an insulation (22), the external shell of which comprises elevations and recesses, wherein the metal core (21) includes elevations and recesses on its shell, wherein the forked tube (3) comprises stabilizing filaments (31, 33).

17. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, wherein a temperature sensor (7) is mounted in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) so that the temperature sensor (7) can measure the temperature of the air administered via the apertures (12;

52), wherein the temperature sensor (7) is connected to the heating wire (8) in such a way that it can be supplied with electric energy via the heating wire (8) and that the temperature signal of the temperature sensor (7) can also be read out via the heating wire (8), wherein the temperature sensor (7) is a digital temperature sensor modulating its temperature signal onto the voltage supplied to the temperature sensor (7) via the heating wire (8).

18. A nasal cannula having a nosepiece for an anti-snoring or PAP apparatus, comprising:

a forked tube (3) pneumatically connected to apertures (12;

52), which are embodied and positioned in such a way that air can be administered into the nose of a user via these apertures (12;

52),

characterized by;

a heating wire (8, 31, 33) extending in the forked tube (3) in such a way that the heating wire (8) can heat the air supplied through the forked tube (3) further comprising a nosepiece for a nasal cannula comprising;

a connection point (44) for mounting a forked tube (3);

wherein the connection point includes an internal radius step (46) at one end of the connection point (44) the height of which just about corresponds to half the difference between the inner and outer diameter of the forked tube (3) so as to obtain an even transition between the interior of the forked tube (3) and the interior of the nosepiece upon mounting a forked tube (3) at the connection point (44).

19. The nasal cannula having a nosepiece of claim 18, for nasal cannulas, further comprising:

a prong (12;

52) for administrating air into a nostril of a user;

a connection point (44) for mounting a forked tube (3); and

a connection piece (47) which mechanically and pneumatically connects the prong (12;

52) to the connection point (44),

characterized in that the transition region (54) between the prong (12;

52) and the connection piece (47) has a radius in a plane which is defined by the prong and the connection piece (47), the radius being larger than the radius of the prong (12;

52).

20. The nasal cannula having a nosepiece of claim 19, further comprising:

two prongs (12;

52) for administrating air into each nostril of a user;

a central connection piece (48) which mechanically and pneumatically connects the two prongs (12;

52);

two tube connections (44); and

two connection pieces (47), wherein each connection piece mechanically and pneumatically connects one prong (12;

52) to one tube connection (44);

characterized in that;

the central connection piece (48) includes an indentation (43) so that the area of the clear cross-section of the central connection piece (48) is smaller than the area of the clear cross-sections of the two connection pieces (47).

21. For nasal cannula having a nosepiece of claim 18, further comprising:

two prongs (12;

52) for administrating air into each nostril of a user;

a central connection piece (48) which mechanically and pneumatically connects the two prongs (12;

52);

two tube connections (44); and

two connection pieces (47), wherein each connection piece mechanically and pneumatically connects one prong (12;

52) to one tube connection (44);

characterized in that

the central connection piece (48) includes an indentation (43) so that the area of the clear cross-section of the central connection piece (48) is smaller than the area of the clear cross-sections of the two connection pieces (47).

22. The nasal cannula having a nosepiece according to claim 21, for nasal cannulas, comprising:

two prongs (12;

52) for administrating air into each nostril of a user;

a central connection piece (48) which mechanically and pneumatically connects the two prongs (12;

52);

characterized in that

the transition region between the central connection piece (48) is rounded off in a plane which is defined by the two prongs (12;

52), wherein the radius of this transition region is larger than the radius of the prongs.

23. A nasal cannula having a nosepiece according to claim 18, for nasal cannulas, further comprising:

two prongs (12;

52) for administrating air into each nostril of a user;

a central connection piece (48) which mechanically and pneumatically connects the two prongs (12;

52);

characterized in that

the transition region between the central connection piece (48) is rounded off in a plane which is defined by the two prongs (12;

52), wherein the radius of this transition region is larger than the radius of the prongs.

24. A nasal cannula having a Y-shaped element for an anti-snoring or PAP apparatus, comprising:

a forked tube (3) pneumatically connected to apertures (12;

52), which are embodied and positioned in such a way that air can be administered into the nose of a user via these apertures (12;

52),

characterized by;

a heating wire (8, 31, 33) extending in the forked tube (3) in such a way that the heating wire (8) can heat the air supplied through the forked tube (3)

further comprising a Y-shaped element for nasal cannulas comprising;

two forked tube connections (91); and

a supply tube connection (93), the Y-shaped element mechanically and pneumatically connecting all three tube connections,

characterized in that

each of the two forked tube connections (91) includes an internal radius step (92) at one end of the forked tube connection (91) the height of which just about corresponds to half the difference between the inner and outer diameter of the forked tube (3) so as to obtain an even transition between the interior of the forked tube (3) and the interior of the Y-shaped element (4) upon mounting a forked tube (3) at a forked tube connection (91).

25. A nasal cannula having a Y-shaped element according to claim 24, characterized in that the supply tube connection (93) includes an internal radius step (94) at one end of the supply tube connection (93) the height of which just about corresponds to half the difference between the inner and outer diameter of the supply tube (5) so as to obtain an even transition between the interior of the supply tube (5) and the interior of the Y-shaped element (4) upon mounting a supply tube (5) at the supply tube connection (93).

26. A nasal cannula having a Y-shaped element according to claim 25, characterized in that the transition region (95) is rounded off between the two forked tube connections (91) in the interior of the Y-shaped element (4), wherein the radius in this transition region (95) in a plane which is defined by the two forked tube connections (91) is larger than a tenth of the clear cross-section of a forked tube connection (91).

27. A nasal cannula having a Y-shaped element according to claim 24, characterized in that the transition region (95) is rounded off between the two forked tube connections (91) in the interior of the Y-shaped element (4), wherein the radius in this transition region (95) in a plane which is defined by the two forked tube connections (91) is larger than a tenth of the clear cross-section of a forked tube connection (91).

28. A method for avoiding condensation in nasal cannulas, comprising the steps of:

supplying (6) a gas to the nasal cannula;

administrating the gas through apertures (12;

52) in the nasal cannula; and

heating (8) the gas as it flows through the tubes of the nasal cannula.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

measuring (7) the temperature in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) for administrating the gas; and

controlling the heating power so as to avoid a condensation in the nasal cannula.

30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

incorporating a temperature sensor (7), which measures the temperature in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52), is supplied via heating wires (8) with electric energy for heating the gas and that the heating wires (8) are used to transmit the sensor signal.

31. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of:

measuring (7) the temperature in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) for administrating the gas; and

controlling the heating power so as to avoid a condensation in the nasal cannula.

32. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

incorporating a temperature sensor (7), which measures the temperature in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52), is supplied via heating wires (8) with electric energy for heating the gas and that the heating wires (8) are used to transmit the sensor signal;

measuring (7) the temperature in the proximity of the apertures (12;

52) for administrating the gas; and

controlling the heating power so as to avoid a condensation in the nasal cannula.