CARBON DIOXIDE DETECTOR HAVING AN ACRYLIC BASED SUBSTRATE

• US 20090165801A1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett LLC (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ostrowski, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US12/338,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20090165801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.230
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0836 Measuring rate of CO2 production
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0084 self-reinflatable by elasticity, e.g. resuscitation squeeze bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0825 with ball-sockets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0413 with detectors of CO2 in exhaled gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein may include a carbon dioxide detector having an acrylic-based substrate impregnated with a carbon dioxide sensitive dye. The carbon dioxide sensitive dye may include a pH indicator which changes color based on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air at the surface of the indicator. In some embodiments, the impregnated polymer may be incorporated into a window in the carbon dioxide detector, while in other embodiments an element of a ventilation system may be composed of the impregnated polymer. For example, a casing for an endotracheal tube or the tube itself may be composed of the acrylic-based polymer impregnated with the carbon dioxide sensitive dye.

Claims

1. A carbon dioxide detector, comprising:

an acrylic polymer substrate; and

a carbon dioxide sensitive dye generally impregnated within the acrylic polymer substrate.

2. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 1, wherein the acrylic polymer substrate comprises a polymer of sodium acrylate, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, methyl acrylate, methylmethacrylate, aliphatic acrylates, hydroxyalkyl methacrylate, acrylamide, aminoalkyl methacrylate, styrene, and/or vinylene, and/or combinations thereof.

3. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide sensitive dye comprises a pH indicator, including metacresol purple, thymol blue, cresol red, phenol red, xylenol blue, bromothymol blue, neutral red, phenolphthalein, rosolic acid, α

-naphthelphthalein, and/or orange I, and/or combinations thereof.

4. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 1, wherein the acrylic polymer substrate contains enough hydrophilic elements to enable acidification of carbon dioxide gas.

5. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 1, wherein the carbon dioxide sensitive dye is impregnated within the acrylic polymer substrate during polymerization.

6. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 1, comprising a plastic element capable of being placed in a visible location of a ventilation system.

7. An endotracheal tube being made of an acrylic polymer having a carbon dioxide sensitive dye disposed therein, wherein the endotracheal tube is capable of changing color in response to a concentration of carbon dioxide in the tube.

8. The endotracheal tube of claim 7, wherein the acrylic polymer comprises a polymer of sodium acrylate, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, acrylamide, methyl acrylate, methylmethacrylate, aliphatic acrylates, hydroxyalkyl methacrylate, acrylamide, aminoalkyl methacrylate, styrene, and/or vinylene, and/or combinations thereof.

9. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 7, wherein the acrylic polymer contains enough hydrophilic elements to enable acidification of carbon dioxide gas.

10. The carbon dioxide detector of claim 7, wherein the carbon dioxide sensitive dye comprises a pH indicator, including metacresol purple, thymol blue, cresol red, phenol red, xylenol blue, bromothymol blue, neutral red, phenolphthalein, rosolic acid, α

-naphthelphthalein, and/or orange I, and/or combinations thereof.

11. A ventilation system, comprising:

a resuscitator; and

a carbon dioxide detector operably coupled to the resuscitator and comprising an acrylic polymer substrate generally impregnated with a carbon dioxide sensitive dye.

12. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the carbon dioxide sensitive dye is capable of changing color depending on a carbon dioxide concentration in air.

13. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the carbon dioxide detector comprises an endotracheal tube.

14. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the carbon dioxide detector comprises a generally transparent window through which the carbon dioxide sensitive dye may be observed.

15. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the carbon dioxide detector comprises a color comparison portion configured to enable determination of the carbon dioxide concentration by comparison to the color of the carbon dioxide sensitive dye.

16. The ventilation system of claim 11, wherein the carbon dioxide sensitive dye comprises a pH indicator, including metacresol purple, thymol blue, cresol red, phenol red, xylenol blue, bromothymol blue, neutral red, phenolphthalein, rosolic acid, α

-naphthelphthalein, and/or orange I, and/or combinations thereof.

17. A method comprising:

providing a carbon dioxide detector having a color-changing element and a color comparison element, wherein the color-changing element comprises;

an acrylic polymer substrate; and

a carbon dioxide sensitive dye generally impregnated within the acrylic polymer substrate.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising coupling the carbon dioxide detector to a resuscitator.