EFFICIENT HIGH FREQUENCY CHEST WALL OSCILLIATION SYSTEM

• US 20090221941A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Pte Ltd. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Pte Ltd. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Larson, Eric, Leon, Ross M., Ikeler, Timothy J., O'Keefe, Dennis G., Sampson, Matthew J., Petrosenko, Robert, Yermaneni, Mayur
• Granted Patent: US 8,226,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/08 Trunk
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0218 with alternating magnetic fields producing a translating or oscillating movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0078 with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0092 Cuffs therefor

Abstract

A HFCWO system comprises an air pulse generator having a blower inlet in communication with a blower and an air port in communication with an inflatable garment. The air pulse generator comprises a housing and an air pulse assembly coupled to the housing. The air pulse assembly has at least one diaphragm, at least one driver operable to move the at least one diaphragm and at least one spring arranged to bias the at least one diaphragm away from a portion of the housing.

Claims

1. An air pulse generator for providing a high frequency chest wall oscillation therapy to a patient, the air pulse generator comprising:

a housing, and

an air pulse assembly coupled to the housing, the air pulse assembly having at least one diaphragm, at least one driver operable to move the at least one diaphragm, and at least one spring arranged to bias the at least one diaphragm away from a portion of the housing.

2. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the at least one spring is positioned in a state of compression between the at least one diaphragm and the portion of the housing.

3. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the housing has at least one wall, the at least one driver comprises a current-carrying coil coupled to one of the at least one diaphragm and the at least one wall and a permanent magnet coupled to the other of the at least one diaphragm and the at least one wall.

4. The air pulse generator of claim 3, wherein the current-carrying coil is coupled to the at least one diaphragm and the magnet is coupled to the at least one wall, and the magnet has a ring-shaped body defining an interior space and the current-carrying coil is located in the interior space of the ring-shaped body.

5. The air pulse generator of claim 4, wherein the at least one spring comprises a coil spring having a large diameter bore and the ring-shaped body is located in the large diameter bore.

6. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the housing has at least one wall, the at least one driver comprises an oscillating current-carrying coil coupled to one of the at least one diaphragm and the at least one wall and a DC current-carrying coil coupled to the other of the at least one diaphragm and the at least one wall.

7. The air pulse generator of claim 6, wherein the DC current-carrying coil has a first ring-shaped body defining an interior space and the oscillating current-carrying coil is located in the interior space of the first ring-shaped body.

8. The air pulse generator of claim 7, wherein the oscillating current-carrying coil has a second ring-shaped body defining an interior space and the at least one spring is located in the interior space of the second ring-shaped body.

9. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises first and second walls, the at least one diaphragm comprises first and second diaphragms, the at least one spring comprises first and second springs, the first spring is arranged to bias the first diaphragm away from the first wall, and the second spring is arranged to bias the second diaphragm away from the second wall.

10. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises first and second walls, the at least one diaphragm comprises first and second diaphragms, the first diaphragm is located near the first wall, the second diaphragm is located near the second wall, the at least one driver comprises first and second drivers, the first driver is operable to move the first diaphragm, the second driver is operable to move the second diaphragm, the at least one spring comprises first and second springs, the first spring is arranged to bias the first diaphragm away from the first wall, and the second spring is arranged to bias the second diaphragm away from the second wall.

11. The air pulse generator of claim 10, wherein the first driver comprises a first oscillating current-carrying coil coupled to the first diaphragm and a first DC current-carrying coil coupled to the first wall, and the second driver comprises a second oscillating current-carrying coil coupled to the second diaphragm and a second DC current-carrying coil coupled to the second wall.

12. The air pulse generator of claim 11, further comprising an air chamber located between the first and second diaphragms, wherein the housing has an air port in communication with the air chamber and the housing has a blower inlet spaced from the air port and in communication with the air chamber.

13. The air pulse generator of claim 12, further comprising an inflatable garment arranged to be positioned over the patient and a blower to supply air under pressure, wherein the air port is connectible to the inflatable garment and the blower inlet is connectible to the blower.

14. The air pulse generator of claim 13, further comprising a check valve coupled to the blower inlet.

15. The air pulse generator of claim 13, wherein a portion of the air from the blower is diverted to cool the DC current-carrying coil.

16. The air pulse generator of claim 1, wherein the driver comprises at least one cam operable to move the at least one diaphragm and a drive shaft coupled to the at least one cam for rotating the at least one cam.

17. The air pulse generator of claim 16, wherein the at least one diaphragm comprises a first pair of opposed diaphragms and a second pair of opposed diaphragms, the at least one cam comprises first and second generally elliptical cams mounted on the drive shaft for rotation therewith, the first cam is operable to move the first pair of opposed diaphragms toward and away from each other along a first axis, and the second cam is operable to move the second pair of opposed diaphragms toward and away from each other along a second axis that is disposed substantially perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the at least one spring comprises a first pair of springs arranged to bias the first pair of opposed diaphragms toward each other and a second pair of springs arranged to bias the second pair of opposed diaphragms toward each other.

18. The air pulse generator of claim 17, wherein the first and second generally elliptical cams are mounted on the shaft such that, when the first pair of diaphragms move toward each other, the second pair of diaphragms move toward each other, and such that, when the first pair of diaphragms move away from each other, the second pair of diaphragms move away from each other.

19. An air pulse generator for providing a high frequency chest wall oscillation therapy to a patient wearing an inflatable garment, the air pulse generator comprising:

a blower, and

a valve coupled to the blower and coupled to the inflatable garment, the valve being movable to apply an oscillating pressure to the inflatable garment.

20. The air pulse generator of claim 19, wherein the valve comprises a rotary valve.

21. The air pulse generator of claim 19, wherein the valve comprises a solenoid valve.

22. The air pulse generator of claim 20, wherein the blower has an inlet port and an outlet port, the rotary valve has a housing and a rotor rotatably coupled to the housing, the housing has a first port in communication with the blower outlet port, a second port in communication with the inflatable garment, a third port in communication with the blower inlet port, and a fourth port in communication with the atmosphere, the rotor has first and second passageways such that, during the application of the positive pressure to the inflatable garment, one of the two passageways couples the first port to the second port to couple the blower outlet port to the inflatable garment and the other of the two passageways couples the third port to the fourth port to couple the blower inlet port to the atmosphere, and such that, during the application of the negative pressure to the inflatable garment, one of the two passageways couples the first port to the fourth port to couple the blower outlet port to the atmosphere and the other of the two passageways couples the second port to the third port to couple the inflatable garment to the blower inlet.

23. The air pulse generator of claim 22, further comprising a bypass line coupling the blower outlet port to the inflatable garment and a control valve coupled to the bypass line.

24. An air pulse generator for providing a high frequency chest wall oscillation therapy to a patient wearing an inflatable garment, the air pulse generator comprising:

a plurality of pistons coupled to a piston rod for movement therewith, and

a cylinder having a plurality of air chambers for receiving the associated pistons, each chamber having an inlet port couplable to a blower and an outlet port couplable to an inflatable garment.

25. The air pulse generator of claim 24, further comprising a driver coupled to the piston rod and operable to alternatively force air into the inflatable garment and draw air from the inflatable garment.