Breathing assistance device comprising a gas regulating valve and associated breathing assistance method

• US 20100018529A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Resmed Paris (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SAIME
• Inventors: Chalvignac, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/204.210
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/202 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/204 used for inhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/206 Capsule valves, e.g. mushroom, membrane valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0036 in the breathing tube and used in both inspiratory and expiratory phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0042 in the expiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

Abstract

The invention relates to a breathing assistance device for a patient (P), the device including: —a source of respiratory pressurised gas (S), a gas transmission duct (31) comprising a distal end (31d) coupled to said source and a proximal end (31p) coupled to the patient, —a gas regulating valve (32, 50) interposed in the gas transmission duct at a proximal location, comprising a leakage orifice (531) and an obstruction means (54) capable of varying the opening of the leakage orifice upon signal of controlling means (35) and allowing a bidirectional gas flow through the leakage orifice in both expiration and inspiration phases.

Claims

1. Breathing assistance device for a patient (P) breathing in successive cycles, each cycle being defined by at least an inspiration phase and at least an expiration phase, said breathing assistance device including:

a source (S) of respiratory pressurised gas,

a gas transmission duct (31) comprising a distal end (31d) coupled to said source (S) and a proximal end (31p) coupled to said patient (P),

a gas regulating valve (32;

40;

50;

60) comprising at least a leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) between the inside and outside of said duct (31), and an obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) capable of varying the opening of said leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) upon signal of a controlling means (35),

characterised in that the gas regulating valve (32;

40;

50;

60) is interposed in said duct (31) at a proximal location, and that the obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) is capable of allowing a bidirectional gas flow through said leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) in both expiration and inspiration phases.

2. Breathing assistance device according to claim 1, characterised in that the obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) is electrically controlled.

3. Breathing assistance device according to any one of claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) includes a return means so that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) remains at least partially opened in the absence of signal from the controlling means (35).

4. Breathing assistance device according to claim 3, characterised in that the obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) is an electromagnetic obstruction means.

5. Breathing assistance device according to claim 4, characterised in that the returns means is a magnetic equator (M_E).

6. Breathing assistance device according to claim 5, characterised in that the electromagnetic obstruction means (44;

54;

72) includes a metallic sheath (441;

541;

74) wherein a coil (442;

542) is fixed, said coil (442;

542) being controllable by the controlling means (35) and surrounding a movable magnetic element, the metallic sheath (441;

541;

74) and the movable magnetic element defining the magnetic equator (M_E).

7. Breathing assistance device according to claim 6, characterised in that the magnetic element comprises a toric magnet (444;

544;

73), a first polar piece (443;

543) and a second polar piece (445;

545), said first and second polar pieces being coaxially fixed on either side of the toric magnet (444;

544;

73) and being of different polarities, and said second polar piece (445;

545) comprising an obstruction piece (446;

546) being capable of obstructing the leakage orifice (431;

531;

71).

8. Breathing assistance device according to claim 7, characterised in that the magnetic element is translatable along an axis of revolution of the toric magnet (444;

544;

73).

9. Breathing assistance device according to claim 8, characterised in that the electromagnetic obstruction means (44;

54;

72) includes two coaxial coils controllable by the controlling means (35), the first coil substantially surrounding the toric magnet (444;

544;

73) and the first polar piece (443;

543), and the second coil substantially surrounding the toric magnet (444;

544;

73) and the second polar piece (445;

545).

10. Breathing assistance device according to claim 9, characterised in that the electromagnetic obstruction means (44;

54;

72) is mounted coaxially relative to the gas transmission duct (31).

11. Breathing assistance device according to claim 4, characterised in that the returns means is a compression spring (626).

12. Breathing assistance device according to claim 11, characterised in that the electromagnetic obstruction means (62;

82) includes an armature (622) surrounded by a coil (621), said coil (621) being controllable by the controlling means (35), and said armature (622) comprising an inner toric space (6227) wherein a magnetic element is translatable.

13. Breathing assistance device according to claim 11, characterised in that the magnetic element is capable of obstructing the leakage orifice (617;

81).

14. Breathing assistance device according to claim 12, characterised in that the magnetic element is constraint by the compression spring (626).

15. Breathing assistance device according to claim 12, characterised in that the magnetic element comprises a toric magnet (624) and a magnet guide (623).

16. Breathing assistance device according to claim 15, characterised in that the electromagnetic obstruction means (62;

82) is mounted transversally relative to the gas transmission duct (31).

17. Breathing assistance method for assisting a patient (P) with a breathing assistance device according any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) is at least partially opened in the absence of signal from the controlling means (35).

18. Breathing assistance method for assisting a patient (P) according to claim 17, characterised in that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) is totally obstructed during inspiration phases whereas it is a least partially opened during expiration phases.

19. Breathing assistance method for assisting a patient (P) according to claim 18, characterised in that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81), during expiration phases, is opened so that positive expiratory pressure (PEP) remains equal to expiration pressure of the patient (P).

20. Breathing assistance method for assisting a patient (p) according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterised in that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) is totally opened in case of breakdown of the source (S) of respiratory pressurised gas.

21. Gas regulating valve for a breathing assistance device, being interposed in a gas transmission duct (31) of said breathing assistance device at a proximal location, and comprising at least a leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) between the inside and outside of said duct (31), and an obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) capable of varying the opening of said leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) upon signal of a controlling means (35), characterised in that the gas regulating valve (40;

50;

60) is capable of allowing both an inward or an outward gas flow in both expiration and inspiration phases.

22. Gas regulating valve according to claim 21, characterised in that the obstruction means (44;

54;

62;

72;

82) includes a return means so that the leakage orifice (431;

531;

617;

71;

81) remains at least partially opened in the absence of signal from the controlling means (35).

23. Gas regulating valve according to claim 22, characterised in that the obstruction means is an electromagnetic obstruction means (44;

54;

72) including a metallic sheath (441;

541) wherein a coil is fixed (442;

542), said coil being controllable by the controlling means (35) and surrounding a translatable magnetic element, the magnetic element comprising a toric magnet (444;

544), a first polar piece (443;

543) and a second polar piece (445;

545), said first and second polar pieces being coaxially fixed on either side of the toric magnet (444;

544) and being of different polarities, and said second polar piece (445;

545) comprising an obstruction piece (446;

546) being capable of obstructing the leakage orifice (431;

531;

71).

24. Gas regulating valve according to claim 22, characterised in that the obstruction means is an electromagnetic obstruction means (62;

82) including an armature (622) surrounded by a coil (621), said coil (621) being controllable by the controlling means (35), and said armature (622) comprising an inner toric space (6227) wherein a magnetic element is translatable, the magnetic element being capable of obstructing the leakage orifice (617;

81) and being constraint by a compression spring (626).