Breathing circuit
First Claim
1. A breathing circuit, comprising:
- A. a coaxial main tube of given length having a patient side end and a ventilator side end, said main tube comprising first and second flexible inner tube sections for forming an inhalation path, and first and second corrugated outer tube sections disposed outside and coaxial with corresponding ones of said inner tube sections for defining an exhalation path between the inner peripheries of said outer tube sections and the outer peripheries of said inner tube sections;
B. a manifold including coaxially disposed first and second inner and first and second outer manifold tube sections each having opposite ends connected, respectively, to an end of a corresponding one of said flexible inner tube sections and said corrugated outer tube sections of said coaxial main tube, wherein said manifold is positioned medially along the length of said coaxial main tube, said manifold also including(a) a nebulizer arranged for communication with the interior of said first and said second inner manifold tube sections and wherein a part of said nebulizer closes confronting ends of said first and said second outer manifold tube sections in the axial direction of said coaxial main tube,(b) a tubular bypass interconnecting said exhalation path between said first and said second outer manifold tube tube sections, and(c) exhalation valve means provided in the path of the bypass for closing the bypass path during an inhalation through said inhalation path, wherein the exhalation valve means comprises an inner cylinder having one end connected to and fluidically communicating with an end portion of one of said first and said second outer manifold tube sections in the region of the end of the outer manifold tube section which is closed by the nebulizer part, an outer cylinder formed coaxially with said inner cylinder and having one end connected to said outer manifold tube section to form a space bound by the inner wall of the outer cylinder, the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the outer manifold tube section for receiving an exhalation from said end portion of the outer manifold tube sections, said inner cylinder having an opposite end defining a valve seat, said outer cylinder having an opposite end provided with valve closure means adapted to cooperate with said valve seat to control exhalation flow from within said inner cylinder into said space, said bypass including conduit means for fluidically communicating said space with the interior of an end portion of the other of said first and second outer manifold tube sections in the region of the end of the manifold outer tube section which is closed by the nebulizer part, andC. an inner tube retaining member provided at the patient side end of said coaxial main tube for fixing the corresponding inner tube section and the corresponding outer tube section and adapted to maintain the inner and outer tube sections at a fixed distance radially from each other.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A breathing circuit includes a double-wall coaxial main tube comprising a flexible inner tube forming an inhalation path and a corrugated outer tube disposed outside said inner tube and defining an exhalation path in conjunction with said inner tube; and a manifold including two sets of coaxially disposed inner and outer manifold tubes positioned along the length of the coaxial main tube and connected to corresponding tubes of the main tube. The manifold being provided with (a) a nebulizer which closes off confronting ends of connected sections of the outer tube in an axial direction and communicates with inner spaces of connected sections of the inner tube of the coaxial main tube, (b) a bypass interconnecting the exhalation path of the two outer tube sections which are closed and separated by the nebulizer, and (c) an exhalation valve provided in the bypass path and including a valve body capable of closing the bypass during inhalation. An inner tube retaining member is provided at the patient end of the coaxial main tube for fixing the inner tube and the outer tube and maintaining the inner and outer tubes at a fixed distance radially from each other.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A breathing circuit, comprising:
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A. a coaxial main tube of given length having a patient side end and a ventilator side end, said main tube comprising first and second flexible inner tube sections for forming an inhalation path, and first and second corrugated outer tube sections disposed outside and coaxial with corresponding ones of said inner tube sections for defining an exhalation path between the inner peripheries of said outer tube sections and the outer peripheries of said inner tube sections; B. a manifold including coaxially disposed first and second inner and first and second outer manifold tube sections each having opposite ends connected, respectively, to an end of a corresponding one of said flexible inner tube sections and said corrugated outer tube sections of said coaxial main tube, wherein said manifold is positioned medially along the length of said coaxial main tube, said manifold also including (a) a nebulizer arranged for communication with the interior of said first and said second inner manifold tube sections and wherein a part of said nebulizer closes confronting ends of said first and said second outer manifold tube sections in the axial direction of said coaxial main tube, (b) a tubular bypass interconnecting said exhalation path between said first and said second outer manifold tube tube sections, and (c) exhalation valve means provided in the path of the bypass for closing the bypass path during an inhalation through said inhalation path, wherein the exhalation valve means comprises an inner cylinder having one end connected to and fluidically communicating with an end portion of one of said first and said second outer manifold tube sections in the region of the end of the outer manifold tube section which is closed by the nebulizer part, an outer cylinder formed coaxially with said inner cylinder and having one end connected to said outer manifold tube section to form a space bound by the inner wall of the outer cylinder, the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the outer manifold tube section for receiving an exhalation from said end portion of the outer manifold tube sections, said inner cylinder having an opposite end defining a valve seat, said outer cylinder having an opposite end provided with valve closure means adapted to cooperate with said valve seat to control exhalation flow from within said inner cylinder into said space, said bypass including conduit means for fluidically communicating said space with the interior of an end portion of the other of said first and second outer manifold tube sections in the region of the end of the manifold outer tube section which is closed by the nebulizer part, and C. an inner tube retaining member provided at the patient side end of said coaxial main tube for fixing the corresponding inner tube section and the corresponding outer tube section and adapted to maintain the inner and outer tube sections at a fixed distance radially from each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification