Rotary proportioning inhalator
First Claim
1. A proportional mixing inhalator for mixing and supplying a mixture of at least three therapeutic gases to a patient while maintaining the proportion of at least one of the gases at a life-sustaining level, the inhalator comprising:
- first body means comprising a wall surface penetrated by at least three inlet portals;
demand valve means having outlets coupled, respectively, to each inlet portal and having inlets for receiving, respectively, one of the gases to be mixed, each demand valve means responsive to a decrease in pressure level at its outlet to deliver gas through the outlet;
second body means comprising a wall surface conformably fitted to the wall surface of the first body means and movable relative thereto, the second body means comprising a mixing chamber;
aperture means in the wall surface of the second body means, the aperture means communicating with the mixing chamber and movable with the wall surface of the second body to close off inlet portals in the first body means, the aperture means and the portals being so disposed that at least one inlet portal to which the one gas is coupled can not be completely closed off, while the portals to which the remaining gases are coupled can be partially or fully closed off; and
means for delivering mixed gas from the mixing chamber to the nose and mouth of the patient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A therapeutic inhalator variably proportions and mixes a plurality of pressurized therapeutic gases at a high volume flow and supplies them on a demand basis rate to a patient from a mixing chamber inside a body of generally cylindrical configuration. Gases, such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrous oxide, are delivered from separate supply circuits to separate demand valves. Demand valves located at the inlet portals of the inhalator body are capable of delivering gas to the mixing chamber when unblocked by an aperture in the wall of the mixing chamber which acts as a proportioning member by regulating which of the inlet portals are coupled to the mixing chamber and what extent each portal is exposed. There are one or more apertures in the proportionary member. The mixing chamber communicates the mixed gases to the patient via a wide-mouthed opening which fits over the nose and mouth. Each demand valve which is actively coupled to the mixing chamber admits gas thereto in response to a drop in pressure at a predetermined level in the mixing chamber as a result of the patient'"'"'s inhalation. Selection and proportioning of gases supplied to the mixing chamber is accomplished by changing the position of the proportioning member.
81 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A proportional mixing inhalator for mixing and supplying a mixture of at least three therapeutic gases to a patient while maintaining the proportion of at least one of the gases at a life-sustaining level, the inhalator comprising:
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first body means comprising a wall surface penetrated by at least three inlet portals; demand valve means having outlets coupled, respectively, to each inlet portal and having inlets for receiving, respectively, one of the gases to be mixed, each demand valve means responsive to a decrease in pressure level at its outlet to deliver gas through the outlet; second body means comprising a wall surface conformably fitted to the wall surface of the first body means and movable relative thereto, the second body means comprising a mixing chamber; aperture means in the wall surface of the second body means, the aperture means communicating with the mixing chamber and movable with the wall surface of the second body to close off inlet portals in the first body means, the aperture means and the portals being so disposed that at least one inlet portal to which the one gas is coupled can not be completely closed off, while the portals to which the remaining gases are coupled can be partially or fully closed off; and means for delivering mixed gas from the mixing chamber to the nose and mouth of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A rotary gas-proportioning inhalator for supplying a mixture of therapeutic gases to a patient while maintaining the supply of oxygen to the patient at a life-sustaining level, the inhalator adapted to be supported over the nose and mouth of the patient, the inhalator comprising:
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a first substantially cylindrical hollow container having a side wall, a closed end, and an open end; a second substantially cylindrical hollow container comprising a mixing chamber having a side wall, a closed end, and an open end; the second container nested in the first container with its closed end juxtaposed to the closed end of the first container; means for maintaining the nested relationship of the cylinders while permitting rotation of the cylinders relative to one another about a common axis; at least three inlet portals in the side wall of the first container, the inlet portals centered in a plane which lies perpendicular to the axis of rotation; a demand valve in each of the inlet portals, each demand valve having an outlet potentially connected to the mixing chamber and having an inlet for receiving gas, each unblocked demand valve responsive to a decrease of the pressure in the mixing chamber to a predetermined level to admit gas thereto; a source of gaseous oxygen connected to the inlet of at least a first demand valve; a source of gaseous carbon dioxide connected to the inlet of at least a second demand valve; a source of nitrous oxide connected to the inlet of at least a third demand valve; at least one aperture in the wall of the second hollow container which provides continuous exposure to the mixing chamber of at least one portal which is connected to a source of oxygen while providing, by rotation of the cylinders relative to one another, variation from zero to full exposure to the mixing chamber of at least one portal which is connected to a source of carbon dioxide simultaneously with variation from full to zero exposure of at least one portal which is connected to the source of nitrous oxide; a substantially cylindrical transparent adapter to be mounted on the open end of the second hollow container, the adapter having a circular end spaced from the open end of the hollow container upon a mounting of the adapter thereto; and engagement means including a substantially annular face cushion attached to the circular end of the adapter for engaging the face of a patient and forming a substantially air-tight seal therewith in a substantially circular region about the patient'"'"'s nose and mouth. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A proportional mixing inhalator for mixing and supplying a mixture of three therapeutic gases to a patient while maintaining the proportion of at least one of the gases at a life-sustaining level, the inhalator comprising:
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first body means comprising a wall surface penetrated radially by at least three inlet portals; second body means comprising a wall surface conformably fitted to the wall surface of the first body means and rotatable relative thereto about an axis of rotation, the second body means comprising a mixing chamber; aperture means including at least one elongate opening extending in a circumferential direction in the wall surface of the second body means, said three inlet portals and said elongate opening being disposed in a common plane oriented perpendicularly to said axis of rotation, the aperture means communicating with the mixing chamber and movable with the wall surface of the second body to open and close off inlet portals in the first body means, the aperture means and the portals being so disposed that at least one inlet portal to which the one gas is coupled can not be completely closed off, while the portals to which the remaining gases are coupled can be partially or fully closed off to feed the remaining gases to said mixing chamber in reciprocally variable proportions; multiple demand valve means having a plurality of inlets each for receiving, respectively, one of the gases to be mixed and further having outlets coupled to each inlet portal, respectively, each demand valve means responsive to a decrease in pressure level at its outlet to deliver gas to said mixing chamber through the outlet when the outlets communicates with the mixing chamber; pressure-regulating means for providing the three therapeutic gases to the inlets of the demand valve means at substantially the same pressure; and means for delivering mixed gas from the mixing chamber to the nose and mouth of the patient.
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Specification