Apparatus for the delivery of oxygen or the like

• US 4,593,688 A
• Filed: 05/30/1984
• Issued: 06/10/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hugh W. Payton
• Original Assignee: Hugh W. Payton
• Inventors: Payton, Hugh W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reichle, Karin M.
• Application Number:
  US06/615,195
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.11, 128/200.14, 128/200.24, 128/200.28, 128/201.22, 128/201.23, 128/201.24, 128/203.12, 128/203.16, 128/203.17 , 128/203.29, 128/204.11, 128/265.26, 128/207.13, 128/207.15, 128/201.28, 128/201.29, 128/205.25, 128/910, 128/201.15, 128/206.21 , 128/206.28, 128/207.11, 2/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 128/200.28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0633 with forehead support
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0694 Chin straps

Abstract

A system for applying a controlled atmosphere for breathing by a patient, in the treatment of croup or the like, includes a head piece which has a portion extending over the temple, a portion extending over the top of the head in the form of adjustable straps, and an elastic strap extending behind the head. A front support frame is connected to the head piece, and a U-shaped flexible gas delivery tube is supported on the frame. Nebulized oxygen enriched fog may be delivered from a nebulizer to the tube and emitted through orifices formed on an inside surface of the tube, at the ascending portions near the corners of the horizontal bottom portion, to form streams which are directed toward each other and which coalesce at a region in front of the face and mouth of the patient, for breathing by the patient. The support frame is pivotally mounted on the headgear so that it may be moved from its normal lowered position to a raised position to move the delivery tube out of the patient'"'"'s way for eating and drinking.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to be supported on the head of a patient for controllably supplying gas from a source of gas under low pressure to the mouth and nose region of the patient for breathing by the patient, comprising:

a head piece having lateral side members adapted to extend around the patient'"'"'s head and transverse members connected to said lateral members and proportioned to extend transversely of the head over the top and along the sides of the head and means for joining said transverse members at the top of the patient'"'"'s head,

a frontal support frame having a generally U-shaped bottom and a pair of side arms connected to the free ends thereof, respectively, means for connecting said side arms to said head piece at said lateral side members thereof with said bottom of said support frame adapted to be received below the chin of the patient,

a flexible gas delivery tube for delivery of gas from the source of gas to the patient having a remote open end adapted for connection to the source of gas and an open end opposite said remote end, means for supporting a portion of said gas delivery tube on said frontal support frame such that the tube extends continuously along said frame side arms and said bottom, thereby defining a descending section of said tube extending from said remote end along one of said side arms, a transverse section thereof extending along said bottom, and terminating in an ascending section thereof extending along the other side arm leading to said opposite open end, means for closing the opposite open end of said tube above said ascending section thereof, and

orifice means formed in said tube at the transitions between said descending and ascending tube sections and said transverse tube section, said orifice means being positioned in said delivery tube to direct generally lateral intersecting streams of the gas therefrom at a common region generally forward of the nose and mouth of the patient and avoiding direct impingement of said streams against the nose and mouth to provide a coalescing gas region immediately forward of the nose and mouth of the patient for breathing by the patient.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said tube closing means comprises valve means for controlling the pressure of the gas in said tube thereby controlling the rate of emission of the gas through said orifice means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which said valve means comprises rotary stopcock means for emitting gas from said tube into the atmosphere.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the source of gas adapted for connection to the apparatus is a nebulizer for applying a cool oxygen enriched fog to the patient for the treatment of croup.

5. The system of claim 1 in which said frontal support frame is pivotally mounted to said head piece for raising and lowering movement.

6. Apparatus adapted to be supported on the head of a patient for controllably supplying gas under relatively low pressure from a nebulizer to the mouth and nose region of a patient for breathing by the patient for the treatment of croup in children, comprising:

a head piece, said head piece having an upper band portion proportioned to extend over the top of the head of the patient with lateral opposite ends proportioned to extend down the sides of the head of the patient, a front band portion proportioned to extend across the forehead of the patient and having opposite lateral ends proportioned to extend along the sides of the patient'"'"'s head, means for joining said frontal band portion with said upper band portion at the respective lateral ends thereof, and means for securing the band portions to the head of the patient,

a frontal support frame having a generally U-shaped configuration including a bottom and a pair of side arms, means for pivotally connecting said support frame side arms to said head piece at the opposite ends of said frontal band portion with said bottom thereof adapted to be received below the chin of the patient and movable on said head piece between a normally lowered position in which said bottom is positioned below the chin and a raised position in which said support frame bottom is pivoted out of the way of the mouth region of the patient for eating and drinking,

a flexible gas delivery tube for delivery of gas from said nebulizer to the patient having a remote open end adpated for connection to the nebulizer and an open end opposite said remote end, means for supporting a portion of said gas delivery tube generally continuously along the inside surfaces of said frontal support frame and along said frame side arms and said frame bottom thereby defining a descending section of said tube along one of said frame side arms leading from said remote end, a transverse section along said frame bottom and an ascending portion along the opposite frame side arm leading to said opposite open end, means for closing the opposite open end of said tube above said ascending section, and

gas emitting orifices formed in said tube generally at the transition regions thereof between said ascending and descending tube sections and said transverse tube section, said orifices being positioned to direct a plurality of lateral and intersecting streams of gas from said tube generally into a common region directly in front of the nose and mouth of the patient while avoiding direct impingement thereof against the nose and mouth, to provide a coalescing gas region immediately forward of the nose and mouth for breathing by the patient.