Method and apparatus for supplying a gas to a body

• US 4,612,928 A
• Filed: 08/28/1984
• Issued: 09/23/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ben A. Otsap, Phillips, Robert E., Tiep, Brian L.
• Original Assignee: Ben A. Otsap, Phillips, Robert E., Tiep, Brian L.
• Inventors: Phillips, Robert E., Tiep, Brian L., Otsap, Ben A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US06/645,050
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 128/203.13, 128/203.18, 128/203.22, 128/203.12, 128/204.21, 128/204.23, 128/204.26
• US Class Current: 128/204.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0677 Gas-saving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor

Abstract

An apparatus which minimizes the amount of oxygen needed to maintain a specific oxygen level in the blood of an individual can be constructed so as to use a transducer and other circuit components to obtain a first series of pulses or signals corresponding to the individual'"'"'s breathing. A divider or counter processes the signals or pulses of the first series to create a second series of pulses or signals corresponding to periodic pulses or signals of the first series. The pulses or signals of the second series are used to periodically open a valve to deliver oxygen to the individual at about the start of the person'"'"'s periodic breathing cycles.

Claims

1. A process of delivering a gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a patient during breathing in which the gas is placed in a location where it will be inhaled during the inhalation part of the breathing cycle in which the improvement comprises:

obtaining a series of repetitive electric signals of varying amplitude from a series of uniform repetitive pulses, said signals of varying amplitude corresponding to the breathing rate of the patient, said series of signals of varying amplitude being obtained by using a variable capacitor transducer means capable of being activated by the spontaneous breathing of the patient where it can be so activated and using the spontaneous breathing of the patient to so activate said transducer means, the variations between said signals of varying amplitudes corresponding to various inhalation/exhalation intervals during the breathing cycle,

selecting periodic signals of said series of signals of varying amplitude corresponding to inhalation intervals so as to create another series of signals, and

using said signals of said other series to cause release of said gas at about the start of said inhalation portion of said breathing cycle to said location so that said released gas will be inhaled at about the start of said inhalation part of said breathing cycle.

2. An apparatus for delivering gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a patient during breathing, said apparatus having a conveying means for conveying said gas from a source of said gas to said entrance in which the improvement comprises:

a current source providing a reference voltage,

oscillator means for converting said voltage from said current source into a series of repetitive pulses of uniform amplitude and duration,

a variable capacitor transducer means responsive to the movement of gas relative to said entrance so as to convert the pulses of said series of uniform repetitive pulses into a series of pulses of varying amplitude, the amplitudes which correspond to various inhalation/exhalation intervals during the breathing cycle, said transducer means being adapted to be located so as to be actuated by the spontaneous breathing of the patient,

counter means for providing a series of repetitive signals from said series of pulses of varying amplitude, said signals provided by said counter means being provided at a rate which is a multiple of not less than one of the rate at which said series of uniform amplitude pulses are provided, and

actuating means for providing a series of signals of a predetermined duration corresponding to said signals of said series of repetitive signals connected to said counter means, and

valve means connected to said actuating means, said valve means being located in said means for conveying said gas to said transducer means, and

said actuating means and said valve means being coordinated so that said valve means is open only at intervals corresponding in duration to the signals provided by said actuating means, which intervals are timed so that the said gas is available to be inhaled at said entrance to said respiratory tract at about the start of inhalation when there is a signal from said second series.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including:

lock out means for preventing the extraneous signals from altering said signals of said first series of signals of varying amplitude.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including:

rate determining means for determining a change in the breathing rate of the body,

said rate determining means being connected to said counter means so as to increase the number of pulses of varying amplitude when the breathing rate is increasing and to decrease the number of pulses of varying amplitude when the breathing rate is decreasing.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including:

lock out means for preventing extraneous signals from altering said signals of said first series of signals of varying amplitude,

rate determining means for determining a change in the breathing rate of the body,

said rate determining means being connected to said counter means so as to increase the number of pulses of varying amplitude when the breathing rate is increasing and to decrease the number of pulses of varying amplitude when the breathing rate is decreasing.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein:

said conveying means comprises a line leading from said source of said gas and a nasal cannula structure connected to said line,

said transducer means is connected to said line extending between said source of said gas and said nasal cannula structure.

7. An apparatus for delivering gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a patient during breathing, said apparatus having a conveying means for conveying said gas from the source of said gas to said entrance in which the improvement comprises:

a current source providing a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to about the start of an inhalation,

oscillator means for converting said voltage from said current source into a series of repetitive pulses of uniform amplitude and duration,

transducer means responsive to the movement of gas relative to said entrance so as to provide a first series of signals corresponding to the breathing rate of said patient, said transducer means being adapted to be located so as to be actuated by the spontaneous breathing of the patient during at least said part of the breathing cycle,

said transducer means is a capacitor capable of converting the pulses from said oscillator means into pulses of varying amplitude, the amplitudes of said pulses corresponding to various inhalation/exhalation intervals during the breathing cycle, and

comparator means for comparing the output of said transducer means and said reference voltage so as to provide a first series of signals corresponding to about the start of inhalation,

counter means for providing a second series of repetitive signals from said first series of signals provided by said comparator means, said first series of signals being at a rate which is a multiple of not less than one of the rate of said second series, and

actuating means for providing a third series of signals of a predetermined duration corresponding to said signals of said second series connected to said counter means, and

valve means connected to said actuating means, said valve means being located in said means for conveying said gas to said transducer means, and

said actuating means and said valve means being constructed so that said valve means is open only at intervals corresponding in duration to the signals provided by said actuating means which are times so that the said gas is available to be inhaled at said entrance of said respiratory tract at about the start of inhalation when there is a signal from said second series,

said conveying means comprises a line leading from said source of said gas and a nasal cannula structure connected to said line,

said transducer means is connected to said line extending between said source of said gas and said nasal cannula structure.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 including:

lock out means for preventing extraneous pulses from altering said signals of said first series of signals.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein:

said lock out means is a one shot multivibrator.

10. An apparatus for delivering gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a patient during breathing, said apparatus having a conveying means for conveying said gas from the source of said gas to said entrance in which the improvement comprises:

a current source providing a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to about the start of an inhalation,

oscillator means for converting sad voltage from said current source into a series of repetitive pulses of uniform amplitude and duration,

transducer means responsive to the movement of gas relative to said entrance so as to provide a series of pulses corresponding to the breathing rate of said patient, said transducer means being adapted to be located so as to be actuated by the spontaneous breathing of the patient during at least part of the breathing cycle,

said transducer means is a capacitor capable of converting the pulses from said oscillator means into pulses of varying amplitude, the amplitudes of said pulses corresponding to various inhalation/exhalation intervals during the breathing cycle, and

comparator means for comparing the output of said transducer means and said reference voltage so as to provide a first series of signals corresponding to about the start of inhalation,

counter means for providing a second series of repetitive signals from said first series of signals provided by said comparator means, said first series of signals being at a rate which is a multiple of not less than one of the rate of said second series, and

actuating means connected to said comparator means for providing a third series of signals of a predetermined duration corresponding to said signals of said second series, and

valve means connected to said actuating means, said valve means being located in said means for conveying said gas to said transducer means, and

said actuating means and said valve means being constructed so that said valve means is open only at intervals corresponding in duration to the signals provided by said actuating means which are timed so that said gas is available to be inhaled at said entrance of said respiratory tract at about the start of inhalation when there is a signal from said second series.

11. An apparatus for delivering gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a patient during breathing, said apparatus having a converying means for conveying said gas from the source of said gas to said entrance in which the improvement comprises:

a current source providing a predetermined reference voltage corresponding to about the start of an inhalation,

oscillator means for converting said voltage from said current source into a series of repetitive pulses of uniform amplitude and duration,

transducer means responsive to the movement of gas relative to said entrance so as to provide a series of pulses corresponding to the breathing rate of said patient, said transducer means being adapted to be located so as to be actuated by the spontaneous breathing of the patient during at least part of the breathing cycle,

said transducer means is a capacitor capable of converting the pulses from said oscillator means into pulses of varying amplitude, the amplitudes of said pulses corresponding to various inhalation/exhalation intervals during the breathing cycle, and

comparator means for comparing the output of said transducer means and said reference voltage so as to provide a first series of signals corresponding to about the start of inhalation,

actuating means connected to said comparator means for providing a second series of signals of a predetermined duration corresponding to said first series of signals provided by said comparator means, and

valve means connected to said actuating means, said valve means being located in said means for conveying said gas to said transducer means, and

said actuating means and said valve means being constructed so that said valve means is open only at intervals corresponding in duration to the second series of signals provided by said actuating means which are timed so that said gas is available to be inhaled at said entrance of said respiratory tract at about the start of inhalation when there is a signal from said second series.

12. A process of delivering a gas to an entrance into the pulmonary tract of a body of a person during breathing in which the gas is placed in a location where it will be inhaled during the inhalation part of the breathing cycle in which the improvement comprises:

generating a series of uniform pulses,

locating a variable capacitor serving as a transducer means which is capable of being activated by the spontaneous breathing of said person where it can be so activated,

using the spontaneous breathing to vary the capacitance of said capacitor by using the varying capacitance of said capacitor to change said series of uniform pulses into a series of varying pulses corresponding to the breathing of said person,

changing said series of varying pulses into a series of pulses of uniform duration,

selecting periodic pulses of said series of pulses of uniform duration corresponding to inhalation and,

using said selected pulses to control the operation of a valve to cause the release of said gas at about the start of said inhalation part of the breathing cycle to said location so that said released gas will be inhaled at about the start of said inhalation part of said breathing cycle.