Hyperbaric oxygenation apparatus and methods

• US 5,029,579 A
• Filed: 08/10/1989
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ballard Medical Products (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ballard Medical Products (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Trammell, Wallace E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Application Number:
  US07/392,169
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.12, 128/205.26, 128/28, 128/30, 128/30.2, 128/38, 128/40, 128/402, 600/21, 604/23, 604/289, 604/290, 604/293, 604/304, 604/305, 604/308
• US Class Current: 128/205.26
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/143 with oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 33/14 Devices for gas baths with ozone, hydrogen, or the like production of ozone or hydrogen C01B, C25B1/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0071 by localized pressure, e.g. air streams or jets
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04

Abstract

A novel hyperbaric oxygenation apparatus, and related methods, the apparatus comprising a chamber in the form of a disposable inflatable bag of impervious inexpensive synthetic resinous material which can be used at any desired location, such as a hospital, a home or other site where oxygen can be appropriately made available. The pressure of the oxygen in the collapsible bag is pulsated between maximum and minimum positive values. The patient cyclically experiences first a medicinal increase in the blood gas levels in the limb under treatment with a corresponding restricted bloow flow and, thereafter, a progressive return to normal blood flow rates in the limb of the patient as the pressure in the chamber changes from maximum to minimum positive pressure. A respirator, normally used for intubated respiratory patients, in conjunction with a single oxygen influent/effluent port in hyperbaric oxygenation apparatus is efficacious to provide the oxygen and generate the desired pressure variations. Cuff inversion under positive pressure is prevented by anti-blowout structure.

Claims

1. A method of oxygenating a limb of a patient comprising the steps of:

(a) encapsulating a selected limb of the patient having an exposed injury within an inflatable disposable impervious hollow collapsible bag which is closed at the distal end thereof, comprises a single site two way input/output means for communication with an existing intermittent patient respirator which is respiratorically idle, and means releasible sealed to the limb of the patient at the proximal end thereof;

(b) releasibly placing the single site two way input/output means in fluid communication with the existing intermittent patient respirator which provides oxygen at a selectable positive pressure at selectably variable pressure cycling rates;

(c) placing the intermittent patient respirator in communication with a source of oxygen under substantially constant positive pressure;

(d) setting the patient respirator to a desired fluid pressure cycling rate and to a relatively high maximum pressure;

(e) constantly delivering oxygen under said substantially constant positive pressure from said source to the respirator;

(f) delivering a predetermined quantity of influent oxygen from the respirator through the single site two way input/output means to the hollow interior of the bag whereby the preselected relatively high positive pressure is periodically produced in the interior of the bag restricting blood flow in the encapsulated limb over a short span of time while maintaining the seal at said proximal end whereby the bag is inflated;

(g) terminating delivery of said influent oxygen from the respirator to the interior of the bag for a second relatively short span of time while exhausting oxygen from the bag through the single site two way input/output means to the respirator and therefrom to the atmosphere to at least partially deflate the bag thereby decreasing the positive pressure within the bag from the relatively high positive value to a lower positive value which accommodates restoration of blood flow but still delivers oxygen under positive pressure to the wound, while maintaining the seal at said proximal end;

(h) repeating steps (f) and (g) successively over a protracted period of time to cyclically oxygenate the limb between the relatively high and lower positive pressures.

2. A hyperbaric oxygenation apparatus comprising:

a source of oxygen constantly available under substantially constant pressure;

an existing intermittent patient respirator, which is usable but not being used for respiratory therapy connected to the source of oxygen comprising means periodically delivering oxygen to an output side of the respirator, at a preselected pressure and rate, and means by which earlier delivered oxygen is exhausted to the atmosphere;

a portable hyperbaric chamber comprising an elongated disposable bag of gas impervious synthetic resinous film comprising a hollow interior in which a limb of the patient is disposed for oxygenation, means imperviously closing the distal end of the bag, single site input/output port means by which the oxygen is periodically delivered to and exhausted from the hollow interior of the bag, through direct single connection means to the respirator causing the bag to sequentially expansively inflate and contractively partially deflate, proximal end means sized to surround the limb of the patient, the proximal end means comprising means which are caused to compressively engage the limb of the patient so as to hermetically seal the proximal end of the bag against the limb of the patient.

3. A method of oxygenating a limb of a patient comprising the steps of:

(a) encapsulating a selected limb of the patient having an exposed injury within an inflatable disposable impervious hollow collapsible bag which is closed at the distal end thereof and releasibly sealed to the limb of the patient at the proximal end thereof;

(b) releasibly placing the hollow interior of the bag in fluid communication with a source of oxygen supplying oxygen at a substantially constant pressure to a patient respirator which is usable but not being used for patient respiratory therapy, but is currently not used and which intermittently supplies oxygen at a selectable positive pressure and exhausts oxygen earlier supplied to the atmosphere;

(c) passing a predetermined quantity of influent oxygen from the source through the respirator to the hollow interior of the bag through a single site input/output port over a short, preselected span of time until the internal pressure within the bag reaches a predetermined relatively high selected positive value which restricts blood flow and the bag is inflated;

(d) terminating passing of said influent oxygen through the respirator to the interior of the bag and exhausting oxygen from the bag through the same single site input/output port and then through the respirator to the atmosphere for a second relatively short, preselected span of time thereby decreasing the positive pressure within the bag from a relatively high positive value to a lower positive value which accommodates the restoration of uncurtailed blood flow but nevertheless delivers oxygen under positive pressure to the wound thereby only partially deflating the bag;

(e) repeating steps (c) and (d) successively over a protracted period of time.

4. A pulsatile flow hyperbaric chamber system which uses an existing respiratorically idle patient respirator to provide pulsatile pressure at manually selectable variable rates and pressure levels, said system comprising:

a source of gas continuously available comprising oxygen used in the hyperbaric chamber;

the respirator comprising means by which respiratory modifications are selectively made to the gas influent comprising humidification, intermittent flow control for both delivery of the gas, maximum and minimum gas pressure level control, and pulsatile rate control;

a disposable, portable hyperbaric chamber comprising an elongated inflatable collapsible bag comprising a body of gas impervious synthetic resinous film comprising a hollow interior in which a limb of the patient is disposed for treatment, proximal end means, means imperviously closing the distal end of the bag, two way single site input/output means in communication with the respirator to receive and exhaust gases which intermittently provide higher and lower pressures within the bag, but continuously maintain at least partial bag inflation;

the chamber further comprising proximal end means sized to surround the limb of the patient, the proximal end means comprising means which are caused to compressively but manually releasibly engage the limb of the patient so as to maintain and hermetically seal the proximal end of the bag against the limb of the patient.

5. A disposable, portable hyperbaric chamber and patient attachment means adapted for use with an idle breathing therapy respirator, comprising means by which respiratory modifications are made to a gas influent comprising humidification, intermittent flow control for both deliver of the gas, maximum and minimum pressure level control and pulsatile rate control, said means comprising:

the disposable, portable hyperbaric chamber comprising an elongated collapsible inflatable bag comprising a body of gas impervious synthetic resinous film comprising a hollow interior of variable internal volume in which a limb of the patient is disposed for treatment, proximal end means, means imperiously closing the distal end of the bag, two way single site input/output mean sin communication with the respirator to receive and exhaust gases which intermittently provide higher and lower pressures within the bag, but continuously maintain at least partial bag inflation, thereby causing the internal volume of the bag to vary;

the chamber further comprising disposable proximal end means sized to surround the limb of the patient, the proximal end means comprising means which are caused to compressively but manually releasibly engage the limb of the patient so as to maintain and hermetically seal the proximal end of the bag against the limb of the patient.