Human lung ventilator system

• US 5,237,987 A
• Filed: 06/07/1990
• Issued: 08/24/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Infrasonics, Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Moore, Fred, Anderson, Ralph, Thompson, Paul, Yehushua, Nurit, Smargiassi, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Application Number:
  US07/535,191
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/205.11, 128/205.24, 128/203.12, 128/204.21, 251/129.11, 251/205, 251/208
• US Class Current: 128/204.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/02 operated by air or other gas pressure applied to the liquid or other product to be sprayed or atomised sprayers for horticulture A01G, A01H; killing insects A01M; air humidifying by nozzles F24F6/14, F24F6/18; cooling by spraying F28B, F28C
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1055 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/202 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/204 used for inhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/16 with back-up system in case of failure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7518 bacterial
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated

Abstract

A patient ventilator system provides a controllable flow and volume of a mixed inhalation gas to a patient, and receives exhaled gas from the patient. The ventilator system includes gas flow controllers that mix air and oxygen, and provide the mixture to the patient with a controllable inhalation cycle. The ventilator system monitors the resulting patient pressures and volume of gas exhaled by the patient, as necessary. Compressed air is provided to the gas controller in the event of an absence of an external gas supply by a compressor. A controller permits the user of the ventilator system to control ventilation mode, gas pressure, composition, and flow rate of the mixed gas with a single control knob.

Claims

1. A ventilator system for use in assisting a patient to breathe, comprising:

gas control means for mixing and regulating the gas that is to flow to a patient and receiving the gas that flows from the patient; and

controller means including a plurality of control modes and a plurality of parameter settings for controlling the gas control means, the controller means including an operator interface consisting essentially of only a single knob that selects between all of said control modes and parameter settings in the operation of the gas control means, the single knob being accessible to and operable by a human operator of the ventilator system.

2. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein an operator can select ventilation mode, gas pressure, gas composition, and flow rate of the gas that flows to the patient using the single control knob.

3. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the current status and control functions are displayed on a cathode ray tube visible to the operator of the ventilator.

4. The ventilator of claim 3, wherein the operation of the control knob is integrated with the display on the cathode ray tube, so that the operator can select control modes and parameter settings viewed on the cathode ray by manipulating the control knob, and then enter the selected modes and settings into the controller means.

5. The ventilator of claim 1, wherein the controller means utilizes program instructions stored on removable memory devices.

6. A ventilator system for use in assisting a patient to breathe, comprising:

gas control means for mixing and regulating the gas that is to flow to a patient and receiving the gas that flows from the patient, the gas control means including

flow control means for mixing together controllable amounts of two gases to form a mixed gas that flows to the patient, the flow control means including a custom-calibrated rotary flow control valve for each of the two gases,

an inhalation flow sensor through which the mixed gas slows, the inhalation flow sensor including a screen through which the mixed gas flows and a pressure sensor that senses the pressure drop across the screen, whereby the mixed gas flow rate is determined with a preexisting calibration relationship,

a nebulizer that injects a controllable flow of a third component into the mixed gas stream,

ventilation tube means extending to the patient for conducting the mixed gas to the patient and for receiving exhaled gas from the patient, the ventilation tube means including a filter for the mixed gas, a humidifier for the mixed gas, a water trap for the exhaled gas, and a filter for the exhaled gas, and

positive end expiratory pressure means for controllably maintaining a minimum pressure in the exhaled gas;

compressor means for supplying compressed gas to the gas control means, in the event that an external supply of compressed gas is not available, the compressor means including a compressor that operates continuously against a compressor accumulator and is sized to meet average rather than peak gas flow volume; and

controller means for controlling the gas control means and the compressor means, the controller means permitting the setting of control modes and parameter settings with a single control knob.