Accurately controlled portable nebulizer

• US 5,653,223 A
• Filed: 12/07/1995
• Issued: 08/05/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael D. Pruitt
• Original Assignee: Michael D. Pruitt
• Inventors: Pruitt, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N.
• Application Number:
  US08/568,946
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.21, 128/200.14, 128/200.16, 128/200.19, 128/200.22, 128/200.23, 128/202.27, 128/205.22, 128/203.12, 128/205.24 , 128/203.21, 128/203.19, 128/203.24
• US Class Current: 128/200.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type

Abstract

A hand held, single use, gas mixture discharge unit is provided for existing nebulizers to enable them to be adapted for use as a portable gas flow source for a nebulizer. The nebulizer includes an external downwardly extending base having a gas conduit extending therethrough for connection to a standard oxygen delivery tank, or to a hand held gas mixture discharge unit where it operates a valve in a controlled manner to deliver accurately metered quantities of nebulized liquid type medication to the patient, in substantially any circumstance.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating nebulizer including a downwardly extending base connected to a small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, comprising, in combination:

a pair of circular sleeve members formed integrally with said downwardly extending base;

a first of said pair of sleeve members being an outer sleeve and a second of said pair of sleeve members being a conical inner sleeve having a hollow conduit extending therethrough into said nebulizer;

said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source being connected to said first of said pair of sleeve members and said second of said pair of sleeve members; and

regulator means and biased valve means held within said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source in a neck portion thereof, said valve means being opened when contacted by said conical inner sleeve against the action of a biasing means to accurately control the flow of pressurized gas from said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, through said neck portion, around said valve means and into said hollow conduit.

2. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 1 wherein said conical inner sleeve includes a base which mechanically contacts said valve means, and a plurality of openings are formed in said base, to allow gas flow therethrough and into said hollow conduit.

3. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 2 wherein said valve means is comprised of a disk valve biased against a valve seat formed within said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source.

4. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 3, further including biasing means normally biasing said valve disk in a direction toward said valve seat to prevent gas flow therethrough.

5. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 2 wherein said valve means is a ball type element cooperating with a valve seat formed internally of said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source.

6. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 5 wherein said regulator means is a cup means having an orifice therein mounted upstream of said valve means in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source and restricting gas flow from said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source to said valve means.

7. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 5 wherein there are at least two regulator means mounted upstream of said valve means in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source.

8. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 7 wherein a first of said at least two regulator means is a compressed aggregate wafer, and a second of said at least two regulator means is a cup means having a restricted orifice formed therein.

9. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 8 wherein said compressed aggregate wafer is made from a material selected from brass or poly beads.

10. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 8 wherein said cup means is threadedly mounted in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, upstream of said valve means, away from said nebulizer.

11. The combination of an aerosol generating nebulizer having a downwardly extending base and a small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, comprising;

said base having an external sleeve having at least one opening therein and formed from a resilient material and receiving a rim formed on an open end of a neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source therein between an inner surface of said external sleeve and an outer surface of an inner conical sleeve; and

said inner conical sleeve having a hollow central conduit, an outer end, and a plurality of openings formed therein;

said outer end contacting a valve means held within said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, and moving said valve means against a biasing means, to control flow of pressurized gas held within said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source through a regulator means, through said neck portion, around said valve means, through said openings in said outer end of said conical inner sleeve, and into said hollow control conduit to said nebulizer.

12. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 11 wherein said valve means is a disk element normally biased against a valve seat formed within said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source;

said disk being moved and depressed against said biasing means by the thrust of said outer end of said conical inner sleeve when pressed against said disk, as said nebulizer and said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source are threadedly coupled.

13. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 11 wherein said valve means is a ball type valve element normally biased against a valve seat formed in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, and wherein said biasing means is a spring normally biasing said ball type valve element into contact with said valve seat to prevent flow of gas from said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source.

14. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 13 wherein said regulator means is held in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held, gas source.

15. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 14 wherein there are two regulator means, a first of said two regulator means being a compressed aggregate wafer, and a second of said two regulator means being a cup means having a restricted orifice formed therein.

16. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 15 wherein said compressed aggregate wafer is made from a material selected from brass or poly beads.

17. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 16 wherein said cup means is threadedly mounted in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, upstream of said valve means, away from said nebulizer.

18. An aerosol generating nebulizer connected to a small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source, comprising;

a base formed on said nebulizer, said base having an external sleeve having at least one opening therein and formed from a resilient material and receiving a rim formed on a neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source in an internal screw thread formed between an inner surface of said external sleeve and an outer surface of an inner conical sleeve, formed on said base;

said inner conical sleeve having an outer end with a plurality of openings formed therein;

a valve means inserted in said neck portion, and normally biased against a valve seat;

biasing means holding said valve means against said valve seat until contacted by said outer end of said conical inner sleeve, whereby said valve means is moved away from said valve seat, a predetermined amount, when said rim of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source is rotated within said internal screw thread between said external sleeve and said inner conical sleeve; and

a plurality of regulator means mounted in said neck portion of said small, cylindrical, portable, hand held gas source to restrict the flow of gas reaching said valve means.

19. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 18 wherein a first of said plurality of regulator means is a compressed aggregate wafer, made from a material selected from brass or poly beads, and a second of said plurality of regulator means is a cup means, removably mounted in said neck portion and having a restricted orifice formed therein.

20. The combination nebulizer and gas source of claim 18 wherein said valve means is a ball type valve normally biased against said valve seat to prevent the flow of gas therethrough by a spring means held between said cup means and said ball type valve.