Intermitten gas-insufflation apparatus and method therefor

• US 5,735,268 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Salter Labs
• Original Assignee: Salter Labs
• Inventors: Chua, James, Wada, Robert Toshiaki, Kelly, Francis J., Fujimoto, Roy Yasuo, Salter, Peter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): SRIVASTAVA, VIRENDRA KUMAR
• Application Number:
  US08/480,355
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/204.21, 128/204.22, 128/204.23, 128/205.24, 128/203.12, 128/207.14, 128/207.18, 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 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor

Abstract

An intermittent gas-insufflation apparatus insufflates a quantity of the gaseous fluid into an entrance of a respiratory system of a breathing patient during an exhalation interval of an immediate breathing cycle and into a subsequent inhalation interval of a successive breathing cycle. The intermittent gas-insufflation apparatus includes a valve assembly, a sensor and a controller. The valve assembly actuates between a closed state to prevent the gaseous fluid from flowing from a source of gaseous fluid to the patient and an opened state to establish gaseous fluid flow to the patient. The sensor detects changes in breathing pressure of the patient throughout the immediate breathing cycle and to generates sensor signals characteristic of the changes in the breathing pressure thereof. The controller receives and processes the sensor signals during either the inhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle, the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle or both and is responsive within the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle to the sensor signals to actuate the valve assembly into the opened state so that the gaseous fluid flows from the source of gaseous fluid to the entrance into the respiratory system of the patient during the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle and into the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle. Methods are also described for various exemplary embodiments of the present invention and for maintenance of blood-oxygen concentration for a patient receiving oxygen from a supplemental oxygen delivery system.

Claims

1. A method for intermittently insufflating a gaseous fluid from a pressurized gaseous fluid source into an entrance of a respiratory system of a breathing patient after an inhalation interval and during an exhalation interval of an immediate breathing cycle and into a subsequent inhalation interval of a successive breathing cycle, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a negative peak pressure value which occurs during the inhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle;

(b) determining a positive peak pressure value which occurs during the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle;

(c) commencing delivery of the gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient during the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle when a first predetermined percentage of the positive peak pressure value is achieved;

(d) continuing delivery of the gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system during the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle;

(e) commencing delivery of additional gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient during the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle when a third predetermined percentage of the negative peak pressure value is achieved after step (d); and

(f) ending delivery of the gaseous fluid to the respiratory system during the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle when a second predetermined percentage of the negative peak pressure value is achieved.

2. A method for intermittently insufflating a gaseous fluid from a pressurized gaseous fluid source and into an entrance of a respiratory system of a breathing patient after an inhalation interval and during an exhalation interval of an immediate breathing cycle and into a subsequent inhalation interval of a successive breathing cycle, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting the rates of change of breathing pressures over the inhalation and exhalation intervals of an immediate breathing cycle;

(b) calculating from preselected portions of said rates of change the quantity of the gaseous fluid that is required to be delivered to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient during each of the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle and the inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle;

(c) commencing delivery of the calculated quantity of the gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient during the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle;

(d) continuing delivery of the calculated quantity of the gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient into the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle; and

(e) ending delivery of the calculated quantity of the gaseous fluid to the respiratory system of the patient when delivery is complete during the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of determining a desired flow rate profile for the delivery of the quantity of the gaseous fluid simultaneously with step (a).

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of delivering a maximum flow rate of said desired flow rate profile at approximately a beginning stage of the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle.

5. A method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of repeating steps (a) through (d) for each series of consecutive immediate and successive breathing cycles.

6. A method for intermittently insufflating a gaseous fluid from a pressurized gaseous fluid source and into an entrance of a respiratory system of a breathing patient after an inhalation interval and during an exhalation interval of an immediate breathing cycle and into a subsequent inhalation interval of a successive breathing cycle, comprising the steps of:

(a) generating sensor signals during the inhalation and exhalation intervals of the immediate breathing cycle;

(b) processing said sensor signals during the inhalation and exhalation intervals of the immediate breathing cycle to determine a quantity of the gaseous fluid to be delivered to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient;

(c) commencing delivery of the quantity of gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient during the exhalation interval of the immediate breathing cycle;

(d) continuing delivery of the quantity of the gaseous fluid to the entrance of the respiratory system of the patient into the subsequent inhalation interval of the successive breathing cycle; and

(e) ending delivery of the quantity of the gaseous fluid to the respiratory system of the patient during the subsequent inhalation interval the successive breathing cycle.