Spring piloted safety valve with jet venturi bias

• US 5,884,623 A
• Filed: 07/14/1998
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nellcor Puritan Bennett Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Winter, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Application Number:
  US09/115,380
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 128/202.22, 128/204.19, 128/205.24, 251/129.16, 251/129.2, 137/484.6
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• 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 16/209 Relief valves

Abstract

The lung ventilator safety valve includes a valve housing, an armature connected to the valve housing, a shaft mounted at one end to the armature and having a poppet valve seal on the other end for sealing the vent in a valve closed position and for allowing a relief flow in a valve open position. An electromagnetic coil mounted to the valve housing adjacent to the armature when energized urges the armature to the armature closed position, and a return spring urges the armature to an open position. The poppet valve seal has an aperture extending through the poppet valve seal, so that when there is relief flow through the safety valve vent, the relief flow across the poppet valve seal creates a jet venturi effect to cause a negative pressure on the side of the poppet valve seal opposite the relief flow that biases the safety valve to open further.

Claims

1. A lung ventilator safety valve for relieving pressure from a vent in a patient airway of a ventilator system, said safety valve having a valve open position venting pressure from the patient airway and a valve closed position, and said safety valve comprising:

a valve housing fluidly connected to a vent having a valve seat in the patient airway;

a poppet valve seal mounted adjacent to the valve seat of the vent for allowing a relief flow from the vent in the valve open position and for sealing the vent in the valve closed position;

a pilot spring urging said poppet valve diaphragm to the valve closed position to seal the vent, whereby said poppet valve seal will move to the valve open position to allow the relief flow when pressure within the patient airway exceeds the biasing force of the pilot spring, to protect a patient from excess pressure in the patient airway;

an electromagnetic coil mounted to said valve housing, said electromagnetic coil when energized urging said valve to the valve closed position; and

a return spring disposed in said valve housing opposing said pilot spring and the electromagnetic coil when energized, whereby said electromagnetic coil allows said poppet valve seal to move to the valve closed position when said electromagnetic coil is energized, and said return spring causes said poppet valve seal to move to the valve open position to allow the relief flow when said electromagnetic coil is not energized, to provide an emergency air pathway for a patient in the event of interruption of power to the ventilator.

2. The lung ventilator safety valve of claim 1, wherein said poppet valve seal comprises a flexible diaphragm extending to the valve housing around the poppet valve seal forming a chamber in the valve housing.

3. The lung ventilator safety valve of claim 1, wherein the surface of the poppet valve seal defines an aperture extending through the poppet valve seal, whereby when there is relief flow through the safety valve vent, the relief flow across the valve poppet diaphragm creates a venturi effect resulting in a negative pressure on the opposing side of the diaphragm that biases the safety valve to open further.

4. The lung ventilator safety valve of claim 1, further comprising a pilot spring adjuster disposed in said valve housing adjacent to said pilot spring for adjusting the biasing force of the pilot spring.

5. The lung ventilator safety valve of claim 4, further comprising a shaft disposed in said valve housing, and wherein said shaft extends through said pilot spring adjuster.

6. The lung ventilator safety valve of claim 1, further comprising an armature connected to the valve housing by a hinge, and wherein said electromagnetic coil is mounted adjacent to the hinge.