Methods and apparatus for closed-circuit ventilation therapy
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A process for closed-circuit partial liquid ventilation therapy comprising the steps of:
- introducing at least one non-anesthetic gas or vapor into pulmonary air passages of a respiring patient;
capturing expiratory gas from said patient in a closed-circuit respirator in fluid-conducting communication with said pulmonary air passages, said expiratory gas comprising carbon dioxide and at least a portion of said introduced gas or vapor;
circulating said expiratory gas through a gas flow path defined by said closed-circuit respirator wherein at least a portion of said carbon dioxide is removed; and
thereafter reintroducing at least a portion of the circulated expiratory gas comprising said introduced gas or vapor into the pulmonary air passages of the patient.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided which allow for closed-circuit ventilation for the treatment or diagnosis of disorders. The closed-circuit ventilation apparatus of the present invention provide a closed-circuit respirator that isolates the gas flow path from the ventilator apparatus. This allows the prolonged administration of expensive materials such as fluorochemicals without excessive loss due to evaporation. As such the provided methods an apparatus are particularly applicable to liquid ventilation including partial liquid ventilation and total liquid ventilation.
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Citations
81 Claims
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1. A process for closed-circuit partial liquid ventilation therapy comprising the steps of:
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introducing at least one non-anesthetic gas or vapor into pulmonary air passages of a respiring patient; capturing expiratory gas from said patient in a closed-circuit respirator in fluid-conducting communication with said pulmonary air passages, said expiratory gas comprising carbon dioxide and at least a portion of said introduced gas or vapor; circulating said expiratory gas through a gas flow path defined by said closed-circuit respirator wherein at least a portion of said carbon dioxide is removed; and thereafter reintroducing at least a portion of the circulated expiratory gas comprising said introduced gas or vapor into the pulmonary air passages of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A modular apparatus for closed-circuit partial liquid ventilation therapy whereby at least a portion of gas or vapor exhaled by a patient attached thereto is treated to remove carbon dioxide and returned to the patient, said apparatus comprising:
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a patient-connector capable of establishing fluid-conducting communication with pulmonary air passages of a patient; a variable volume reservoir containing a gas or vapor; a ventilating conduit sealingly affixed to said patient-connector and said variable volume reservoir wherein said patient-connector is placed in fluid-conducting communication with said variable volume reservoir to provide a closed-circuit respirator defining a gas flow path; and a carbon dioxide separator in fluid-conducting communication with said gas flow path. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A modular apparatus for closed-circuit partial liquid ventilation therapy comprising:
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a patient-connector capable of establishing fluid-conducting communication with pulmonary air passages of a patient; a ventilating conduit sealingly affixed to said patient-connector to provide a closed-circuit respirator defining a gas flow path, said closed-circuit respirator operably associated with a mechanical ventilator; and a carbon dioxide separator in fluid-conducting communication with said gas flow path. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A process for closed-circuit partial liquid ventilation comprising:
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connecting an exogenous closed-circuit respirator defining a gas flow path to the pulmonary air passages of a respiring patient; introducing a respiratory promoter into said pulmonary air passages; capturing expiratory gas from said patient in said closed-circuit respirator, said expiratory gas comprising carbon dioxide and at least a portion of said introduced respiratory promoter; separating at least a portion of said carbon dioxide to provide a treated gas comprising said respiratory promoter; and reintroducing said treated gas into the pulmonary air passages of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A process for closed-circuit total liquid ventilation comprising:
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establishing fluid-conducting communication between pulmonary air passages of a patient and a fluid flow path defined by a closed circuit-liquid respirator, said fluid flow path and said pulmonary air passages substantially filled with a circulating liquid respiratory promoter; oxygenating the circulating liquid respiratory promoter by introducing oxygen into the closed-circuit liquid respirator to provide oxygenated liquid respiratory promoter; circulating said oxygenated liquid respiratory promoter through the fluid flow path and said pulmonary air passages to provide circulating expiratory fluid comprising carbon dioxide; and separating at least a portion of said carbon dioxide from the circulating expiratory fluid by passing the expiratory fluid through a liquid scrubber in fluid-conducting communication with said fluid flow path to provide circulating liquid respiratory promoter. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. An apparatus for closed-circuit total liquid ventilation therapy comprising:
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a closed-circuit liquid respirator operably associated with a liquid ventilator, said liquid respirator comprising a patient-connector capable of establishing fluid-conducting communication with pulmonary air passages of a patient and a ventilating conduit sealingly affixed to said patient-connector, said ventilating conduit defining a fluid flow path; a closed-circuit vapor separator defining a vapor flow path comprising a carbon dioxide separator in fluid-conducting communication with said vapor flow path; and a gas exchanger in fluid-conducting communication with said vapor flow path and said fluid flow path. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. An apparatus for closed-circuit liquid ventilation therapy comprising:
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a closed-circuit liquid respirator operably associated with a liquid ventilator, said liquid respirator comprising a patient-connector capable of establishing fluid-conducting communication with pulmonary air passages of a patient and a ventilating conduit sealingly affixed to said patient-connector, said ventilating conduit defining a fluid flow path; and a liquid scrubber in fluid-conducting communication with said fluid flow path. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A process for closed-circuit total liquid ventilation comprising:
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establishing fluid-conducting communication between pulmonary air passages of a patient and a fluid flow path defined by a closed circuit-liquid respirator, said fluid flow path and said pulmonary air passages substantially filled with a circulating liquid respiratory promoter; oxygenating the circulating liquid respiratory promoter by introducing oxygen into the closed-circuit liquid respirator to provide oxygenated liquid respiratory promoter; circulating said oxygenated liquid respiratory promoter through the fluid flow path and said pulmonary air passages to provide expiratory fluid comprising carbon dioxide; introducing an effective carbon dioxide disassociating amount of oxygen to said expiratory fluid to form an expiratory vapor comprising carbon dioxide; isolating said expiratory vapor comprising carbon dioxide in a closed-circuit vapor separator in fluid-conducting communication with said fluid flow path, said closed-circuit vapor separator defining a vapor flow path comprising a carbon dioxide separator; and
contacting said carbon dioxide separator with said expiratory vapor wherein at least a portion of said carbon dioxide is separated to provide a modified vapor. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81)
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Specification