Pulmonary modulator apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for modulating airway pressure of a patient, comprising:
- (a) a chamber;
(b) a port having an interior end and an exterior end, said interior end in flow communication with said chamber;
(c) a valve, said valve including a first actuation area in flow communication with said port when said interior end is closed by said valve, said valve including a second actuation area in flow communication with said port when said interior end is open, said first actuation area being less than said second actuation area, wherein said valve is configured to open and close by changes in flow pressure applied to said port, and wherein the pressure required to open said valve is greater than the pressure required to hold said valve open; and
(d) a biasing member that provides a restorative biasing force on said valve, wherein said valve is normally biased in a position wherein said port is closed, and wherein said pressure applied to said port opposes said restorative biasing force.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dual area pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus which provides constant flow, pressure cycled ventilatory support to patients. The pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus opens at a selected pressure and shuts at a substantially lower pressure. The pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus can be incorporated into an automatic resuscitator suited for providing ventilatory support during resuscitation and/or transport of patients. The automatic resuscitator may be combined with a nebulizer to serve as a positive pressure aerosol therapy device. The pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus can also be incorporated into a percussive therapy device used for the mobilization of mucus in patients. The pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus may be made almost entirely of injection molded plastic and is inexpensive, portable and disposable.
115 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus for modulating airway pressure of a patient, comprising:
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(a) a chamber; (b) a port having an interior end and an exterior end, said interior end in flow communication with said chamber; (c) a valve, said valve including a first actuation area in flow communication with said port when said interior end is closed by said valve, said valve including a second actuation area in flow communication with said port when said interior end is open, said first actuation area being less than said second actuation area, wherein said valve is configured to open and close by changes in flow pressure applied to said port, and wherein the pressure required to open said valve is greater than the pressure required to hold said valve open; and (d) a biasing member that provides a restorative biasing force on said valve, wherein said valve is normally biased in a position wherein said port is closed, and wherein said pressure applied to said port opposes said restorative biasing force. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A positive pressure pulmonary modulator apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a chamber, said chamber including a sleeve; (b) a port, said port having an interior end and an exterior end, said interior end in flow communication with said chamber; (c) a valve, said valve engaged within said sleeve and capable of axial movement within said sleeve, said valve including a valve face wherein said valve face has a larger surface area than said interior end of said port, wherein the larger surface area provides a secondary actuation area, wherein said valve is configured to open and close said port by changes in flow pressure applied to said port, and wherein the pressure required to initially move the valve to open the port exceeds the pressure required to be applied to the secondary actuation area to retain the port in an open position; and (d) a biasing member for providing a restorative biasing force on said piston face adjacent to said interior end of said port, wherein said biasing member is configured such that said pressure applied to said port opposes said restorative biasing force. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A positive pressure aerosol delivery device, comprising:
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(a) a pulmonary modulator assembly, said pulmonary modulator assembly comprising; (i) a chamber, said chamber including a sleeve; (ii) a port, said port having an interior end and an exterior end, said interior end in flow communication with said chamber; (iii) a valve, said valve engaged within said sleeve and capable of axial movement within said sleeve, said valve including a valve face wherein said valve face has a larger surface area than said interior end of said port, wherein the larger surface area provides a secondary actuation area, wherein said valve is configured to open and close by changes in flow pressure applied to said port, and wherein the pressure required to initially move the valve to open the port exceeds the pressure required to retain the port in an open position; (iv) a biasing member that provides a restorative force for biasing said valve face adjacent said interior end of said port, wherein said biasing member is configured such that said pressure applied to said port opposes said restorative force; and (b) a nebulizer assembly, said nebulizer assembly in fluid connection with said port. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 31)
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24. A percussive therapy device, comprising:
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(a) a pulmonary modulator assembly, said pulmonary modulator assembly comprising; (i) a chamber, said chamber including a sleeve; (ii) a first port, said first port having an interior end and an exterior end, said interior end in flow communication with said chamber; (iii) a second port, said second port in fluid communication with said chamber; (iv) a modulator valve, said modulator valve engaged within said sleeve and capable of axial movement within said sleeve, said modulator valve including a valve face wherein said modulator valve face has a larger surface area than said interior end of said first port, wherein said modulator valve has dual actuation areas, and wherein flow pressure required to initially move the modulator valve to open the first port exceeds the pressure required to retain the first port in an open position; (v) a biasing member that provides a restorative force for biasing said valve face adjacent said interior end of said first port, wherein said biasing member is configured such that said pressure applied to said first port opposes said restorative force; (b) a pneumatic capacitor coupled to said first port, wherein said modulator valve is configured to open and close by changes in said pressure applied to said first port by said pneumatic capacitor; and (c) a patient connection in fluid connection with said second port. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A positive pressure pulmonary apparatus, comprising:
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(a) a valve for closing off flow communication with an inlet port to a patient airway, said valve capable of being opened and closed, said valve including a first actuating area capable of fluidly communicating with said patient airway when said valve is closed, said valve including a second actuating area capable of communicating with said patient airway when said valve is open, wherein said first actuating area is of lesser area than said second actuating area, wherein said valve is configured to open and close by changes in flow pressure applied to said inlet port, and wherein the pressure required to be applied to said first actuating area to open said valve is greater than the pressure required to be applied to said second actuating area to hold said valve open; (b) an outlet port in fluid communication with said inlet port when said valve is open and not in flow communication with said patient airway when said valve is closed; and (c) a biasing member that provides a restorative force acting on said valve to bias said valve toward closure in the absence of a force sufficient to maintain said valve open, wherein said biasing member is configured such that said pressure applied to said inlet port opposes said restorative force. - View Dependent Claims (30, 32, 33)
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34. A constant flow, percussive therapy device, comprising:
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(a) a valve for closing off flow communication with a pneumatic capacitor, said valve including multiple actuation areas, said valve capable of being opened and closed; (b) wherein said pneumatic capacitor provides a pressure acting to open said valve, said pneumatic capacitor being in fluid communication with said valve actuation areas, wherein said valve actuation area that is in fluid communication with said pneumatic capacitor is less when said valve is closed than when said valve is open, wherein said valve is configured to open and close by changes in flow pressure applied to said valve actuation areas by said pneumatic capacitor, and wherein the pressure required to be applied by said pneumatic capacitor to open said valve is greater than the pressure required to hold said valve open; (c) a biasing member that provides a biasing force acting in opposition to said opening pressure wherein said valve closes in the absence of said opening pressure; (d) a chamber, said chamber located within said pneumatic capacitor; (e) gas inlet for attachment of a gas source and delivery of gas to said apparatus, said gas inlet in fluid communication with said pneumatic capacitor chamber, said chamber capable of increasing in volume with increases in pressure; (f) a flow restrictor, said flow restrictor in fluid communication with said pneumatic capacitor when said valve is open and not in fluid communication with said pneumatic capacitor when said valve is closed; and (g) a patient breathing port, said port in fluid communication with said flow restrictor, said port in fluid communication with said chamber when said valve is open. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification