Pressure support system with a primary and a secondary gas flow and a method of using same

• US 6,269,811 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1999
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Respironics Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Keeports, Douglas W., Duff, Winslow K., Truitt, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Application Number:
  US09/405,565
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.21, 128/204.23, 128/204.26, 128/203.12, 128/204.18
• US Class Current: 128/204.21
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0069 the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0072 Tidal volume piston pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital

Abstract

A pressure support system that includes a pressure generating system employing a pressure generator that provides a primary flow of gas to a patient and a supplemental gas system providing a supplemental flow of gas to the patient. A selectively acutable valve associated with the supplemental gas system controls the supplemental flow of gas to the patient, and a control unit coupled to the pressure generating systems controls the valve based on conditions of the pressure generator in the pressure generating system, thereby controlling the flow of the supplemental gas to the patient based on the detected conditions of the pressure generator.

Claims

1. A pressure support system comprising:

(1) a pressure generating system adapted to provide a primary flow of gas to a patient, the pressure generating system comprising;

(a) an electrically powered pressure generator adapted to receive a supply of breathing gas from a breathing gas source and to produce the primary flow of gas responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator, and

(b) a control unit operatively coupled to the pressure generator for controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;

(2) a supplemental gas system adapted to provide a supplemental flow of gas to such a patient in conjunction with the primary flow of gas; and

(3) a selectively actuatable valve associated with the supplemental gas system and with the control unit, wherein the valve substantially disables the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the control unit disabling the supply of electrical power to the pressure generator.

2. A pressure support system according to claim 1, wherein the valve is a normally closed valve that is actuated to cause it to move to an open position responsive to a signal from the control unit, and wherein the signal is output by the control unit responsive to a determination that the pressure generator is at least one of (1) actuated and (2) operating within normal parameters.

3. A pressure support system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring system operatively coupled to the supplemental gas system, wherein the monitoring system monitors the supplemental flow of gas in the supplemental gas system and provides an output indicative of whether gas is flowing in the supplemental gas system.

4. A pressure support system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure generating system further monitors a respiratory cycle of a patient, and wherein the control unit causes the supplemental gas system to deliver the supplemental flow of gas to a patient during a selected portion of a respiratory cycle by causing the valve to open at an appropriate time to deliver the supplemental flow of gas during the selected portion of a respiratory cycle and to close at all other times during the respiratory cycle.

5. A pressure support system according to claim 4, wherein the pressure generating system varies a pressure of the primary flow of gas delivered to a patient based on patient respiration.

6. A pressure support system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit causes the valve to open according to a predetermined duty ratio to control an amount of supplemental gas delivered to a patient during the selected portion of a respiratory cycle.

7. A pressure support system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the valve to open according to a predetermined duty ratio to control an amount of supplemental gas delivered to a patient.

8. A pressure support system according to claim 1, wherein

(1) the pressure generating system includes a first conduit operatively coupled to the pressure generator to deliver the primary flow of gas from the pressure generator to a patient,

(2) the supplemental gas system includes:

a source of gas, and

a second conduit operatively coupled to the source of gas and to the first conduit, and

(3) the valve is operatively coupled to the second conduit to control the supplemental flow of gas from the second conduit to the first conduit.

9. A pressure support system according to claim 8, wherein the pressure generating system includes means for varying a pressure of the primary flow of gas.

10. A pressure support system according to claim 8, wherein the valve is remote from the control unit and communicates with the control unit via a wireless transmission.

11. A pressure support system according to claim 8, wherein the valve is a normally closed valve that is actuated to cause it to move to an open position to allow the supplemental flow of gas to a patient responsive to a signal from the control unit, and wherein the signal is output by the control unit responsive to a determination that the pressure generating system is at least one of (1) actuated and (2) operating within normal parameters.

12. A pressure support system comprising:

pressure generating means, including an electrically powered pressure generator, for providing a primary flow of gas to a patient responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator;

controlling means for controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;

supplemental gas means for providing a supplemental flow of gas to such a patient in conjunction with the primary flow of gas;

flow controlling means, associated with the pressure generating means and the supplemental gas means, for controlling the supplemental flow of gas delivered to a patient by the supplemental gas means, wherein the flow controlling means substantially disables the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the controlling means disabling the supply of electrical power to the pressure generating means.

13. A pressure support system according to claim 12, wherein the flow controlling means monitors operation of the pressure generator and substantially disables the supplemental flow of gas to the patient via the supplemental gas means responsive to a determination by the flow controlling means that the pressure generator is at least one of (1) inoperative and (2) not generating a flow above a predetermined threshold.

14. A pressure support system according to claim 12, further comprising monitoring means for monitoring a supplemental flow of gas provided by the supplemental gas means and for providing an output indicative of the supplemental flow of gas.

15. A pressure support system according to claim 12, wherein the pressure generating means monitors a respiratory cycle of a patient, and wherein the flow controlling means causes the supplemental flow of gas to be delivered to a patient only during a selected portion of the respiratory cycle.

16. A pressure support system according to claim 15, wherein the flow controlling means includes means for controlling a dosage of supplemental gas delivered to a patient during the selected portion of the respiratory cycle.

17. A pressure support system according to claim 12, wherein the pressure generating means monitors a respiratory cycle of a patient and varies a pressure of the primary flow of gas delivered to a patient based on the respiratory cycle.

18. A pressure support system according to claim 12, wherein

(1) the pressure generating means includes a first conduit operatively coupled to the pressure generator to deliver the primary flow of gas from the pressure generator to a patient;

(2) the supplemental gas means includes;

a source of gas,

a second conduit operatively coupled to the source of gas and to the first conduit; and

(3) the flow controlling means includes a valve operatively coupled to the second conduit to control the supplemental flow of gas from the second conduit to the first conduit.

19. A pressure support system according to claim 18, wherein the flow controlling means includes processing means for controlling operation of the pressure generating means and for controlling actuation of the valve based on monitored conditions of the pressure generator.

20. A pressure support system according to claim 19, wherein the valve is a normally closed valve that is actuated to cause it to move to an open position responsive to a signal from the processing means, and wherein the signal is output by the processing means responsive to a determination that the pressure generator is at least one of (1) actuated and (2) operating within normal parameters.

21. A method of providing pressure support to a patient comprising the steps of:

providing a primary flow of gas to a patient via a first flow system that includes an electrically powered pressure generator responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator;

controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;

providing a supplemental flow of gas to a patient via a second flow system in conjunction with the primary flow of gas;

controlling the supplemental flow of gas delivered to a patient so as to substantially disable the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the supply of electrical power to the pressure generating means being discontinued.

22. A method of providing pressure support, according to claim 21, further comprising a step of monitoring a respiratory cycle of the patient, and wherein the step of controlling the supplemental flow of gas includes providing the supplemental flow of gas only during a selected portion of the respiratory cycle.

23. A method of providing pressure support, according to claim 22, further comprising:

controlling a dosage of a supplemental gas delivered to a patient as the supplemental flow of gas during the selected portion of the respiratory cycle.

24. A method of providing pressure support, according to claim 21, further comprising:

monitoring the supplemental flow of gas to provided by the second flow system; and

outputting a signal indicative of whether the supplemental flow of gas is present.