Nasal cannula

• US 6,439,234 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Salter Labs
• Original Assignee: Salter Labs
• Inventors: Curti, James N., Chua, James, Salter, Peter W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US09/184,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20020053346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/204.22, 128/207.18, 128/912, 128/200.24
• US Class Current: 128/207.18
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0625 Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/432 partial CO2 pressure (P-CO2)
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body

Abstract

An apparatus for insufflating a treating gas into a patient and for measuring a carbon dioxide content exhaled by the patient includes a hollow body with a partitioning wall separating the body into inhalation and exhalation manifolds. Two hollow prongs have coaxial openings close to the body which allow gas exchange for breathing and carbon dioxide measuring purposes. The holes are of a size such that suction drawn through the holes is limited while still allowing accurate gas analysis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for insufflating a treating gas into a nostril of a patient and for measuring a carbon dioxide content exhaled from a nostril of the patient, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated hollow body including a tubular portion for positioning adjacent a nose of the patient;

a partitioning wall located within the hollow body and separating the hollow body into an inhalation manifold and an exhalation manifold, the partitioning wall providing a gas-tight seal positively preventing fluid communication between the inhalation manifold and the exhalation manifold, and the inhalation manifold having a single gas entrance and the exhalation manifold having a single gas exit;

a first hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the first hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a first nasal passage of the nose for insufflating the treating gas into the nose of the patient and a second end of the first hollow prong being connected to the inhalation manifold to provide fluid communication with the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold;

a wall of the inhalation manifold only having the single gas entrance and an opening for the attachment to the first prong and being devoid of any other openings therein;

gas supply means for connection to the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold to supply the treating gas to the inhalation manifold and the first prong;

a second hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the second hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a second nasal passage of the nose for receiving gases exhaled from the nose of the, patient and a second end of the second hollow prong being connected to the exhalation manifold to provided fluid communication with the single gas exit of the exhalation manifold;

a pair of coaxial opposed openings provided in the second prong, and the pair of coaxial opposed openings communicate with the hollow interior of the second prong and the exhalation manifold;

each opening having a diameter of between about 0.05 to 0.07 inches; and

exhaled gas means for coupling to the exhalation manifold and withdrawing a gas sample exhaled from the patient via the exhalation manifold and the second prong, and carbon dioxide concentration means for coupling to the exhaled gas means and measuring a concentration of carbon dioxide in the withdrawn gas sample.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of coaxial opposed openings are axially aligned with one another and located adjacent the attachment of the second prong to the exhalation manifold.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first prong has a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the first prong, and the second prong has a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the second prong.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first prong has a pair of opposed openings, each of the pair of opposed openings in the first prong and the second prong have a diameter of between about 0.05 to 0.07 inches.

5. An apparatus for insufflating a treating gas into a nostril of a patient and for measuring a carbon dioxide content exhaled from a nostril of the patient, the apparatus comprising:

an elongated hollow body including a tubular portion for positioning adjacent a nose of the patient;

a partitioning wall located within the hollow body and separating the hollow body into an inhalation manifold and an exhalation manifold, the partitioning wall providing a gas-tight seal positively preventing fluid communication between the inhalation manifold and the exhalation manifold, and the inhalation manifold having a single gas entrance and the exhalation manifold having a single gas exit;

a first hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the first hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a first nasal passage of the nose for insufflating the treating gas into the nose of the patient and a second end of the first hollow prong being connected to the inhalation manifold to provide fluid communication with the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold;

a pair of coaxial opposed openings provided in the first prong, the pair of coaxial opposed openings of the first prong both being located closer to the elongate hollow body than the open end of the first prong to communicate directly with the hollow interior of the first prong and the inhalation manifold;

a wall of the inhalation manifold only having the single gas entrance and an opening for the attachment to the first prong but being devoid of any other openings therein;

gas supply means connected to the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold to supply the treating gas to the inhalation manifold and the first prong;

a second hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the second hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a second nasal passage of the nose for receiving gases exhaled from the nose of the patient and a second end of the second hollow prong being connected to the exhalation manifold to provide fluid communication with the single gas exit of the exhalation manifold;

a pair of coaxial opposed openings provided in the second prong, the pair of coaxial opposed openings of the second prong both being located closer to the elongate hollow body than the open end of the second prong to communicate directly with the hollow interior of the second prong and the exhalation manifold;

wherein each of the opposed openings has a diameter of about 0.05 to 0.07 inches;

a wall of the exhalation manifold only having the single gas exit and an opening for the attachment to the second prong but being devoid of any other openings therein; and

exhaled gas means, coupled to the exhalation manifold, for withdrawing a gas sample exhaled from the patient via the exhalation manifold and the second prong, and carbon dioxide concentration means, coupled to the exhaled gas means, for measuring a concentration of carbon dioxide in the withdrawn gas sample.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first prong has a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the first prong, and the second prong has a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the second prong.

7. An apparatus for insufflating a treating gas into a nostril of a patient and for measuring a carbon dioxide content exhaled from a nostril of the patient, the apparatus consisting of:

an elongated hollow body including a tubular portion for positioning adjacent a nose of the patient;

a partitioning wall located within the hollow body and separating the hollow body into an inhalation manifold and an exhalation manifold, the partitioning wall providing a gas-tight seal positively preventing fluid communication between the inhalation manifold and the exhalation manifold, and the inhalation manifold having a single gas entrance and the exhalation manifold having a single gas exit;

a first hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the first hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a first nasal passage of the nose for insufflating the treating gas into the nose of the patient and a second end of the first hollow prong being connected to the inhalation manifold to provided fluid communication with the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold; and

the first prong having a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the first prong;

a pair of coaxial opposed openings provided in the first prong, the pair of coaxial opposed openings of the first prong both being located adjacent the elongate hollow body, in a wider diameter tapered portion of the first prong, and spaced from the open end of the first prong to communicate directly with the hollow interior of the first prong and the inhalation manifold;

a wall of the inhalation manifold only having the single gas entrance and an opening for the attachment to the first prong but being devoid of any other openings therein;

gas supply means connected to the single gas entrance of the inhalation manifold to supply the treating gas to the inhalation manifold and the first prong;

a second hollow prong having a fixed length, a first free end of the second hollow prong being opened and sized to be received with a second nasal passage of the nose for receiving gases exhaled from the nose of the patient and a second end of the second hollow prong being connected to the exhalation manifold to provide fluid communication with the single gas exit of the exhalation manifold; and

the second prong having a constantly tapering outer diameter which tapers from the end attached to the elongate hollow body to the free end of the second prong;

a pair of coaxial opposed openings provided in the second prong, the pair of coaxial opposed openings of the second prong both being located adjacent the elongate hollow body, in a wider diameter tapered portion of the second prong, and spaced from the open end of the second prong to communicate directly with the hollow interior of the second prong and the exhalation manifold;

a wall of the exhalation manifold only having the single gas exit and an opening for the attachment to the second prong but being devoid of any other openings therein; and

exhaled gas means, coupled to the exhalation manifold, for withdrawing a gas sample exhaled from the patient via the exhalation manifold and the second prong, and carbon dioxide concentration means, coupled to the exhaled gas means, for measuring a concentration of carbon dioxide in the withdrawn gas sample; and

each of the pair of coaxially opposed openings in the first prong and the second prong having a diameter of between about 0.05 to 0.07 inches.