Procedure and device for the movement and volume measurement of fluids and gases and device for the implementation of a respiration

• US 6,467,480 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1999
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernd Horst Meier
• Original Assignee: Bernd Horst Meier
• Inventors: Heinemann, Helmut O., Meier, Bernd Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Aaron J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, TEENA KAY
• Application Number:
  US09/387,521
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/204.19, 128/204.21, 128/204.22, 128/204.24, 128/204.25, 128/204.28, 128/204.29, 128/205.11, 128/205-3-2, 128/205.25, 128/205.24, 600/529, 600/538, 600/540, 732/39, 732/47, 732/40, 732/52, 137/247, 137/247.13, 137/511, 137/513.7, 137/625, 137/625.15, 137/625.17, 137/625.21, 137/625.31, 137/625.41, 137/625.46
• US Class Current: 128/204.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/06 comprising members rotating in a fluid-tight or substantially fluid-tight manner in a housing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/065 sliding-vane meters

Abstract

A device and method for movement and measurement of fluid volumes involves defining a fluid volume in a measuring chamber of a rotation vessel by at least first and second pistons movable within the measuring chamber, with the first and second pistons separating and indicating the volume of fluid moved into and out of the measuring chamber via flow-regulating valves. A holding means alternately holds the first and second pistons at fixed positions within the measuring chamber while the other piston rotates. A device and method of respiration involves a respirator including a plurality of flexible gas bags and a stiff gas tank with a first flexible gas bag positioned inside a second flexible gas bag and both gas bags being positioned inside the stiff tank. The respirator is connected to the device for the movement and measurement of fluid volumes via respirator valves.

Claims

1. A device for movement and measurement of a fluid volume, with the fluid volume being defined in a measuring chamber of a rotation vessel by at least first and second pistons movable within the measuring chamber, said pistons separating the fluid volume and indicating fluid-volume movement into and out of the measuring chamber via flow-regulating valves, the device comprising:

the rotation vessel;

the flow-regulating valves;

the at least first and second pistons, which are alternately rotated and held fixed;

holding means for alternately fixedly holding the first and second pistons within the measuring chamber;

wherein, during a first cycle phase, a volume of fluid flows into a first measuring space within the measuring chamber, said first measuring space being defined by at least the first piston, which is held fixed within the measuring chamber by the holding means, and by at least the second piston, which is movable within the measuring chamber; and

wherein, during a second cycle phase, the volume of fluid in the first measuring space flows out of the first measuring space as the second piston is held fixed within the measuring chamber by the holding means and the first piston is movable within the measuring chamber;

wherein the first measuring space is separated from a second measuring space of the measuring chamber by at least one of said first and second pistons.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the rotation vessel is a tubular pipe in the form of a closed loop and said at least two pistons are alternately rotated and held fixed about the loop of the tubular pipe.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the holding means for selectively holding the first and second pistons fixed within the measuring chamber is an electromagnetic mechanism.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the flow-regulating valves are integrated into the pistons.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the flow-regulating valves are positioned outside of the measuring chamber.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the flow-regulating valves are driven by linkage with the first and second pistons.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the holding means includes solenoids that are integrated with the first and second pistons.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said second measuring space is separated from said first measuring space by said first and second pistons and wherein a valve of the flow-regulating valves for allowing the volume of fluid to flow out of the first measuring space within said measuring chamber during said first cycle phase has a separate control from a valve of said flow-regulating valves which controls outflow of fluid volume from the second measuring space within the measuring chamber during said second cycle phase.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein is further included separate inlet and outlet tubes associated with each valve of said flow-regulating valves for simultaneously allowing fluid to flow into one of said first and second measuring spaces and out of the other of said first and second measuring spaces.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the inlet and outlet tubes are crossed.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein is further included sensors linked to the first and second pistons for providing information concerning positions of the first and second pistons.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein is further included a processor controlling opening and closing of valves of the flow-regulating valves and receiving information from the sensors.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein valves of the flow-regulating valves comprise relatively-rotating first and second valve plates lying side by side and rotating relative to each other, each valve plate having a plurality of openings therein, wherein open passages for fluid flow into and out of the measuring chamber are provided by coinciding openings of the first and second valve plates and closed passages are caused by non-coinciding openings of the first and second valve plates.

14. Device as in claim 1, wherein the rotation vessel comprises at least two bellows, and wherein the first and second pistons are two stiff plates forming ends of the two bellows, which plates pivot on a common axis.

15. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first and second pistons rotate in the same direction during successive cycles.

16. A respiration system comprising the device of claim 1 for implementing respiration, said respiration system further including:

a respirator comprising a plurality of flexible gas bags, an outer tank and respirator valves, wherein a first flexible gas bag is positioned inside a second flexible gas bag and both first and second gas bags are positioned inside a stiff tank, with the respirator being connected to the device for the movement and measurement of fluid volumes via said respirator valves;

wherein compression within said stiff tank on the second flexible gas bag causes compression of both the second and first flexible gas bags, with gas in the flexible gas bags being thereby propelled to a patient by the respirator via the respirator valves and the device for the movement and measurement of fluid volumes.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said respirator includes a container for holding a liquid vital anesthetic.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the respirator includes a material in which a vital anesthetic of the respirator system is released, wherein said material is chosen from one of fats, oils, paraffin oil, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, aliphatic substances, lipophile mixtures or emulsions.

19. A method for movement and measurement of fluid volumes with a fluid volume being defined in a measuring chamber of a rotation vessel by at least first and second pistons movable within the measuring chamber, said first and second pistons separating and indicating the fluid volume of fluid moved into and out of the measuring chamber via flow-regulating valves, the method comprising first-measuring-space cycle steps as follows:

opening a first of the flow-regulating valves leading into a first measuring space within the measuring chamber to flow a first volume of fluid into the first measuring space, the first measuring space being limited by at least the first piston that is held fixed within the measuring chamber while the second piston is allowed to rotate away from the first piston; and

opening a second of the flow-regulating valves leading from the first measuring space to flow the first volume of fluid out of the first measuring space, the first measuring space now being defined by at least the second piston that is held fixed while the first piston is allowed to rotate toward the second piston.

20. The method for movement and measurement of fluid volumes as in claim 19, wherein the first-measuring-space cycle steps are repeated with the first and second pistons always being rotated in the same direction within the measuring chamber.

21. The method for movement and measurement of fluid volumes as in claim 19 wherein the first measuring space is separated from a second measuring space of the measuring chamber by said first and second pistons, and wherein as the first-measuring-space cycle steps are carried out for the first measuring space identical second-measuring-space cycle steps are carried out for the second measuring space, but in reverse order.

22. A method of respiration, including the method of claim 19 for movement and measurement of fluid as a sub-step for measuring fluid flow to and from a patient, and further including the steps of:

providing a respirator comprising a plurality of flexible gas bags and an outer tank and respirator valves, wherein a first flexible gas bag is positioned inside a second flexible gas bag and both gas bags are positioned inside said outer tank, with the respirator being connected to the device for the movement and measurement of fluid volumes via said respirator valves;

providing compression within said outer tank on the second flexible gas bag, thereby causing compression of both the second and first gas bags for thereby propelling gas in the flexible gas bags to a patient via the respirator valves and the device for the movement and measurement of a fluid volume.

23. A method of respiration as in claim 21 wherein, during respiration, fluid is transferred between said first and second flexible gas bags and has substances extracted therefrom during this transfer.