Method to improve oxygenation in subjects suffering impaired oxygenation
First Claim
1. A method for improving oxygenation and reducing shunt perfusion in a lung of a subject, the lung having no diagnosis of injury, in which a first portion of alveoli of the lung are collapsed by compression from body organs during an expiratory phase of a respiratory cycle and during the initial portions of an inspiratory phase and are open in the terminal portions of the inspiratory phase, the lungs having a second portion of alveoli that are open during both the inspiratory and expiratory phases of the respiratory cycle, said method comprising the step of:
- during inspiration of breathing gases by the subject, (a) delivering NO gas to the second portion of alveoli in an amount to cause vasodilatation of capillaries associated with such alveoli to improve blood oxygenation (b) while minimizing delivery of NO gas to the first portion of alveoli to an amount below that causing vasodilatation of capillaries associated with the first portion of alveoli to avoid increasing shunt perfusion in the lungs.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for improving oxygenation in subjects having essentially healthy lungs, as evidenced by the absence of a diagnosis of lung disease or injury, but having reduced alveolar gas exchange area. This reduction may be caused by such acute circumstances as an unnatural body position, or may be, for example, chronic as caused by obesity. The method employs the administration of nitric oxide (NO) into the breathing gases of such subjects. NO provided to alveoli collapsing during expiration is small compared to those remaining open, thereby to provide net reduction in the shunt and thus an oxygenation improvement. This result may be gained either by precise control of the inspired NO concentration or by pulsed administration of the NO.
48 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method for improving oxygenation and reducing shunt perfusion in a lung of a subject, the lung having no diagnosis of injury, in which a first portion of alveoli of the lung are collapsed by compression from body organs during an expiratory phase of a respiratory cycle and during the initial portions of an inspiratory phase and are open in the terminal portions of the inspiratory phase, the lungs having a second portion of alveoli that are open during both the inspiratory and expiratory phases of the respiratory cycle, said method comprising the step of:
during inspiration of breathing gases by the subject, (a) delivering NO gas to the second portion of alveoli in an amount to cause vasodilatation of capillaries associated with such alveoli to improve blood oxygenation (b) while minimizing delivery of NO gas to the first portion of alveoli to an amount below that causing vasodilatation of capillaries associated with the first portion of alveoli to avoid increasing shunt perfusion in the lungs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- 3. The method according to claim 3 wherein the step of the method is further defined as delivering the pulse dose during the first 70% of the time during which the subject is inspiring.
Specification