Breathing circuit disconnect warning system and method for using a disconnect system

• US 6,874,502 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ramses Nashed
• Original Assignee: Ramses Nashed
• Inventors: Nashed, Ramses
• Primary Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US10/428,480
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 600529-543, 128/200.24, 128/202.13, 128/202.22, 128/202.27, 128/204.18, 128/204.21, 128/204.22, 128/204.23, 128/205.27, 12820714-20718, 128/911, 128/912, 128/203.12, 128/205.23, 333/24.R, 285/47, 439/1, 439/23, 439 28- 33, 439/207, 439/208, 307/89, 307/119
• US Class Current: 128/205.23
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/021 operated by electrical means A61M16/202 – A61M16/205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0413 with detectors of CO2 in exhaled gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2039/1005 Detection of disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/912 Connections and closures for tubes delivering fluids to or from the body

Abstract

A gas circuit has an outlet and an inlet. Circuit adapters are provided. An anesthesia breathing circuit has tubular breathing circuit hoses, a Y connector and a connecting elbow. The breathing circuit has an electronically conductive system of wires and contacts to form two unconnected parallel electric circuits. An endotracheal tube has a conductive strip. A capnograph has a sampling tube coupled to the breathing circuit. The capnograph is electrically coupled to the separate electric circuits. The capnograph begins an adjustable timer when the endotracheal connector completes the electrical circuit by connecting the endotracheal tube to the breathing circuit. The timer provides for the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and no carbon dioxide was detected in the breathing hoses within a predetermined amount of time. The timer also provides for the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and had been disconnected.

Claims

1. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system which allows a user to monitor continuity within a breathing circuit comprising, in combination:

a gas circuit with an outlet having a first outer diameter and an inlet having a first outer diameter;

a first gas circuit outlet adapter having a generally round tubular configuration having an inward end and an outward end, with the inward end having a first inner diameter mated to the first outer diameter of the gas circuit outlet to allow the coupling of the adapter to the gas circuit outlet first outer diameter, and the adapter having an outer end outer diameter to be of the same size as the gas circuit outlet outer diameter, with the first adapter outlet having a first electronic coupling collar located within the inward outer diameter of the adapter outlet with the collar being electronically coupled to a first wire;

a second gas circuit inlet adapter having a generally round tubular configuration having an inward end and an outward end, with the inward end having a first inner diameter mated to the first outer diameter of the gas circuit inlet to allow the coupling of the second adapter to the gas circuit inlet, and the second adapter having an outer end outer diameter to be of the same size as the gas circuit inlet outer diameter, with the second adapter outlet having an electronic coupling collar located within the outward outer diameter of the second adapter outward end with the collar being electronically coupled to a second wire;

an anesthesia breathing circuit subassembly fabricated of a flexible material having a pair of tubular circuit breathing hoses having a third internal diameter and a Y connector and a connecting elbow, each of the breathing hoses having an outward end and an inward end with a length there between, with the inward end having an inward coupling end piece with an outer end and an inner end, with each end piece having an internal diameter of a first inner diameter sized to couple with the first outer diameter of the outlet adapter, the end piece of one of the breathing hoses having an electrically conductive collar within the inner diameter with the collar being located toward an inward end of the inner end of the end piece so as to mate and form an electronically conductive connection with the conductive collar of the first gas circuit outlet adapter, with the end piece collar having an electronically conductive means coupled thereto and the conductive means passing within the length of the other breathing hose outwardly, the end piece of the other breathing hose having an electrically conductive collar within the inner diameter with the collar being located toward an outward end of the inner end of the end piece so as to mate and form an electronically conductive connection with the conductive collar of the second gas circuit outlet adapter, with the end piece collar having an electronically conductive means coupled thereto and the conductive means passing within the length of the other breathing hose outwardly, with each of the outward ends of the breathing hoses having an outward coupling end piece with an outer end having a first internal diameter and an inner end having a third external diameter, with each inner end of the outward coupling end piece having an internal diameter of the first diameter sized to couple with the outer first diameter of the outer adapter and each outward coupling end piece outer end having the third external diameter, the end piece of one of the breathing hoses having an electrically conductive collar within the inner diameter with the collar being located toward the inward end of the inner end of the end piece so as to mate with and form an electronically conductive connection with the conductive collar of the first gas circuit outlet adapter, with the end piece collar having an electronically conductive means coupled thereto and the conductive means passing within the length of the breathing hose outwardly, the end piece of the other breathing hose having an electrically conductive collar within the inner diameter with the collar being located toward the outward end of the inner end of the end piece so as to mate with and form an electronically conductive connection with the conductive collar of the second gas circuit outlet adapter, with the end piece collar having an electronically conductive means coupled thereto and the conductive means passing within the length of the breathing hose outwardly, with each of the breathing hoses also having an outward end piece with the electronically conductive means passing there through outwardly, the Y connector having a generally hollow tubular Y shaped configuration with an inward bifurcated portion and an outward common portion, the bifurcated portion having a first external diameter sized to be accepted into the internal diameter of the outer end of the outward end piece of each of the hoses with the electronically conductive means passing through the internal diameter of the Y connector toward the outward common portion, the outward common portion of the Y connector having a single hollow tubular configuration with a second internal diameter, with the outward common end having a pair of conductive collars located within the second internal diameter, the collars being circumferentially parallel with a non-conductive space between the collars, with each of the electronically conductive means being coupled to one of the collars in the common end of the Y connector, the elbow having a generally hollow tubular configuration with an inward portion and an outward portion and a capnographer connection port there between, the inward portion having a second external diameter and the outward portion having a second internal diameter, with the inward portion having a pair of conductive collars located on the external surface of the second external diameter, the collars being circumferentially parallel with a non-conductive space between the collars, the second internal diameter of the outward portion of the elbow having a pair of conductive collars located within the second internal diameter, the collars being circumferentially parallel with a non-conductive apace between the collars, with a conductive means electronically coupling the inward collar of the outward portion and the inward collar of the inward portion, and a conductive means electronically coupling the outward collar of the outward portion and the outward collar of the inward portion;

an endotracheal tube fabricated of flexible non-conductive material having a tubular portion and a coupling portion, the coupling portion having a generally hollow tubular configuration with a second external diameter and a tubular portion having a third external diameter, the external diameter having a conductive strip aligned in an inward to outward direction so as to electronically couple the conductive collars of the outward portion of the elbow when the endotracheal tube coupling portion was pushed into the second internal diameter of the elbow; and

a capnograph having a sampling tube coupled to the connection port of the elbow, the capnograph also having a pair of wires electrically coupling the capnograph to the circuit adapters, the capnograph also having as program which would begin an adjustable timer when the endotracheal coupling portion completed the circuit by connecting the collars of the outward elbow, said timer providing the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and no carbon dioxide was detected in the breathing hoses within a predetermined amount of time, with the program also providing the transmission of a second alarm if carbon dioxide was detected in the breathing circuit and the parallel monitoring circuits were not connected by the strip in the endotracheal tube, with the second alarm being capable of being turned off and the program also providing a third alarm if the circuit was interrupted once it was connected by the endotracheal tube conductive strip.

2. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system comprising, in combination:

an anesthesia machine gas circuit with an outlet and an inlet each having an electronic coupling collar;

an anesthesia breathing circuit having a pair of tubular breathing circuit hoses and a Y connector and a connecting elbow, the breathing circuit having an electronically conductive system of wires and contacts so as to form two unconnected parallel electric circuits;

an endotracheal tube having a conductive strip aligned so as to electronically couple the separate electric circuits of the breathing circuit; and

a capnograph having a sampling tube coupled to the breathing circuit, the capnograph having a program which will provide for the transmission of an alarm.

3. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system as set forth in claim 2 wherein there is also included a stand-alone programable circuit monitor coupled electronically to the capnograph, the capnograph sending a signal to the stand-alone circuit monitor when the presence of carbon dioxide is detected with the stand-alone circuit monitor determining if alarm criteria is attained.

4. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system as set forth in claim 2 wherein there is also included a stand-alone programable circuit monitor, the monitor providing an alarm signal if breathing circuit electronic continuity is interrupted.

5. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system comprising, in combination:

an anesthesia machine gas circuit with an outlet;

a plurality of breathing circuit adapters, with each adapter having an electronic coupling collar, the collar being coupled to a wire;

an anesthesia breathing circuit having a pair of tubular breathing circuit hoses and a Y connector and a connecting elbow, the breathing circuit having electronically conductive wires and contacts so as to form two unconnected parallel electric circuits;

an endotracheal tube having a conductive strip aligned so as to electronically couple the separate electric circuits of the breathing circuit; and

a capnograph having a sampling tube coupled to the breathing circuit, the capnograph also electrically coupled to the separate electric circuits in the breathing circuit, the capnograph also having a program which would begin an adjustable timer when the endotracheal tube conductive strip completed the electrical circuit by connecting the endotracheal tube to the breathing circuit, said timer providing for the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and no carbon dioxide was detected in the breathing hoses within a predetermined amount of time, the timer ales providing for the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and had been disconnected thereafter.

6. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the wires run along the exterior of the anesthesia breathing circuit.

7. A breathing circuit disconnect warning system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the wires conduct an induction signal to determine breathing circuit continuity.

8. A method for using a disconnect system and thereby allowing a user to monitor continuity within a breathing circuit comprising, in combination:

providing an anesthesia breathing circuit having an electrically conductive coupling positionable within the circuit thereby forming a plurality of dis connectable electrical circuits;

providing an endotracheal tube having a conductive strip thereby allowing a user to connect the disconnectable circuits and form a single continuous electrical circuit when the user connects the endotracheal tube to a breathing circuit outboard elbow with a collar; and

providing an electrical circuit continuity monitor to alarm if the electrical continuity of the breathing circuit is interrupted;

thereby forming a continuous electrical circuit monitoring system which triggers an alarm if the circuit is electrically disconnected.

9. A method for using a disconnect system as described in claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

providing a capnographer having a sampling tube coupled to the breathing circuit, the capnographer also having a pair of wires electrically coupling the capnographer to the electrical circuit, the capnographer also having a program which would begin an adjustable timer when the coupling of the endotracheal tube with the breathing circuit completed the electrical circuit by connecting the collar of the outward elbow with the conductive strip of the endotracheal tube, said timer providing the transmission of an alarm when the circuit had been completed and no carbon dioxide was detected in the breathing circuit within a predetermined amount of time and said timer also providing the transmission of an alarm when the circuit is connected and then disconnected and said timer providing an alarm if carbon dioxide was detected and the electrical circuit was not coupled to a continuous circuit;

thereby forming a continuous electrical circuit monitoring system which triggers an alarm if the circuit is electrically disconnected and triggers an alarm if the presence of carbon dioxide is not detected within the breathing circuit within a pre-set time and triggers an alarm if carbon dioxide is detected and the electrical circuit is not formed into a continuous circuit, allowing a user to monitor anesthesia circuit continuity and to detect interruptions of the breathing circuit.