Nasal and oral cannula having two capabilities and method of producing same
First Claim
1. A method of forming a cannula comprising the steps of:
- assembling a cannula mandrel assembly, which comprises separable engageable parts including a facepiece mandrel and a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels with an intermediate section of the facepiece mandrel being provided with a pair of spaced apart through holes for each receiving a remote free end of one of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, by passing the remote free ends of each one of the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels completely through a respective through hole in the facepiece mandrel such that the facepiece mandrel slides along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the through bores of the facepiece mandrel each have an interference fit with a respective larger transverse cross section of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels which prevents further sliding movement while also avoiding flow of a polymeric material, between the facepiece mandrel and the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, when applying at least one coating of uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly;
heating the cannula mandrel assembly to a desired temperature;
providing an uncured polymeric material in flowable state;
applying at least one coating of the uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly to provide a desired material thickness coating on the cannula mandrel assembly;
at least partially curing the coating of the polymeric material on the cannula mandrel assembly to form the cannula;
disassembling the cannula mandrel assembly by first sliding both the facepiece mandrel and the formed cannula along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels toward the remote free ends of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and the partially cured cannula are completely removed from the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; and
thenwithdrawing the facepiece mandrel from the formed cannula.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forming a cannula from a cannula mandrel assembly comprising a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels and a mating facepiece mandrel. The facepiece mandrel has a pair of conical holes, in an intermediate section thereof, for receiving a leading end of one mouthpiece/nasal mandrel. The conical holes allow the facepiece mandrel to slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the conical holes abut with respective mating tapering conical sections and prevent further sliding movement along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels. Following assembly, the assembly is heated, at least one coating of a polymeric material is applied thereto and heat from the assembly at least partially cures the polymeric material on the assembly. Following curing, the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are removed therefrom. Lastly, the facepiece mandrel is removed from the formed cannula.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of forming a cannula comprising the steps of:
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assembling a cannula mandrel assembly, which comprises separable engageable parts including a facepiece mandrel and a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels with an intermediate section of the facepiece mandrel being provided with a pair of spaced apart through holes for each receiving a remote free end of one of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, by passing the remote free ends of each one of the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels completely through a respective through hole in the facepiece mandrel such that the facepiece mandrel slides along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the through bores of the facepiece mandrel each have an interference fit with a respective larger transverse cross section of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels which prevents further sliding movement while also avoiding flow of a polymeric material, between the facepiece mandrel and the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, when applying at least one coating of uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly; heating the cannula mandrel assembly to a desired temperature; providing an uncured polymeric material in flowable state; applying at least one coating of the uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly to provide a desired material thickness coating on the cannula mandrel assembly; at least partially curing the coating of the polymeric material on the cannula mandrel assembly to form the cannula; disassembling the cannula mandrel assembly by first sliding both the facepiece mandrel and the formed cannula along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels toward the remote free ends of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and the partially cured cannula are completely removed from the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; and
thenwithdrawing the facepiece mandrel from the formed cannula. - View Dependent Claims (2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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3. A method of forming a cannula comprising the steps:
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assembling a cannula mandrel assembly comprising separable engageable parts including a facepiece mandrel and a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, an intermediate section of the facepiece mandrel being provided with a pair of spaced apart through holes for each receiving a remote free end of one of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels and allow the facepiece mandrel to slide along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, and each of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels having a larger transverse cross section stop feature which prevents further sliding movement of the facepiece mandrel along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels and also avoids flow of a polymeric material between the facepiece mandrel and the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; forming the stop feature as a thickened area on each of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, and providing the through holes of the facepiece mandrel with a mating complimentary feature which intimately engages with the thickened area of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels to retain the facepiece mandrel in engagement with the stop feature during manufacture of the cannula and avoid flow of the polymeric material between the facepiece mandrel and the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; and using a tapering conical section as the thickened area on each of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, and providing tapering conical holes in the facepiece mandrel as the mating complimentary feature which intimately engage with one another to retain the facepiece mandrel in engagement with the stop feature during manufacture of the cannula; heating the cannula mandrel assembly to a desired temperature; providing an uncured polymeric material in flowable state; applying at least one coating of the uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly to provide a desired material thickness coating on the cannula mandrel assembly; at least partially curing the coating of the polymeric material on the cannula mandrel assembly to form the cannula; disassembling the cannula mandrel assembly by first sliding both the facepiece mandrel and the formed cannula along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels toward the remote free ends of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and the partially cured cannula are completely removed from the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; withdrawing the facepiece mandrel from the formed cannula. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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5. The method according to claim polymeric material 3, further comprising the steps of forming the tapering conical section of each mouthpiece/nasal mandrels with a smaller dimensioned end, located remote from the molding base, with a diameter of about 0.070 inches while a larger dimensioned end of the tapering conical section, located closest to the molding base, has a diameter of about 0.078 inches.
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17. A nasal and oral cannula having a pair of nares and a pair of mouthpieces with a contiguous flow path between the pair of nares and the pair of mouthpieces, the nasal and oral cannula being manufactured by the method comprising the steps of:
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assembling a cannula mandrel assembly which comprises separable engageable parts including a facepiece mandrel and a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, with an intermediate section of the facepiece mandrel being provided with a pair of spaced apart through holes for each receiving a remote free end of one of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, by passing the remote free ends of each one of the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels completely through a respective through hole in the facepiece mandrel such that the facepiece mandrel slides along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the through holes of the facepiece mandrel each have an interference fit with a respective larger transverse cross section of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, which prevents further sliding movement of the facepiece mandrel, along the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels, while also avoiding flow of a polymeric material between the facepiece mandrel and the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels when applying at least one coating of uncured polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly; heating the cannula mandrel assembly to a desired temperature; providing an uncured polymeric material in flowable state; applying at least one coating of the polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly to provide a desired material thickness coating on the cannula mandrel assembly; at least partially curing the coating of the polymeric material on the cannula mandrel assembly to form the cannula; disassembling the cannula mandrel assembly by first sliding both the facepiece mandrel and the formed cannula along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels toward the remote free ends of the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and the partially cured cannula are completely removed from the pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels; and
thenwithdrawing the facepiece mandrel from the formed cannula.
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Specification