Interface accessory for use with an aerosol inhalation system

• US 7,926,484 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Dhuper, Sunil Kumar, D'Alo, Herbert Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIXON, ANNETTE FREDRICKA
• Application Number:
  US11/869,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20080087280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.24, 128/203.12, 128/203.25, 128/204.18, 128/205.25, 128/206.12, 128/206.21, 285/24, 285/133.11, 285/382
• US Class Current: 128/203.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/06 of the injector type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0015 located upstream of the dispenser, i.e. not traversed by the product
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0018 with exhalation check valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0086 Inhalation chambers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0088 with variable volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece

Abstract

An aerosol inhalation system includes a single source of gas; a connector and an accessory having a main conduit body. A nebulizer is sealingly and removably coupled to the main conduit body. A supplemental gas inlet port is in fluid communication with the connector for introducing a flow of supplemental gas from the single gas source to the patient under select conditions. The gas from the gas source that flows to the supplemental gas inlet port passes through a flow metering member that is remote from the supplemental gas inlet port that controls the flow rate of the supplemental gas to the patient interface. The flow rate of the gas through the supplemental gas inlet port is different than a gas flow rate into the nebulizer for generating the aerosolized medication.

Claims

1. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a single source of gas;

a Y-conduit having a first leg in fluid communication with the gas source and second and third legs, wherein the second leg has a first inner diameter and the third leg has a second inner diameter that is less than the first diameter;

an accessory having a main conduit body and a patient interface conduit that is adapted to deliver aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient;

a nebulizer sealingly and removably coupled to the main conduit body, the nebulizer including a gas inlet port that is fluidly connected to the third leg of the Y-conduit to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit; and

a supplemental gas inlet port that is part of the main conduit body and is fluidly connected to the second leg of the Y-conduit for introducing a flow of supplemental gas from the single gas source to the patient interface under select conditions;

a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to a first port of the main conduit body and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to a second port of the main conduit body, wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of an expandable/collapsible material; and

an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first and second compartments are sealingly closed off from the patient interface conduit resulting in exhaled air being delivered to a first end of the main conduit body that is selectively open when the patient exhales and conversely, when the patient inhales, the first and second compartments are opened to the main conduit body resulting in the aerosolized medication being delivered through the main conduit body to the patient interface conduit and to the patient; and

wherein the second leg has a flow metering structure associated therewith for controlling the flow rate of the supplemental gas to the patient interface, the flow rate of the gas through the supplemental gas inlet port being different than a gas flow rate through the third leg into the nebulizer for generating the aerosolized medication, whereby the reduced inner diameter of the second leg acts as the flow metering structure since the flow rate of supplemental gas is controlled and reduced by flowing through the second leg relative to the flow rate of gas through the third leg.

2. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the outer diameters of the second and third legs have the same outer diameters.

3. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the second leg is less than an outer diameter of the third leg.

4. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the inner diameter of the third leg is at least 10% greater than the inner diameter of the second leg.

5. The accessory of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of valves includes an exhalation valve that moves between an open position when the patient exhales, thereby opening the main conduit body to atmosphere and a closed position when the patient inhales.

6. An aerosol inhalation system comprising:

a single source of gas;

a Y-conduit having a first leg in fluid communication with the gas source and second and third legs;

an accessory having a main conduit body and a patient interface conduit that delivers aerosolized medication to a mouth of the patient;

a nebulizer sealingly and removably coupled to the main conduit body, the nebulizer including a gas inlet port that is fluidly connected to the third leg of the Y-conduit to permit gas from the single source to flow into the nebulizer to create the aerosolized medication that is delivered into the main conduit body and to the patient through the patient interface conduit; and

a supplemental gas inlet port that is part of the main conduit body and is fluidly connected to the second leg of the Y-conduit for introducing a flow of supplemental gas from the single gas source to the patient interface under select conditions; and

a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to a first port of the main conduit body and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to a second port of the main conduit body, wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of an expandable/collapsible material;

wherein the second leg has a flow metering structure associated therewith for controlling the flow rate of the supplemental gas to the patient interface, the flow rate of the gas through the supplemental gas inlet port being different than a gas flow rate through the third leg into the nebulizer for generating the aerosolized medication.

7. A method for providing an aerosolized medication to a patient comprising the steps of:

providing a single gas source;

providing a connector that is configured to divide gas flow from the single gas source into a first flow path that is fluidly connected to a supplemental gas port of an accessory that is part of an aerosol inhalation device and a second flow path that is fluidly connected to a nebulizer, the gas in the first flow path being supplemental gas and the gas in the second flow path being primary gas;

controlling a flow rate of the supplemental gas in the first flow path by constructing the connector so that the first flow path therein has a first width;

controlling a flow rate of the primary gas in the second flow path by constructing the connector so that the second flow path therein has a second width that is different than the first width and therefore is more restrictive as to gas flow;

delivering the aerosolized medication from the nebulizer to the accessory where it is delivered to the patient when the patient when the patient inhales;

storing the supplemental, nonmedicated gas in a first reservoir that has a fixed volume and is part of the accessory and delivering the supplemental, nonmedicated gas to the patient when the flow of the aerosolized medication is below a threshold value; and

storing the aerosolized medication in a second reservoir that has a fixed volume and is part of the accessory, the second reservoir being fluidly connected at all times to a main port through which the aerosolized medication flows to permit the aerosolized medication to flow therein and be stored when the patient exhales or when there is excess amount of aerosolized medication;

wherein the flow rate of the supplemental gas is different than the flow rate of the primary gas as a result on the construction of the connector.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of delivering the supplemental, no medicated gas to the patient comprises the step of opening an inhalation valve that is positioned between the supplemental gas port and a main body of the accessory which includes an interface for the patient, the first reservoir separated from the main body section by the inhalation valve and accordingly, supplemental gas stored in the first reservoir is delivered to the main body section and the patient only when the inhalation valve opens.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the flow of the supplemental gas is metered at a location that is remote from the accessory and the flow of the primary gas is metered at a location that is remote from the nebulizer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first flow path is defined by a first leg of the connector and the second flow path is defined by a second leg thereof and the method includes the following steps:

controlling the flow rate of the supplemental gas by incorporating a first flow restrictor element into the first leg; and

controlling the flow rate of the primary gas by incorporating a second flow restrictor into the second leg.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first flow restrictor comprises a member that is placed anywhere along a length of the first leg, the first flow restrictor having an orifice that defines and controls the first flow rate and wherein the second flow restrictor comprises a member that is placed anywhere along a length of the second leg, the second flow restrictor having an orifice that defines and controls the second flow rate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first flow restrictor comprises a first controllable valve that is disposed along the first flow path and the second flow restrictor comprises a second controllable valve.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second reservoirs are defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second reservoirs being in the form of first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of an expandable/collapsible material.