Aerosol delivery system

• US 8,151,794 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Original Assignee: Trudell Medical International (Trudell Medical Limited)
• Inventors: Meyer, Adam, Schmidt, James, Foley, Martin P., Grychowski, Jerry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, STEVEN O
• Application Number:
  US12/105,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 128/200.23, 128/203.12, 128/203.15, 128/205.24, 128/204.18, 128/204.23, 128/200.22
• US Class Current: 128/204.18
• 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 15/0068 Indicating or counting the number of dispensed doses or of remaining doses
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0086 Inhalation chambers
• 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 16/0003 Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0009 with sub-atmospheric pressure, e.g. during expiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0084 self-reinflatable by elasticity, e.g. resuscitation squeeze bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/04 Tracheal tubes catheters in general A61M25/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0841 for sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/085 Gas sampling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0858 Pressure sampling ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 : Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 : Temperature

Abstract

Ventilator circuit aerosol delivery systems used to administer medication to a patient are disclosed. In one implementation, a metered dose inhaler (“MDI”) ventilator assembly may include a housing that defines an interior space, an inhalation port that defines an inhalation passageway in communication with the interior space, an exhalation port that defines an exhalation passageway in communication with the interior space, a patient port that defines a patient passageway in communication with the interior space, and a MDI receptacle positioned on the housing and in communication with the interior space. The MDI receptacle is operative to receive a MDI container and dispense an aerosolized medication within the MID container into the interior space so that during inhalation, an inhalation flow including the aerosolized medication may flow through the inhalation port, the interior space, and the patient port. Conversely, during exhalation, gases, moisture, condensation, and/or mucus expelled from the patient flow through the patient port, the interior space, and the exhalation port.

Claims

1. A ventilator assembly for use in a ventilator circuit for administering medication to a patient, the ventilator assembly comprising:

a housing defining an interior space;

an inhalation port positioned at a first location of the housing, the inhalation port defining an inhalation passageway in communication with the interior space;

an exhalation port positioned at a second location of the housing, the exhalation port defining an exhalation passageway in communication with the interior space;

a patient port positioned at a third location of the housing spaced from the first location of the housing, the patient port defining a patient passageway in communication with the interior space; and

a receptacle positioned on the housing and in communication with the interior space, the receptacle operative to receive a container comprising an aerosolized medication, wherein the housing defines a continuously open fluid flow path between the receptacle and the patient port.

2. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is a metered dose inhaler (“

MDI”

) receptacle and the container is a MDI container.

3. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, wherein the first location is a first end of the housing and the third location is a second end of the housing that opposes the first end of the housing.

4. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, wherein the second location is a bottom of the housing.

5. The ventilator assembly of claim 4 wherein the inhalation port defines a first axis and the exhalation port defines a second axis, wherein the first and second axes are non-parallel and form an acute angle therebetween.

6. The ventilator assembly of claim 4 wherein the inhalation port defines a first axis and the exhalation port defines a second axis, wherein the first and second axes are parallel.

7. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is positioned on a top of the housing.

8. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature probe port positioned on the housing and in communication with the interior space.

9. The ventilator assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure probe port positioned on the housing and in communication with the interior space.

10. The ventilator assembly of claim 1 further comprising a one-way inhalation valve positioned in the housing to permit one-way flow from the inhalation port to the patient port.

11. The ventilator assembly of claim 10 further comprising a one-way exhalation valve positioned in the housing to permit one-way flow from the patient port to the exhalation port.

20. The ventilator assembly of claim 1 wherein the inhalation and exhalation ports are combined to define a single ventilator port.

12. A ventilator assembly for use in a ventilator circuit for administering medication to a patient, the ventilator assembly comprising:

a housing defining an inhalation interior space and an exhalation interior space separate from the inhalation interior space;

an inhalation port positioned at a first location of the housing, the inhalation port defining an inhalation passageway in communication with the inhalation interior space;

a one-way inhalation valve positioned in the housing adjacent the first location to permit one-way flow from the inhalation port to the inhalation interior space;

an exhalation port positioned at a second location of the housing, the exhalation port defining an exhalation passageway in communication with the exhalation interior space;

a patient port positioned at a third location of the housing, the patient port defining a patient exhalation passageway in communication with the inhalation interior space and the exhalation interior space;

a one-way exhalation valve positioned in the housing adjacent the second location to permit one-way flow from the patient port to the exhalation interior space; and

a receptacle positioned on the housing and in communication with the inhalation interior space, the receptacle operative to receive a container comprising an aerosolized medication, wherein the housing defines a continuously open fluid flow path between the receptacle and the patient port.

13. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, wherein the first and second locations are a first end of the housing and the third location is a second end of the housing that opposes the first end of the housing.

14. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, wherein the receptacle is positioned on a top of the housing.

15. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a moisture removal port positioned on the housing that defines a passageway in communication with the inhalation interior space.

16. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, wherein the receptacle is a metered dose inhaler (“

MDI”

) receptacle and the container is a MDI container.

17. The ventilator assembly of claim 16, wherein the MDI receptacle comprises an actuator nozzle operable to receive a stem of the MDI container when the MDI container is received by the MDI receptacle.

18. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a temperature probe port positioned on the housing that is in communication with the inhalation interior space.

19. The ventilator assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a pressure probe port positioned on the housing that is in communication with the exhalation interior space.

21. The ventilator assembly of claim 12 wherein the inhalation and exhalation ports are combined to define a single ventilator port.