Insufflation/exsufflation airway clearance apparatus

• US 8,985,112 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2013
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Pte Ltd. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Pte Ltd. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikei, Christopher, Carbone, Dano S., Ward, Lewis W., Stultz, Tammy
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, STEVEN O
• Application Number:
  US13/957,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20130312751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 128/205.24, 128/204.21, 128/204.23, 128/204.26, 128/205.12, 128/205.19, 600 41- 43, 482/13
• US Class Current: 128/205.24
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0003 Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0006 with means for creating vibrations in patients' airways
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0009 with sub-atmospheric pressure, e.g. during expiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0069 the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/202 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/205 used for exhalation control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/06 Packaging for specific medical equipment

Abstract

An MIE apparatus has a blower, a direction valve, an oscillator, and a mask hose connector. The blower is connected to the direction valve, which is connected to the oscillator, which is connected to the hose connector. During insufflation, a direction valve connects exhaust of a blower to an oscillator, causing positive pressure at the hose connector. During exsufflation, the direction valve connects the blower intake to the oscillator, causing negative pressure at the hose connector. The oscillator is a butterfly valve with a 360° rotating disc. During insufflation, the disc is fixed to steadily modulate the airflow. During exsufflation, the oscillator is inactive or in flutter mode. When inactive, the disc is fixed to allow maximum air flow. In flutter mode, the disc continuously rotates so that the air flow rapidly alternates between maximum and minimum.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a blower having an intake and an exhaust;

a direction valve having an intake port operationally connected to said blower intake, an exhaust port operationally connected to said blower exhaust, an atmosphere port, and a common port;

an oscillator having a connector port and a valve port operationally connected to said valve common port, said oscillator including a chamber between said connector port and said valve port and a rotatable disc within said chamber;

a patient interface coupled to the connector port and in communication with a patient'"'"'s respiratory tract;

a controller controlling operation of said apparatus;

said apparatus having an insufflation mode wherein said controller sets said direction valve such that said exhaust port is operationally connected to said common port and said intake port is operationally connected to said atmosphere port, thereby providing positive pressure at said patient interface for an insufflation;

said apparatus having an exsufflation mode wherein said controller sets said direction valve such that said intake port is operationally connected to said common port and said exhaust port is operationally connected to said atmosphere port, thereby providing negative pressure at said patient interface for an exsufflation; and

said apparatus having a flutter mode wherein said controller rotates said rotatable disc at a settable frequency during exsufflation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus has a rest mode wherein said controller sets said direction valve such that said exhaust port is operationally connected to said common port.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said intake port is operationally connected to said atmosphere port when said apparatus is in the rest mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller provides a manual mode in which a user controls changing the operation of the apparatus between the insufflation mode, the rest move, and the exsufflation mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said controller receives parameter settings input by a user, said parameter settings including at least one of an insufflation pressure, an exsufflation pressure, a rest pressure, and a flutter frequency.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said blower comprises a variable speed blower and the parameter settings further include a blower speed.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an inhale button coupled to the controller and an exhale button coupled to the controller, said apparatus being in the insufflation mode when the inhale button is actuated, and said apparatus being in the exsufflation mode when the exhale button is actuated.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said apparatus is in a rest mode when neither the inhale button nor the exhale button are actuated.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller provides an automatic mode in which said controller repeatedly cycles through the insufflation mode, the exsufflation mode, and a rest mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said controller receives parameter settings input by a user, said parameter settings including at least one of an insufflation pressure, an exsufflation pressure, a rest pressure, and a flutter frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said blower comprises a variable speed blower and the parameter settings further include a blower speed.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said parameter setting further include at least one of an insufflation time, an exsufflation time, and a rest time.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a case in which the blower, the direction valve, the oscillator, and the controller are housed.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a remote control jack coupled to the controller and accessible at an exterior of the case and further comprising a remote control that is removably coupleable to the remote control jack.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the remote control include a rocker switch that is movable to control whether the apparatus is in the insufflation mode or the exsufflation mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stepper motor that is signaled by the controller to control a position of at least one of the direction valve and the oscillator.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotatable disc is movable to first, second, and third positions to control a flow rate of air from the blower when the apparatus is in the insufflation mode.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first, second, and third positions correlate to high, low, and medium flow rates of air from the blower.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the controller, the temperature sensor being positioned so as to measure a temperature of the blower.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the controller, the temperature sensor being positioned so as to measure a temperature of air flowing toward the patient interface.