Gas delivery venturi

• US 9,289,568 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeon Research And Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Dhuper, Sunil Kumar, Marler, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan-Uyen (Jackie) T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boecker, Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US13/748,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20130199535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 128/203.25, 128/204.24, 128/204.25, 128/205.11, 128/205.23, 128/205.24, 128/207.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0078 Breathing bags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• 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 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1045 Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/127 by Venturi effect, i.e. entrainment mixers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/14 by mixing different fluids, one of them being in a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/20 Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/208 Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/209 Relief valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen

Abstract

A venturi connector includes a housing having a mixing chamber defined therein and at least one window that is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and is open to atmosphere to allow air to be entrained into the mixing chamber. The connector includes a nozzle actuator member includes a body having a plurality of discrete nozzles formed therein. The nozzles are defined by different sized venturi orifices through which gas flows, thereby allowing the concentration of the gas delivered to the patient to be varied. The nozzle actuator member is disposed within one window formed in the housing between the gas port and the mixing chamber such that the position of the nozzle actuator member within the housing can be adjusted so as to position one of the discrete nozzles into the gas flow path, thereby controlling the flow rate of the gas into the mixing chamber and ultimately the concentration of gas delivered to the patient.

Claims

1. A venturi connector assembly comprising:

a non-adjustable venturi member in the form of a generally hollow body that includes a first end, a second end, and at least a first gas port connector at the second end for connection to a gas source, the body including a first air entrainment window that is always open to atmospheric air to allow air to mix with gas from the gas source, the at least one gas port connector comprising a tubular structure having an orifice at one end that is in alignment with the first air entrainment window and is positioned between top and bottom edges of the first air entrainment window; and

an adjustable secondary gas entrainment valve member in the form of a generally hollow body that includes a first end and a second end, the second end being configured to mate with and be placed in direct contact with the first end of the venturi member for securely coupling the venturi member to the secondary gas entrainment valve member so as to define a linear flow path from the venturi member to the secondary gas entrainment valve member which is located downstream of the venturi member, the body of the secondary gas entrainment valve member including a second air entrainment window that is located remote from the at least one gas port connector, wherein the secondary gas entrainment valve member further includes a movable shutter that moves about the venturi member and includes a third air entrainment window, wherein the shutter is movable between;

(1) a first position in which the second and third air entrainment windows are in full registration allowing atmospheric air to flow therethrough, thereby representing a fully open position of the secondary gas entrainment valve member; and

(2) a second position in which the second and third air entrainment windows are offset from one another, thereby representing a fully closed position of the secondary gas entrainment valve member, wherein the first end of the secondary gas entrainment valve member is for attachment to a patient interface device.

2. The venturi connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one gas port connector includes first and second gas port connectors at the second end for connection to the gas source, the first and second gas port connectors having orifices that have different dimensions so as to produce different gas flow rates.

3. The venturi connector of claim 2, wherein the movable shutter includes an indicator member that extends downwardly therefrom and the hollow body of the secondary gas entrainment valve member includes gas concentration markings, wherein the shutter can be rotated until the indicator member points to one of the gas concentration markings which represents the gas concentration value for the gas that exits the secondary gas entrainment value member.

4. The venturi connector of claim 3, wherein for at least one setting for the secondary air entrainment window there are two corresponding gas concentration markings which represent the two different gas concentration values of the respective first and second gas port connectors.

5. The venturi connector of claim 4, wherein the two different gas concentration values includes a first value which is greater than a second value, the first value corresponding to the first gas port connector which is configured such the orifice thereof has greater dimensions compared to the orifice of the second gas port connector.

6. The venturi connector of claim 2, wherein the orifices are eccentrically formed with respect to the first and second gas port connectors.

7. The venturi connector of claim 1, wherein the generally hollow body of the venturi member includes two first air entrainment windows that are spaced apart from one another and a top edge of the first gas port connector lies in a horizontal plane that intersects each of the two first air entrainment windows between top and bottom edges thereof.

8. The venturi connector of claim 1, wherein the generally hollow body of the venturi member includes two first air entrainment windows spaced apart from one another by a pair of vertical walls and includes a second gas port connector spaced opposite the first gas port connector, the first and second gas port connectors being disposed adjacent the pair of vertical walls.

9. The venturi connector of claim 1, wherein the generally hollow body of the venturi member includes two first air entrainment windows spaced apart from one another by a pair of vertical walls and includes a second gas port connector spaced opposite the first gas port connector, the first and second gas port connectors being disposed offset from the pair of vertical walls and within the two first air entrainment windows.

18. The venturi connector of claim 1, further including a second gas port connector that is spaced from the first gas port connector and positioned parallel thereto such that the first and second gas port connectors have a first portion disposed inside the venturi member and a second portion that lies outside the hollow venture member, the first and second portions of the first and second gas port connectors being parallel to one another, the first and second gas port connectors being fluidly connected to the same gas source, wherein an orifice formed in the first gas port connector at a first end thereof defines a first gas flow rate and an orifice in the second gas port connector at a first end thereof defines a second gas flow rate which is different from the first gas flow rate, wherein the first ends of the first and second gas port connectors are located in a same transverse plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

10. A venturi connector comprising:

a hollow venturi member for connection to a source of gas and defined by a body that includes at least a first gas port connector at one end of the body for connection to a gas source, the hollow body further including;

(1) a first air entrainment window that always remains open and is proximate a first open end of the first gas port connector so as to create a venturi structure, the first air entrainment window being open to atmospheric air to allow air to mix with gas from the gas source; and

(2) a second air entrainment window that is spaced longitudinally downstream of the first air entrainment window and includes a mechanism for closing the second air entrainment window, thereby changing a degree at which the second air entrainment window is open resulting in a change in a flow rate of the air flowing through the second air entrainment window, wherein a gas flow path is defined along a longitudinal axis of the hollow venturi member as gas flows at least partially by the first air entrainment window and by the second air entrainment window, wherein the mechanism for closing the second air entrainment window is spaced from and does not overlie the first entrainment window; and

wherein the mechanism comprises a movable shutter that rotates about the hollow body and includes a shutter opening, the shutter moving between (1) a first position in which the second air entrainment window and the shutter opening are in full registration allowing atmospheric air to flow therethrough, thereby representing a fully open position of the second air entrainment window; and

(2) a second position in which the second air entrainment window and the shutter opening are completely offset from one another, thereby representing a fully closed position of the second air entrainment window.

11. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein the first gas port connector comprises a tubular structure that has a second open end for connection to the gas source and the first open end includes an orifice having a selected diameter to meter the flow of gas therethrough.

12. The venturi connector of claim 10, further including a second gas port connector that is spaced from the first gas port connector and positioned parallel thereto such that the first and second gas port connectors have a first portion disposed inside the hollow venturi member and a second portion that lies outside the hollow venture member, the first and second portions of the first and second gas port connectors being parallel to one another, the first and second gas port connectors being fluidly connected to the same gas source, wherein an orifice formed in the first gas port connector at a first end thereof defines a first gas flow rate and an orifice in the second gas port connector at a first end thereof defines a second gas flow rate which is different from the first gas flow rate, wherein the first ends of the first and second gas port connectors are located in a same transverse plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

13. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein the hollow body includes two first air entrainment windows that are spaced apart from one another and a top edge of the first gas port connector lies in a horizontal plane that intersects each of the two first air entrainment windows between top and bottom edges thereof.

14. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein the hollow body includes two first air entrainment windows spaced apart from one another by a pair of vertical walls and includes a second gas port connector spaced opposite the first gas port connector, the first and second gas port connectors being disposed adjacent the pair of vertical walls.

15. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the first air entrainment window is located upstream of the first open end of the gas port connector.

16. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein the movable shutter includes an indicator member that extends downwardly therefrom and the hollow body includes gas concentration markings, wherein the movable shutter can be rotated until the indicator member points to one of the gas concentration markings which represents the gas concentration value for the gas that exits the hollow body.

17. The venturi connector of claim 10, wherein the hollow body includes an end portion at another end opposite the one end that contains the first gas port connector, the end portion being longitudinally downstream of the second air entrainment window and is configured to be attached to a fluid connector for delivering air entrained gas to a patient interface device.