Apparatus for independent ventilation of two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures

• US 4,598,706 A
• Filed: 02/27/1984
• Issued: 07/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ul. Polska Akademia Nauk Instytut Biocybernetyki I Inzynierii Biomedycznej Warszawa
• Original Assignee: Polska Akademia Nauk Instytut Biocybernetyki I Inzynierii Biomedycznej
• Inventors: Hedenstierna, Goran, Darowski, Marek
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Application Number:
  US06/584,122
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.18, 128/204.23, 128/204.24, 128/204.25, 128/204.26, 128/205.24, 128/207.14, 128/207.15, 128/205.23
• 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 16/0404 with means for selective or partial lung respiration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/042 with separate conduits for in-and expiration gas, e.g. for limited dead volume
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0486 Multi-lumen tracheal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0833 T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between lungs during their independent ventilation and connecting only one respirator with the lungs by means of a double-lumen bronchial tube. The apparatus comprises two parallel inspiratory paths and two parallel expiratory paths to separate gas flows between the respiratory and each of the lungs. Each path is connected to the double-lumen bronchial tube through inspiratory and expiratory branches respectively. One of the expiratory paths comprises a positive end-expiratory pressure valve to apply this pressure selectively, to one lung only. A threshold inspiratory valve is placed in one of the inspiratory paths having a common point with the expiratory path not containing the positive end-expiratory pressure valve. This threshold valve is connected in series with a pneumatic unidirectional valve and divides ventilation between the lungs and patterns optimal inspiratory flows. Pneumatic unidirectional valves are situated in both inspiratory and expiratory paths to prevent mixing of gases flowing through these paths.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising:

a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting means respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, one of the said expiratory branches being provided with a positive end-expiratory pressure valve to apply this pressure selectively to one lung only, a threshold inspiratory valve to control the distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern an increasing gas flow through one inspiratory branch and a decreasing inspiratory gas flow through the other inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being placed in one inspiratory branch having a common point with the expiratory branch not provided with the positive end-expiratory pressure valve, a pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in said one inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being connected in series with a pneumatic unidirectional valve to prevent mixing of gases flowing through said inspiratory branches, another pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in the second inspiratory branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing therethrough, one pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in each expiratory branch to enable an independent measurement of volumes of gas expired from each lung and a total ventilation measurement by the respirator, a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.

2. An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting said respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of the two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, at least one of said inspiratory branches having a threshold inspiratory valve to control distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern different inspiratory gas flows to each lung, said inspiratory and expiratory branches having pneumatic unidirectional valves, respectively, one in each branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing through these branches, two positive end-expiratory valves, one placed in each of said expiratory branches, respectively, to apply different positive end-expiratory pressures to each lung a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.