Ventilation device

• US 7,909,032 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Loewenstein Medical Technology S.A.
• Original Assignee: Weinmann Gerate Fur Medizin GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Hein, Stefan, Feldhahn, Karl Andreas, Ress, Thomas, Kluin, Christian, Wedler, Wolfgang, Pulla, Matthias, Gardein, Joachim, Göbel, Christof, Herrmann, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US11/496,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20070193580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,697 Days
• Field of Search: 128/204.14, 128/200.24, 128/203.16, 128/203.17, 128/204.17, 128/203.27, 128/203.12, 128/200.11
• US Class Current: 128/204.14
• 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 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/021 operated by electrical means A61M16/202 – A61M16/205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0816 Joints or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0858 Pressure sampling ports
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/42 Reducing noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2206/14 Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 Docking stations

Abstract

A ventilator with integrated breathing air humidifier has at least two defined air pathways provided in the breathing air humidifier, wherein the breathing air humidifier is installed and fixed on a horizontal surface of the ventilator. The ventilator with integratable breathing air humidifier has a breathing air humidifier with at least a top part and a bottom part, wherein a water reservoir is provided in the bottom part, and wherein the top part cannot be removed from the bottom part when the unit is in at least one operating mode. The ventilator may have an air humidifier with at least one water reservoir, and at least one filing device for the water reservoir in the breathing air humidifier, wherein the filing device can be operated with one hand and/or opened with one hand.

Claims

1. A ventilator with integratable breathing air humidifier, comprising at least two defined air pathways provided in a region of the breathing air humidifier, and a sound-damping box, and combined with a breathing air humidifier or a dummy element, wherein the dummy element has sound-damping properties.

2. The ventilator with integratable breathing air humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the breathing air humidifier can be installed and fixed on a horizontal surface of the ventilator.

3. The ventilator with integratable breathing air humidifier according to claim 1, comprising a breathing air humidifier having at least a top part and a bottom part, and a water reservoir provided in the bottom part, wherein the top part cannot be removed from the bottom part when the unit is in at least one operating mode.

4. The ventilator with breathing air humidifier according to claim 1, at least one water reservoir, and at least one filling device for the water reservoir in the breathing air humidifier, wherein the filling device can be operated with one hand and/or opened with one hand.

5. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein the air is diverted in the horizontal and/or vertical direction at least twice by more than 80°

±

10°

inside the sound-damping box.

6. The ventilator with a breathing air humidifier according to claim 1, and further compromising at least one connecting element for connecting to a breathing hose, wherein the connecting element holds the breathing air humidifier in place on the ventilator.

7. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein the sound-damping box comprises at least two modules.

8. The ventilator according to claim 7, wherein the modules have openings which define air -conducting and/or sound-damping areas.

9. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein the sound-damping box is made essentially of plastic material.

10. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein indrawn air is diverted at least once from the horizontal to the vertical direction or at least once from the vertical direction, to the horizontal direction in the sound-damping box.

11. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein at least two sound-damping principles are realized in the ventilator.

12. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein at least one blower is mounted in the ventilator by means of elastomeric elements.

13. The ventilator according to claim 1, wherein at least one blower is fastened in place in the ventilator by suspension from above.

14. The ventilator with an air humidifier according to claim 1, wherein, in the housing of the ventilator, a receptacle is provided into which at least part of the air humidifier is inserted, and which has at least one connecting element for the functional connection of the air humidifier to the ventilator.

15. The ventilator according to claim 1, with a receptacle to receive a breathing air humidifier, wherein, in the area of the opening, a dummy element is provided, which, in the area of the receptacle, has a connecting channel for connecting a breathing gas intake line to a breathing gas discharge line, and wherein a surface contour of the dummy element merges continuously with the surface contour of a housing of the ventilator.

16. The ventilator according to claim 1, comprising a receptacle for either a breathing air humidifier or a dummy element, characterized in that both the dummy element and the breathing air humidifier have a configuration which allows them to be connected to a locking element, which holds the module-like dummy element or breathing air humidifier in place in the area of the receptacle and which is designed for single-handed operation.

17. The ventilator according to claim 1, comprising a blower installed in a sound-damping box positioned inside a housing of the ventilator and supported elastically with respect to the ventilator housing, wherein the sound-damping box is semi-enclosed.

18. The ventilator with a sound-damping box positioned inside a ventilator housing according to claim 17, wherein the sound-damping box is semi-enclosed, and open areas of the sound-damping box can be closed off by sound-damping material.

19. The sound-damping box according to claim 18 which is closed off in the delivery area and open in the intake area, and in which a sealing action is created in the intake area in combination with the overall design, whereas the box is leak-tight in itself in the delivery area.

20. The sound-damping box according to claim 19 which is completely closed in the area of high or positive pressures, wherein, in the intake area, a combination with at least one other structural element is required to provide a closed structure and flow guidance.

21. The ventilator according to claim 1 with a breathing gas blower, which is supported elastically, wherein the elastic support is comprised of at least one pin made of elastomeric material, which has a retaining profile, into which a mating profile of the blower engages.

22. The ventilator with a breathing air humidifier according to claim 1, wherein the ventilator has a pressure-measuring connection located downstream of the humidifier.

23. The ventilator according to claim 1, comprising a dummy element for replacing a breathing air humidifier, wherein the ventilator has a pressure measurement connection located in the outlet area of the dummy element.

24. The ventilator according to claim 1, comprising a breathing air humidifier which consists of a bottom part and a top part, wherein the top part has an external contour such that, after the top part and the bottom part have been assembled and installed so that the ventilator is operational, the components cannot be separated from each other.

25. The ventilator according to claim 1, combined with either a breathing air humidifier or a dummy element, further comprising a pressure sensor mounted on a control circuit board of the ventilator and connected to a measurement site through a pressure measurement line.

26. The ventilator according to claim 1 with an air intake, wherein the air intake being located in a rear area of the unit and provided with a cover cap, configured to serve both as an appearance panel and as a sound-damping element.

27. The ventilator according to claim 1 with an interior space enclosed by an equipment housing, wherein at least one structural element is mounted on a sound-damping support, wherein the sound-damping support has at least one opening, and wherein at least one marking corresponding to the opening is provided on the mounting surface provided for the sound-damping element.

28. The ventilator according to claim 1 having at least two vertical planes, where at least one of the planes is subjected to gas of a higher pressure.

29. The humidifier according to claim 14 with vertical, flow-carrying elements, which are located in the center of the humidifying chamber to prevent or to reduce the intrusion of water into the unit and/or into the patient hose in the event that the unit tips.

30. The ventilator according to claim 1 with humidifier, wherein the humidifier is held in place by means of at least one connecting element in the area of the ventilator and in that the connecting element also serves to attach the hose.

31. The ventilator according to claim 1 in which a ventilating hose is connected to the ventilator by means of at least one connecting element, wherein the connecting element (4) has a hose area (24), which is connected to the hose (5), and a unit area, which is connected to the ventilator.

32. The ventilator according to claim 1 having an opening for a connecting element for rapid, one-handed connection of a ventilator hose to the ventilator by means of the connecting element, wherein the connecting element (4) has a hose area (24), which is connected to the hose (5), where, via the actuation of an operating element (13), a functional part (30) of the connecting element is locked and/or unlocked in an opening in the ventilator, and thus the connecting element (4), with hose connected, is attached and detached from the ventilator.