Surgery – Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer – Gas stream aspirating medicament from reservoir
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-14
2002-01-22
Weiss, John G. (Department: 3761)
Surgery
Liquid medicament atomizer or sprayer
Gas stream aspirating medicament from reservoir
C128S200190, C128S200220, C128S203120, C128S203140, C128S203280, C128S203290, C128S204280, C128S205130, C128S205170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340023
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rebreather nebulizer devices, and more particularly to rebreather nebulizer devices which simultaneously provide highly concentrated levels of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas. More specifically, the present invention relates to rebreather nebulizer devices that simultaneously provide highly concentrated levels of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas while ensuring more effective operation of the nebulizer.
2. Prior Art
Patients suffering from a number of severe respiratory conditions may require elevated levels of oxygen and/or respiratory therapy in which a medicant is inhaled by the patient using a nebulizer. Equipment well known in the art, such as a Gin nebulizer, can deliver up to one hundred percent oxygen to a patient in order to meet the patient's respiratory demands. In fact, oxygen flow rates of up to eighty liters per minute may be delivered to the patient by these systems.
Drug nebulizers may also be used to provide therapy to patients having severe respiratory illnesses. Typically, drug nebulizers include a bowl in which a liquid medicant is placed and aerosolized using a pressurized flow of gas. Utilizing the Bernoulli principle, liquid is drawn through an aspirator tube into the path of a high velocity pressurized gas which renders the liquid into a fine mist. Inertial forces then cause the mist to flow out of the nebulizer through a delivery system and to the patient. Nebulized medicant delivery is a preferred method of delivery to a patient because the smaller particles of medicant can be more effectively delivered to a patient's lungs.
However, problems can occur when a doctor orders drug nebulizer treatments for a patient that also requires high concentrations of oxygen because conventional drug nebulizers can only deliver less than half the oxygen required by the patient which would result in an undesirable drop in a patient's blood oxygen level. To avoid endangering the patient, drug nebulizer treatments are provided in-line with high flow oxygen delivery systems. Although such an arrangement maintains the desired blood oxygen levels of the patient, the actual amount of medicant delivered by the drug nebulizer is highly diluted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,551 to Hilliard discloses a non-rebreather oxygen mask in communication with a nebulizer unit wherein oxygen and an aerosolized medicant are separately delivered to the mask through a one-way valve. While the one-way valve prevents the flow of aerosolized medicant and oxygen to a patient during the patient's exhalation, the concentration of aerosolized medicant delivered to the patient is diluted. Moreover, because the nebulizer is not directly in-line with a patient's nasal passageway, the one-way valve reduces the amount and effective delivery of aerosolized medicant to the patient.
Another advancement in the art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,027 to Laanen et al. which discloses a reservoir bag connected in series to both a drug nebulizer and a mask having an inlet with a one-way valve. The Laanen reference discloses a single oxygen source which simultaneously delivers high concentrations of oxygen and aerosolized medicant through the one-way valve. However, the use of a one-way valve has multiple disadvantages. First, due to the increased amount of oxygen flow through the nebulizer that is required to satisfy a patient's oxygen level needs, the medicant may be “blown out” of the nebulizer bowl, thereby rendering it unavailable for delivery to a patient. Further, the medicant may be delivered too quickly to the patient, which greatly reduces the intended benefits to the patient. Also, the oxygen being delivered to the patient may be forced into a turbulent flow condition due to the heightened pressure fluctuations caused by the one-way valve which adversely affects the size of the aerosolized medicant particles and results in a less effective delivery of the medicant to the patient. In addition to disrupting the flow of aerosolized medicant particles, a portion of these particles may be deposited on the surface of the one-way valve, thereby further decreasing the effectiveness of the nebulizer. Pronounced pressure fluctuations may also dislodge the connection between the pressurized oxygen source and the nebulizer with potentially tragic results.
Therefore, there appears a need in the art for a rebreather nebulizer device that simultaneously provides highly concentrated levels of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas while additionally ensuring effective unobstructed operation of the nebulizer without the use of valves or the like to control the flow of fluid to the patient.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a rebreather nebulizer device that simultaneously provides highly concentrated levels of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rebreather nebulizer device that simultaneously provides highly concentrated levels of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas while additionally ensuring effective operation of the nebulizer.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rebreather nebulizer device that is compatible with conventional nebulizers.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a rebreather nebulizer device that may be used with a second pressurized gas source.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a rebreather nebulizer device that does not require the use of valves to control the flow of liquid and gas to the patient.
These and other objects of the present invention are realized in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, described by way of example and not by way of limitation, which provides for a rebreather nebulizer device having a novel free flow connection between a mask passageway and collapsible membrane.
In brief summary, the present invention overcomes and substantially alleviates the deficiencies in the prior art by providing an apparatus for delivering a highly concentrated mixture of aerosolized liquid and pressurized gas to a patient. The apparatus comprises a collapsible membrane defining a chamber therein with the membrane further including a first opening and a second opening in communication with the chamber, a mask defining an enclosure having a first passageway in communication with the first opening of the membrane, and a nebulizer having a body defining a reservoir for holding liquid therein with the body including an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice which communicates with the second opening. A pressurized gas source containing a pressurized gas in communication with the inlet orifice of the nebulizer is provided for mixing with the liquid inside the nebulizer. When the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas source enters the nebulizer, the pressurized gas mixes to form a mixture with the liquid inside the reservoir of the nebulizer. The mixture is then forced from the reservoir to the chamber of the membrane before freely communicating in either direction between the chamber and the mask.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following more detailed description and drawings in which like elements of the invention are similarly numbered throughout.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3667463 (1972-06-01), Barnes
patent: 3769973 (1973-11-01), Esbenshade, Jr.
patent: 4865027 (1989-09-01), Laanen et al.
patent: 4886055 (1989-12-01), Hoppough
patent: 5277175 (1994-01-01), Riggs et al.
patent: 5586551 (1996-12-01), Hilliard
patent: 5701886 (1997-12-01), Ryatt
Erezo Darwin P.
Greensfelder Hemker & Gale, P.C.
Weiss John G.
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