Surgery – Respiratory method or device – Means using rescuer's breath for supplying respiratory gas...
Patent
1995-08-15
1999-03-16
Weiss, John G.
Surgery
Respiratory method or device
Means using rescuer's breath for supplying respiratory gas...
12820524, A61M 1600
Patent
active
058817182
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a valve intended to be used in particular in inhalation devices having a container, a so called spacer. The valve has a housing comprising a first part which is adapted to be mounted on an outlet opening of the body of the inhalation device, a second part on which a mouthpiece or a face mask can be mounted, said first and second parts being provided with a bore defining an inhalation channel, a first membrane provided in the inhalation channel and a second membrane.
In particular the invention relates to a spacer device to be attached to a metered dose inhaler, a so called aerosol device for use in the treatment of infants and young children.
When dealing with bronchial diseases, such as bronchitis and asthma, among young children and infants, it is a problem to make them inhale the medical substances. When asthma for example makes its debut among young children such as infants from 6 months up to 4.5-5 years it is especially difficult to make the infant inhale the prescribed medical substances correctly in the proper way. It is also a want among the parents that the used devices should be as easy to use as possible.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Persons suffering from bronchial diseases such as asthma, have a limited lung capacity and the force of the breath is limited. This is even more apparent when the patient is a small child or an infant.
It is therefore of utmost importance that a device which is intended to be used by a small child or an infant is constructed in a manner which reduces the inhalation force and capacity needed to inhale the required amount of substance. It is also important that the tidal volume is small and that the dead space i.e. the space defined between the spacer outlet/valve inlet and the valve outlet/mouth piece/face mask is as small as possible in order to avoid or at least minimize the rebreathing of the exhalation air, e.g. CO.sub.2.
It is therefore important that the valve mounted in the spacer at its outlet opening is constructed in a manner giving the smallest possible resistance and the minimal dead space and that it works in the required manner even when subjected to weak inhalation forces.
PRIOR ART
Several different devices have been developed to be used for inhalation treatment in small children and infants. Most of them are stationary devices which have to be placed in hospitals and which are expensive and complicated. They are often acting with pumps providing an airflow for the infant to inhale which means that no force at all is needed from the infant. These devices have shown to be very good. A stationary device shows a lot of drawbacks for the user and in the case of small children and infants for the parents as well. As the inhalation capacity of an infant is limited, the administration will be time consuming, which of course also is inconvenient.
Devices known in the prior art are provided with one way valves to prevent exhalation air from entering into the spacer body. These valves require a certain inhalation flow to open and a small child or infant is not capable to generate the required inhalation flow to open the valve in the proper way.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,803 a spacer is described having a thin diaphragm of plastic or elastomeric material provided in the inhalation channel acting as an inhalation valve and an exhalation valve located in a specially designed face mask. No special efforts have been taken in order to minimize the dead space within the valve and this device is not designed to be used by small children or infants.
In GB 2 230 456 a spacer for small children is described. It is provided with an inhalation valve and an exhalation valve. The inhalation valve comprises a disk which is biased into a closed position in which it bears against an annular seat by means of a spring.
Other types of inhalation valves could be used such as for example a cone-diaphragm valve. The inhalation valve should be constructed in such a manner that it opens as soon as the pressure on the outlet side is
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Mortensen Preben Korntved
Waldorff Stig
Astra Aktiebolag
Scrivastava V.
Weiss John G.
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