AEROSOLISED MEDICATION OF VENTILATED PATIENTS WITH MINIMISED DEAD VOLUME

Abstract

A coupling part with integrated aerosol generator for use in a breathing circuit, comprising a housing (10) enclosing a cavity (V), having a first opening at a first end prepared for direct or indirect connection to a ventilator, a second opening at a second end, which is suitable for direct or indirect connection to a patient line or an endotracheal tube, wherein an aerosol generator (20) is integrated in one side of the housing and is suitable for delivering an aerosolised liquid, in particular a medicament.

Claims

1. A coupling part for use in a breathing circuit, comprising: a housing enclosing a cavity, having a first opening at a first end prepared for direct or indirect connection to a ventilator, a second opening at a second end which is suitable for direct or indirect connection to a patient line or an endotracheal tube, an aerosol generator is integrated in one side of the housing and is suitable for delivering an aerosolised liquid.

2. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator comprises a piezoceramic.

3. The coupling part claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aerosol generator comprises a mesh membrane.

4. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator has a cross section which corresponds in shape and size to a cross section of the cavity.

5. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein that an additional volume construction-conditioned by addition of the aerosol generator, is less than or equal to about 1/10 of the total volume of the cavity.

6. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein an additional volume, construction-conditioned by addition of the aerosol generator, is less than or equal to about 1/10 of the total volume of the cavity, and wherein the additional volume is less than or equal to about 1 ml of the total volume of the cavity.

7. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cross section of the cavity and/or the first or the second opening is/are round.

8. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second end are substantially hollow cylindrical in shape.

9. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second end have different diameters.

10. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second end form an angle between 90° and 180°.

11. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second end form a T-piece together with a third end formed by the aerosol generator.

12. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is provided a medicament reservoir.

13. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator has an interface, for connection to a control unit.

14. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator has an interface, for connection to a control unit, and wherein the interface is a USB interface.

15. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aerosol generator is positioned approximately diametrically opposite the second opening.

16. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, further comprising connections for other devices.

17. The claim 1, wherein the aerosolised liquid contains a medicament.

18. Use of a coupling part with integrated aerosol generator as claimed in claim 1 in a breathing circuit for the artificial ventilation of a patient, wherein the patient is a new-born or premature baby.

19. The coupling part as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second end form an angle between 90° and 120°.

20. A coupling part with integrated aerosol generator for use in a breathing circuit, comprising: a housing enclosing a cavity, and comprising: a first opening at a first end prepared for direct or indirect connection to a ventilator, and a second opening at a second end which is suitable for direct or indirect connection to a patient line or an endotracheal tube, an aerosol generator integrated in one side of the housing and being suitable for delivering an aerosolised liquid, wherein: an additional volume, construction-conditioned by addition of the aerosol generator, is less than or equal to about 1/10 of the total volume of the cavity, the first and the second openings form an angle between 90° and 120°, and the aerosol generator is positioned approximately diametrically opposite the second opening.

21. A breathing circuit comprising: a ventilator, a patient line or endotracheal tube, a coupling part comprising: a housing enclosing a cavity, and comprising: a first opening at a first end prepared for directly or indirectly connected to the ventilator, and a second opening at a second end directly or indirectly connected to the patient line or an endotracheal tube, an aerosol generator integrated in one side of the housing for delivering an aerosolised liquid, wherein: an additional volume of the coupling part, construction-conditioned by addition of the aerosol generator, is less than or equal to about 1/10 of the total volume of the cavity, the first and the second openings form an angle between 90° and 120°, and the aerosol generator is positioned approximately diametrically opposite the second opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:—

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a perspective longitudinal section through a preferred embodiment of the coupling part in accordance with the invention;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a perspective external view of the coupling part from FIG. 1; and

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of a breathing circuit using a coupling part in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a preferred embodiment of a coupling part in accordance with the invention. A coupling part 100 consists of a T-piece-shaped housing 10, with a first hollow-cylindrical end 11, a second hollow-cylindrical end 12 and a third end 13, the latter being formed as a partially double-walled hollow cylinder. The first and second ends each have a round opening 110, 120, through which breathing gas can flow into and through the inner space V enclosed by the housing 10. Connected to the inner hollow cylinder of the third end 13 and thus integrated in one side of the coupling part is an aerosol generator 20 in the form of a mesh nebuliser comprising a piezoceramic and thus a mechanically coupled membrane. Located on the input side of the aerosol generator is a medicament reservoir 21. The volume V′ added to the inner space V owing to the construction due to the integration of the aerosol generator 20 is only about one tenth of the total volume V, which is slightly less than one millilitre. An interface 22 for connection to a control unit is likewise provided for the purpose of electrically actuating the piezoceramic.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the coupling part from FIG. 1 in a perspective view approximately from the direction of the first end 11. The first and second ends are substantially formed as hollow cylinders, wherein the first end 11 has an outer diameter which corresponds approximately to the inner diameter of the second end 12, and in any case differs in size from the second end 12. As a result, incorrect connection of the coupling part in accordance with the invention is effectively prevented. The first and second ends form, according to the T-shaped design, an angle of 90°. By virtue of the fact that the aerosol generator 20 is integrated in the third limb 13 of the T-piece, it is achieved that the outlet direction thereof, i.e. the average momentum vector of the generated aerosol droplets, which is ideally formed by the normal to the output side of the mesh membrane in the illustrated design, extends out of the second opening 120 and furthermore coincides with the axial direction of the hollow-cylindrical second end 12. This advantageously has the effect that the aerosol emerging from the aerosol generator is introduced tangentially into the air flow during the inhalation process and thus the losses of aerosol in the form of deposits on the inner walls of the coupling part in accordance with the invention are minimised.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows the schematic structure of a breathing circuit using the coupling part in accordance with the invention. The coupling part 100 is connected at its first end to a Y-piece 200, which in turn is connected with its two other limbs to the corresponding inputs and outputs of the ventilator 300 via an inspiratory branch 210 and expiratory branch 220 with a filter 250 respectively. The endotracheal tube 400 is placed onto the second end of the coupling part 100. A control unit 500 is connected via the interface 22 to the aerosol generator integrated in the coupling part 100. The aerosol delivery can be controlled either triggered by a pressure measurement by a sensor 230 in the inspiratory circuit, or else a time-variable output signal of the ventilator 300 is used to synchronise the aerosolization with the breathing.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0042] 10 Housing, T-piece [0043] 11 First end [0044] 12 Second end [0045] 13 Third end/limb [0046] 20 Aerosol generator [0047] 21 Medicament reservoir [0048] 22 Interface [0049] 110 First opening [0050] 120 Second opening [0051] 100 Coupling part [0052] 200 Y-piece [0053] 210 Inspiratory branch [0054] 220 Expiratory branch [0055] 230 Sensor [0056] 250 Filter [0057] 300 Ventilator [0058] 400 Tube [0059] 500 Control

[0060] The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in detail.