FILTERED RESPIRATION

Abstract

The present invention is directed to filtered respiration that can occur according to multiple facets. The present invention includes a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (“CPAP”) system, an adapter, and a CPAP interface. Other inventions disclosed herein relate to the modification of CPAP and BILEVEL-PAP systems into ventilators.

Claims

1. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system for a user in an ambient environment, said machine comprising: a gas motivator; a gas channel, affixed to said gas motivator, to accept and conduct pressurized gas; and a respiration interface, affixed to said gas channel both to accept pressurized gas and accept exhaled gas, dimensioned to sealingly connect to an airway of the user; and an adapter comprising respiratory outlet having a filter obstructing an exclusive passage of said exhaled gas from the user to the ambient environment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said respiratory outlet is positioned on said interface.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said respiratory outlet is positioned on said gas channel.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a liquid trap, between said respiratory outlet and the ambient environment, adapted to subject said exhaled gas to a barrier liquid.

5. The system of claim 5 wherein said liquid includes a disinfectant.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising an agitator adapted to contact said barrier liquid for the agitation thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface includes original exhalation apertures sealingly covered.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said respiratory outlet has a valve adapted to control a rate of exhausted air.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said valve is adjustable to vary said rate of exhausted air.

10. An adapter for filtering exhalation of a user in an ambient environment, said adapter comprising: an adapter body positioned between a gas motivator and a user interface, said body with a respiratory gas outlet having a filter obstructing an exclusive passage of exhaled gas from the user to the ambient environment.

11. The adapter of claim 10 further comprising an impediment array of at least one impediment adapted to seal pre-existing apertures between said ambient environment and the user to result in said exclusive passage.

12. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (“CPAP”) interface for a user in an ambient environment, said interface comprising: an interface body, adapted to accept pressurized gas from a CPAP gas motivator, dimensioned to sealingly connect to an airway of the user; and an adapter with a respiratory outlet having a filter obstructing an exclusive passage of exhaled gas from the user to the ambient environment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional CPAP system arrangement.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the system and process of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a conventional BILEVEL-PAP system arrangement.

[0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the system and process of the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the system and process of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the system and process of the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the system and process of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Referring first to FIG. 2, a basic embodiment of the system 100 is shown. A filter 160 may be placed over the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (“CPAP”) mask 140 vent (e.g. by taping a filter fabric over the vent). Alternatively, a seal 149, or other impediment, may be placed over the non-filtered exhaust on the CPAP mask 140 by applying a commercial adhesive such as silicone or hot glue or caulk or other construction adhesive available at a hardware store (e.g. Home Depot). Alternatively, tape 149 or any other mechanism may also be used to seal the non-filtered exhaust on the CPAP mask.

[0021] An adapter 142 with a filtered exhaust 160 is added to the system (e.g. tubing or mask) near the patient. If the exhaust were added far from the patient it would increase the amount of “Dead Space” i.e. air the patient is ventilating (moving) that is not available for O2/CO2 exchange. The filtered exhaust prevents virus infected droplets from being dispersed into the room. The filtered exhaust may be created using the following or other methods: adding a T-shaped connector in-line with the tubing near the patient; or adding a new hole or using an existing hole (e.g. oxygen ports) on the patient mask to create a new exhaust channel; adding a filter to that new exhaust channel such as the Hudson RCI Bacterial Viral Filter model #1605. Alternatively, exhausted air may be channeled through a water seal system which includes a disinfectant.

[0022] The water seal system may be mechanically or ultrasonically agitated so that bubbles of air are broken down within the water seal chamber and exposed to the detergent in the water seal. The water seal system may then have a filter above the air above the fluid so that there is yet another level of removal of infection from droplets rising above the water system.

[0023] Turning now to FIG. 4, a filter 160 may be placed over the adapter outlet 146 positioned on the mask vent (e.g. by taping a filter fabric over the vent). Alternatively, a seal 149 may be placed over the non-filtered exhaust on the mask by applying a commercial adhesive such as silicone or hot glue or caulk or other construction adhesive available at a hardware store (e.g. Home Depot). Alternatively, tape 149 or any other mechanism may also be used to seal the non-filtered exhaust on the mask.

[0024] An exhaust 146 with a filter 160 is added to the system (e.g. tubing or mask) as an adapter 142 near the patient. If the exhaust were added far from the patient it would increase the amount of “Dead Space” i.e. air the patient is ventilating (moving) that is not available for 02/CO2 exchange. The filtered exhaust prevents virus infected droplets from being dispersed into the room. The filtered exhaust may be created using the following or other methods: adding a T-shaped connector in-line with the tubing near the patient; or adding a new hole or using an existing hole (e.g. oxygen ports) on the patient mask to create a new exhaust channel; adding a filter to that new exhaust channel such as the Hudson RCI Bacterial Viral Filter model #1605.

[0025] Alternatively, exhausted air may be channeled through a water seal system which includes a disinfectant. The water seal system may be mechanically or ultrasonically agitated so that bubbles of air are broken down within the water seal chamber and exposed to the detergent in the water seal. The water seal system may then have a filter above the air above the fluid so that there is yet another level of removal of infection from droplets rising above the water system.

[0026] Turning now to FIG. 5, one may connect a pressurized oxygen supply, as available from a portable oxygen concentrator 150 or central supply in most hospitals, to the tubing 152 that leads to the channel 130.

[0027] Turning now to FIG. 6, an airway protection device as a user interface 140 that precludes oral secretions or other materials from the oropharynx or nasopharynx from entering the trachea is placed between the channel 130 and the user's trachea. Connecting the channel from the bi-level PAP machine to an endotracheal tube or a laryngeal mask or a tracheostomy tube or other portal may aid in ventilating users' lungs more directly.

[0028] Turning now to FIG. 7, while some Bi-Level PAP machines may be programmed to have a “backup rate” whereby they initiate inspiration after a predefined number of seconds if the patient has not initiated inspiration spontaneously, the vast majority of bi-level PAP machines that have been sold over the last decade in the US or the world do not have this functionality. However, ordinary bi-level PAP machines can be triggered to initiate an inspiration by mimicking the subtle decrease in pressure that the machine normally senses when a patient spontaneously initiates a breath.

[0029] This subtle decrease in pressure can be mimicked by introducing a very brief (e.g. 100 msec) leak in the tubing circuit near the machine. If the leak is introduced near the motivator 120b, then the tube will not have any infected air that the patient had exhaled. To increase safety, a filter may 160 be placed around the area where the leak is created. One may place a T-shaped connector in-line with the tubing 130 near the machine 120b. One may place a valve 134 on the part of the “T” that is not in-line with the tubing (e.g. a solenoid valve or a rotating disc valve or other type of valve). One may place a controller 170 in communication with the valve 134 that opens the valve (e.g. for 100 ms to 2000 ms) at regular intervals (e.g. every 4 seconds) so that the bi-level PAP machine senses a decrease in pressure that triggers the bi-level PAP machine to initiate a breath. The controller may be built using a digital microprocessor controller or a simple timer chip such as the 555 timer chip introduced by SIGNETICS in 1972 or a mechanical timer.

[0030] Alternatively, a mechanical timer such as that used in a pulsating shower head may be used to intermittently allow and obstruct the leak (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,914, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Alternatively, a pressure transducer (e.g. piezoelectric crystal) operatively connected to a microcomputer 170 may be used to determine if the patient has spontaneously triggered a breath within the last four seconds (or some other time) and if not, then trigger a breath by opening the solenoid valve. The timer controlled valve may be powered by a battery or by splitting the power supply to the bi-level PAP machine. The microcontroller may be powered by a battery or by splitting the power supply to the bi-level PAP machine. So that a full breath is delivered when the valve opens, a T.sub.min minimum (minimum inspiratory time) and a Tmax maximum will need to be set on the bilevel flow generator (e.g. two seconds of minimum inspiratory time and two seconds of maximum inspiratory time).

[0031] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions would be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0032] A novel method of reducing infection spread when a CPAP machine is used by a patient with an infection. This is especially important in nursing homes, hospitals, recovery rooms, emergency rooms and ICU settings to avoid infecting other healthcare workers or patients or surfaces.

[0033] A novel method of reducing infection spread when a BilevelPAP machine is used by a patient with an infection. This is especially important in nursing homes, hospitals, recovery rooms, emergency rooms and ICU settings to avoid infecting other healthcare workers or patients or surfaces.

[0034] A novel method of reducing infection spread when a BilevelPAP machine is used as a ventilator. This is especially important in nursing homes, hospitals, recovery rooms, emergency rooms and ICU settings to avoid infecting other healthcare workers or patients or surfaces.

[0035] A novel method of providing supplemental oxygen to patients using a bi-level PAP device converted to a ventilator.

[0036] A novel method of causing a BilevelPAP machine without a backup respiratory rate to have a backup respiratory rate.