PATIENT VALVE FOR VENTILATING A PATIENT WITH A VENTILATOR

Abstract

A patient valve for ventilating a patient with a ventilator, including a first valve element having at least one connection, wherein the at least one connection is oriented with the central axis thereof at an angle deviating from the vertical position in relation to the patient valve central axis, such that a shortened patient valve having a reduced dead space volume is supported.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A patient valve for ventilating a patient with a ventilator, comprising a first valve element with at least one port having a central axis, wherein the at least one port is oriented so that the central axis is at an angle deviating from a vertical position in relation to a central axis of the patient valve so that a patient valve of reduced length is supported with a reduced dead space volume.

23. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the angle is in an angle range of about 25 degrees to about 75 degrees between the port central axis and the patient valve central axis.

24. The patient valve according to claim 23, wherein the angle is in an angle range of about 30 degrees to about 50 degrees between the port central axis and the patient valve central axis.

25. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the at least one port includes a first port and a further port in alignment in a longitudinal direction of the patient valve or oriented at an angle to each other in a circumferential direction.

26. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the at least one port is a CO2 measurement port.

27. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the at least one port is an airway pressure measurement port.

28. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the at least one port is an oxygen supply port.

29. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the first valve element has a pressure control element.

30. The patient valve according to claim 29, wherein the pressure control element has a cover that is coupled by a snap-fit connection and is configured to be secure against rotation.

31. The patient valve according to claim 29, wherein the pressure control element has a control membrane.

32. The patient valve according to claim 31, wherein the control membrane is a PEEP control membrane.

33. The patient valve according to claim 31, further comprising a control inlet port via which pressure is applicable to the control membrane.

34. The patient valve according to claim 33, further comprising at least one second valve element, wherein the first valve element is couplable to the at least one second valve element at a connection site.

35. The patient valve according to claim 34, wherein the connection site has a partition plane.

36. The patient valve according to claim 34, wherein the connection site is configured as a cone.

37. The patient valve according to claim 34, wherein the at least one second valve element has at least one control port, the control inlet port of the pressure control element being operatively connectable to the control port so that pressure is applyable to the control membrane.

38. The patient valve according to claim 37, further comprising a control line that provides the operative connection.

39. The patient valve according to claim 34, wherein the second valve element has at least one oxygen supply port so that oxygen is introducable in any desired concentrated form into the second valve element.

40. The patient valve according to claim 34, wherein the second valve element has at least one check membrane axially positioned at a front end in the second valve element so that the dead space volume that forms is at least reduced.

41. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the patient valve is configured as a disposable, single-use valve.

42. The patient valve according to claim 22, wherein the patient valve is an exhalation valve.

Description

[0028] Illustrative embodiments of the invention are depicted in the drawings, in which:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a first possible embodiment of the patient valve (1) according to the invention, with pressure regulation port (50, 51) connected to integrated pressure tap (50, 52) and oxygen supply (50, 55),

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a further possible variant of the patient valve (1) according to the invention, with pressure regulation port (50, 51) and without oxygen supply (50, 55) and also without integrated pressure tap (50, 52), and

[0031] FIG. 3 shows the sectional view of the patient valve (1) according to the invention from FIG. 1, with pressure regulation port (50, 51) connected to integrated pressure tap (50, 52) and oxygen supply (50, 55).

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of a first possible embodiment of the patient valve (1) according to the invention in a multi-part variant. The patient valve (1) is configured here as an exhalation valve and is formed by a first valve element (10) and a second valve element (20) in combination with a pressure control element (40). The pressure control element (40) is an integral component part of the first valve element (10), such that the example of the patient valve (1) in this variant is in two parts and is configured with a connection site (30). One-part and/or at least three-part embodiments are also possible.

[0033] The pressure control element (40) is here configured with a pressure regulation port (50, 51), which is operatively connected via a control line (41) to an integrated pressure tap (50, 52), with which the second valve element (20) is provided in this variant.

[0034] In this example of a patient valve (1), a variant of the second valve element (20) is used that has an oxygen supply (50, 55). The attachment of a breathing hose and/or of a blind plug is assisted by the attachment piece (21) provided.

[0035] The one-piece combination, shown in FIG. 1, of the first valve element (10) with the pressure control element (40) is coupled to the second valve element (20) via a connection site (30). The connection site (30) with its partition plane (31) is configured in such a way that, instead of the second valve element (20), it is possible for different second valve elements (20) or a blind plug to be coupled in modular fashion.

[0036] The one-piece illustrative embodiment of the first valve element (10) with pressure control element (40) has at least one port (50) of angled shape, that is to say at an angle deviating from the vertical in relation to the patient valve central axis. By virtue of the design according to the invention, the patient valve can be shorter and in this way supports the reduction of dead space. Ports (50) can be provided as CO2 measurement port (53) and/or as airway pressure measurement port (54).

[0037] The first valve element (10) generally has an airway attachment region (11), which is often conically shaped, and also a collar (12), which serves as an axial bearing shoulder for an interface, a hose or a sleeve.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a further possible variant of the patient valve (1) according to the invention, with pressure regulation port (50, 51) and without oxygen supply and also without integrated pressure tap. This variant illustrates the possible modularity of differently configured first and/or second valve elements (10, 20), by means of the connection site (30) adapted to different variants.

[0039] FIG. 3 comprises the three-dimensional sectional view of the patient valve (1) according to the invention from FIG. 1, with pressure regulation port (50, 51) connected to integrated pressure tap (50, 52) and oxygen supply (50, 55). This variant of the patient valve (1) is designed as an exhalation valve and has a pressure control element (40), which is equipped with a control membrane (44). At the airway side, the control membrane (44) is acted upon by the respiratory pressure or the exhalation pressure. At the control side, the control pressure applies via the control pressure outlet (52) and the control line (41) and the control inlet (51). Optionally, and as shown in this example, a throttle (56) can be provided in the control outlet (52).

[0040] The control membrane (44) can be configured as a PEEP membrane or can be realized functionally as such, so that the lowest pressure value of a respiratory cycle at the end of the expiration in the lung constitutes the control basis. PEEP stands for positive end expiratory pressure.

[0041] The pressure control element (40), configured as a housing around the control membrane (44), has a cover (42), which is coupled by a snap-fit connection (43) and is configured to be secure against rotation, in order to simplify assembly and prevent incorrect fitting.

[0042] The illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 3 has, in the second valve element (20), a check membrane (22) which prevents rebreathing into the ventilation hose or into the second valve element (20). The check membrane (22) is positioned axially at the front end in the second valve element (20), in such a way that the dead space volume (VT) that forms is at least reduced. In this way, a reduction of dead space is obtained that is in addition to the dead space reduction obtained through the reduced length of the patient valve (1) by virtue of the geometric configuration of the at least one port (50) in an angled shape.

[0043] In order to prevent incorrect fitting, the connection site (30) of this illustrative embodiment is configured as an error-proofing cone (32). In order to couple the two valve elements (10, 20), in the first step the connection is produced at the connection site (30) by pushing said valve elements axially one into the other, and, in the second step, the control line (41) is connected to the ports (51, 52).