AIR IMPELLER DEVICE FOR PROVIDING ASSISTED VENTILATION DURING SPONTANEOUS BREATHING

Abstract

Air impeller devices for providing assisted ventilation during spontaneous breathing are described. The devices include a motor; a fan driven by the motor, and a casing defining a housing for the fan. The housing is connectable through a single inlet and outlet port to a respiratory mask, wherein a pressure inside the housing is adjustable according to a rotational speed of the fan such that, in use, an inspiration air flow and an exhalation air flow circulate substantially through the inlet and outlet port. A kit including such an air impeller device and a respiratory mask is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An air impeller device for providing assisted ventilation by a nasal mask during spontaneous breathing comprising: a motor; a fan driven by the motor; and a casing defining a housing for the fan, the housing being connectable through a single inlet and outlet port to a respiratory nasal mask, wherein a pressure and an airflow circulation direction inside and through the housing-are adjustable according to a rotational speed of the fan such that, in use, an inspiration air flow and an exhalation air flow circulate substantially through the single inlet and outlet port and through the fan.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan comprises a plurality of blades, the blades comprising an outlet angle higher than 90.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the single inlet and outlet port is configured to be connected to a mask that does not have vent openings.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the single inlet and outlet port comprises a frusto-conical coupling.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the single inlet and outlet port comprises circular sections whose diameter ranges between 10 mm and 40 mm.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the single inlet and outlet port is a piping/plumbing fitting made of polymeric material.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan drives the inspiration air flow at a pressure such that, in use, inside the mask, the inspiration air flow has a pressure ranging between 0 and 30 cm H.sub.2O.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan is a radial fan.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the fan is mounted within the housing by a coupling system made of clips that allow dismantling of the fan from the housing.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an electronic control and power supply board configured to engage with the casing.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the electronic control and power supply board comprises a communication interface.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the electronic control and power supply board comprises a microprocessor.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors selected from the group consisting CO.sub.2 sensors, O.sub.2 sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors and flow sensors, the sensors being attachable to the single inlet and outlet port.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an adaptive bi-level control.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more sensors are connected to the electronic control and power supply board.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the single inlet and outlet port is provided with an inlet port for coupling a nebulizer.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the electronic control and power supply board comprises a microphone and/or a loudspeaker.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a spiral shape.

19. A kit comprising a respiratory nasal mask and an air impeller device according to claim 1, wherein the air impeller device is coupled to the respiratory nasal mask through the single inlet and outlet port.

20. (canceled)

21. The kit of claim 19, wherein the pressure inside the housing is adjustable according to a rotational speed of the fan such that, in use, an inspiration air flow and an exhalation air flow circulate substantially only through the inlet and outlet port.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The following particular embodiments of the present disclosure by way of non-limiting example described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0038] FIGS. 1a and 1b show two different perspective views of an air impeller device according to an example;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a side view of FIG. 1b;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-section of the impeller device of FIG. 1a;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a scheme of the fan with its blades according to an example; and

[0042] FIG. 5 shows an example of a device with a nebulizer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES

[0043] FIGS. 1a and 1b show two perspectives of an air impeller device 100 according to an example. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the same example. In FIGS. 1b and 2 the air impeller device 100 is shown disengaged from a respiratory nasal mask 200 and also disengaged from an electronic control and power supply board 20. In FIG. 1a, instead, the electronic control and power supply board 20 is shown coupled to the impeller device 100.

[0044] The impeller device 100 may comprise a fan 15 provided inside a housing (reference 101 in FIG. 3) that may be defined by a casing 10. The fan may be driven by a motor (not visible) that may, in turn, be located in the electronic board 20. The device 100 may comprise a single inlet and outlet port 11 attachable to the respiratory mask 200. In some examples, the inlet and outlet port 11 may have a piping/plumbing fitting shape and its free end 111 may comprise a frusto-conical end which, in turn, may comprise a plurality of annular protrusions 112. In alternative examples, other types of protrusions may be provided, such as screw shaped or axially shaped, or even also including discrete protruding points or bayonet connection. Furthermore, the free end 111 of the inlet and outlet port 11 (in the example of the figures, piping/plumbing fitting) may be complementary and/or may permit coupling with an engagement member 201 provided on the respiratory nasal mask 200 adjustable to a patient.

[0045] In more examples, the free end of the inlet and outlet port may have internal projections, as long as the coupling element of the mask is external or vice versa. As shown in the example of the figures, the free end 111 of the piping/plumbing fitting may have a frusto-conical shape. Such a shape allows the coupling to be easily combined with, for example, a cylindrical coupling (provided on the mask). This enhances coupling capacity of the impeller device, with almost any existing respiratory nasal mask on the market. This versatility allows the user to use a mask with which the user was already familiar and comfortable and couple it to an air impeller device substantially as hereinbefore described. The frusto-conical shape gives good results also in terms of sealing and axial stability between the two components It should be noted that in case the mask worn by the patient comprises some output port for exhalation air flow, this port should be capable of being sealed off or simply covered, so that leakages of air flow driven by the fan (inspiration air) are reduced. This way practically all the air driven by the fan may be inspired by the user, thus preventing part of the air driven by the fan to bifurcate into, e.g. such a vent opening. The passage of both flows (inspiration and exhalation air flow) through the same port is possible because the fan rotational speed is controlled.

[0046] In the example of the figures, the free end 111 of the piping/plumbing fitting may comprise a frustoconical shape with annular projections 112, whereas the engagement member 201 of the mask 200 may comprise a cylindrical recess with at least one annular projection 202 for a tongue and groove coupling with at least one of the annular projections 112 of the piping/plumbing fitting. In more examples, other similar coupling elements which result in a tongue-and-groove type coupling between the respiratory mask and the inlet and outlet port of the air impeller device may also be foreseen.

[0047] In the example of FIG. 1b, it is also shown that the piping/plumbing fitting may comprise two holes 113 configured to each receive a sensor. In FIG. 2 it is shown that in this example, the electronic control and power supply board 20 may comprise three sensors 21, 22, 23. Sensors 21 and 22 may be coupled in the piping/plumbing fitting holes 113. Sensor 23 may be coupled in another hole (not shown) provided in the piping/plumbing fitting or in the casing 10. In further examples, other number of sensors may be provided configured to be coupled to the inlet and outlet port 11 or the casing 10. In yet further examples, a single sensor or no sensors at all may be foreseen.

[0048] As described above, the sensors may be selected from the group consisting of CO.sub.2 sensors, O.sub.2 sensors, temperature sensor, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, noise or microphones and flow sensors. Such sensors improve accuracy and speed with which it is detected whether the air flow flowing through the inlet and outlet port is inspiration or exhalation air flow. Typically, one or more of these parameters (CO.sub.2, O.sub.2, temperature, pressure, humidity, noise) measured by the sensors selected from this group vary considerably depending on whether it is air driven by the fan (inspiration air flow) or exhalation air flow (air exhaled by the patient). In addition, the provision of one or more of these sensors allows defining a breathing rate for each patient. This information may, in turn, be inserted into a microprocessor to set the fan rotational speed according to a preset breathing rate for a patient, for example, to set overnight use. In some cases, the microprocessor may comprise a memory which can store all the information provided by the sensors. This information may be useful to the practitioner that controls the health of the patient. Downloading information may, in turn, be carried out real-time or delayed through the USB port(s) or Bluetooth provided on the control board. This information may be used to locally or remotely monitor the health state of the patient and the degree of adherence to treatment. In other examples, the microprocessor may be configured to receive information from one or more sensors and make decisions on the operation of the fan from this information, i.e., increase or decrease rotational speed of the fan.

[0049] Furthermore, in some examples, the sensors may comprise an adaptive bi-level control. Such a control allows adjusting independently the duration of each phase (inspiration/exhalation) with its corresponding pressure level/fan rotational speed.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 2, it is shown that the casing 10 may comprise a gear 12 (or other known coupling element) for mounting the electronic control and supply board 20 in the casing 10. The electronic board 20 may, in turn, be provided with another coupling of the type of a gear 24 or the like, complementary to the gear 12 or other coupling element provided on the casing. In addition, the electronic board 20 and the casing 10 may be adjusted by means of clip-type couplings 25. Such couplings allow the assembly and disassembly of the electronic board in the casing, for example, to perform cleaning tasks. They therefore allow the fan housed inside the casing to be cleaned, for example, in a dishwasher.

[0051] In addition, the casing 10 may be provided with clips 13 or other coupling system for mounting, for example, a cover 14. The cover may be, in turn, provided with a grating or other type of air inlet 16 to input the fan 15 that is housed within the casing 10. The air inlet 16, in turn, may comprise an air filter (not shown), for example, porous consumable material and/or moistenable, to prevent access of particles or impurities present in the air into the fan, as well as providing the patient with a control on the degree of humidity present in the air.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a partial cross-section of FIG. 1a in which the air impeller device 100 is shown disengaged from the respiratory mask 200, but coupled to the electronic control and power supply board 20. In this figure, arrows depict the path of an inspiration air flow (arrow A) and of an exhalation air flow (arrow B). The figure shows the both air flows run practically only through the single inlet and outlet port (11).

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a scheme of an example of the fan 15 disposed within the housing 101. In this figure the inspiration air flow (arrow A) and exhalation air flow (arrow B) are also shown, both circulate through the fan 15 and the single inlet and outlet port 11. FIG. 4 further shows that the fan 15 may comprise a plurality of blades 151. Particularly in this figure six blades are shown, but any other number of blades may also be foreseen. In this example, the blades 151 may be curved forward with respect to its direction of rotation.

[0054] According to the enlarged detail of FIG. 4, in these examples, the incident angle (2) of the blades may be equal or higher than 90 and less than 180.

[0055] In addition, as further shown in this example, the housing 101 may comprise a spiral shape 1011. Such a shape enhances air circulation as a spiral-shaped perimeter facilitates collection of exhaust air from the fan.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows an example of a device with nebulizer. This example shows that the housing 10, the electronic control and power supply board 20 and the single inlet and outlet port 11 may be secondarily connected through an additional element, for example a nebulizer 26. Examples of nebulizers may comprise, e.g., a venturi based nebulizer. The nebulizer 26 may comprise an air inlet into the nebulizer 26, a chamber 27 where the air may be mixed with a liquid (not shown), and may be connected through an aperture 28 further provided at the single inlet and outlet port 11, enabling a controlled application of sprays (aerosol) for treatments during sleep. Further, in this example, it is shown that the electronic control and power supply board 20 may comprise three sensors 21, 22, 23. Alternatively, other number of sensors may be foreseen.

[0057] Although only a number of examples have been disclosed herein, other alternatives, modifications, uses and/or equivalents thereof are possible. Furthermore, all possible combinations of the described examples are also covered. Thus, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by particular examples, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.