Valve Housing

Abstract

A valve housing for use in an apparatus for measuring inspiratory and expiratory lung pressure, the valve housing comprising a first body portion which defines a mouthpiece; a second body portion coupled to the first body portion and which defines a port; a filter medium disposed between the first and second body portions; a pair of spaced apart valve support bodies defined by one of the first and second body portions, wherein each valve support body defines an air flow conduit that includes a support frame disposed within the conduit, the support frame having a first side and a second side; and a pair of valves, wherein the valves are selectively secured to the respective first sides of the support frame or are secured to the respective second sides of the support frame, wherein when the valves are secured to the first sides of the support frame, they open to permit air to exit the valve housing via the air flow conduits, but close to prevent air being drawn into the valve housing from the external environment; and when the valves are secured to the second sides of the support frame, they open to permit air to enter into the valve housing via the air flow conduits from an external environment, but close to prevent air within the housing from exiting the housing.

Claims

1. A valve housing for use in an apparatus for measuring inspiratory and expiratory lung pressure, the valve housing comprising a first body portion which defines a mouthpiece; a second body portion coupled to the first body portion and which defines a port; a filter medium disposed between the first and second body portions; a pair of spaced apart valve support bodies defined by one of the first and second body portions, wherein each valve support body defines an air flow conduit that includes a support frame disposed within the conduit, the support frame having a first side and a second side; and a pair of valves, wherein the valves are selectively secured to the respective first sides of the support frame or are secured to the respective second sides of the support frame, wherein when the valves are secured to the first sides of the support frame, they open to permit air to exit the valve housing via the air flow conduits, but close to prevent air being drawn into the valve housing from the external environment; and when the valves are secured to the second sides of the support frame, they open to permit air to enter into the valve housing via the air flow conduits from an external environment, but close to prevent air within the housing from exiting the housing.

2. A valve housing according to claim 1, wherein the first and second body portions each have a generally circular cross-section.

3. A valve housing according to claim 2, wherein the mouthpiece is arranged co-axially with the first body portion and the port is arranged co-axially with the second body portion.

4. A valve housing according to claim 3, wherein the valve support bodies are arranged radially outwards from the mouthpiece or the port.

5. A valve housing according to claim 1, wherein the second body portion is coupled to the first body portion via an air-tight coupling.

6. A valve housing according to claim 5, wherein the second body portion is adhered to the first body portion, is welded to the first body portion, or is moulded to the first body portion.

7. A valve housing according to claim 1, wherein the first and second body portions together define a chamber having a longitudinal axis and the filter medium extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber and covers the entirety of the cross-sectional area of the chamber.

8. A valve housing according to claim 1, wherein the valves are check valves; optionally wherein the valves are diaphragm check valves.

9. A valve housing according to claim 8, wherein the diaphragm check valves each have a circular cross-section; the valve support bodies each have a circular cross-section; and each support frame includes a diametric strut to which is secured a respective one of the diaphragm check valves.

10. A valve housing according to claim 1, wherein the first body portion defines the valve support bodies.

11. A valve housing according to claim 10, wherein the mouthpiece includes a tubular or frustoconical mouthpiece body and the valve support bodies are arranged on opposite sides of the mouthpiece body.

12. An apparatus for measuring inspiratory lung pressure, the apparatus including a valve housing according to claim 1; a conduit which fluidly couples the port of the valve housing to a pressure measuring component of the apparatus, wherein the valves of the valve housing are secured to the respective first sides of the support frame.

13. An apparatus for measuring expiratory lung pressure, the apparatus including a valve housing according to claim 1; a conduit which fluidly couples the port of the valve housing to a pressure measuring component of the apparatus, wherein the valves of the valve housing are secured to the respective second sides of the support frame.

14. A method of measuring inspiratory lung pressure of a patient, the method comprising providing an apparatus as defined in claim 12; the patient exhaling through the mouthpiece, wherein the valves open and permit the exhaled air to exit the valve housing; and the patient exerting an inspiratory action, wherein the valves close and the apparatus measures the inspiratory lung pressure.

15. A method of measuring expiratory lung pressure of a patient, the method comprising providing an apparatus as defined in claim 13; the patient inhaling through the mouthpiece, wherein the valves open and permit air to enter the patient's lungs via the valve housing; and the patient exerting an expiratory action, wherein the valves close and the apparatus measures the expiratory lung pressure.

Description

[0031] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0032] FIG. 1a shows a cross-sectional view through a valve housing according to a first embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 1b shows an end view of the valve housing shown in FIG. 1a from the mouthpiece end of the housing;

[0034] FIG. 2a shows a cross-sectional view through a valve housing according to a second embodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 2b shows an end view of the valve housing shown in FIG. 2a from the mouthpiece end of the housing;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the valve housing shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b; and

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the valve housing shown in FIG. 3.

[0038] For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will appreciate that in this specification, the terms “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “width”, etc. refer to the orientation of the components as found in the example when installed for normal use as shown in the Figures.

[0039] FIGS. 1a and 1b show a valve housing 2 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The valve housing 2 includes a first body portion 4 and a second body portion 6.

[0040] The first body portion 4 defines a cylindrical mouthpiece body 8 which is open at its distal end 8a and its proximal end opens into a cavity defined by the first and second body portions 4, 6.

[0041] The first body portion 4 further includes a cylindrical connecting portion 10 which projects away from the mouthpiece body 8.

[0042] A pair of opposed cylindrical valve support bodies 12 are defined on either side of the mouthpiece body 8. Each of the support bodies 12 include a support frame comprising a diametric support strut 14a and an annular sealing surface 14b.

[0043] The second body portion 6 includes a body 16, which includes a cylindrical port body portion 16a and an outwardly flared frustoconical portion 16b. The outwardly flared frustoconical portion 16b terminates in an axially extending skirt 18.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1a, the skirt 18 overlaps a portion of the cylindrical connecting portion 10, such that an inwardly facing surface of the skirt 18 engages an outwardly facing surface of the connecting portion 10. These engaged surfaces are welded together to form an air-tight seal between the first body portion 4 and the second body portion 6.

[0045] A filter medium 20 is secured between the first and second body portions 4, 6 and welded thereto to provide a contaminant barrier across the air flow channel defined by the first and second body portions 4, 6.

[0046] In this embodiment, a butterfly diaphragm valve 22 is secured to the diametric support strut 14a on a second side of each of the support frames. In this arrangement, a peripheral edge portion of each valve 22 lies adjacent to the annular sealing surface 14b. With the valves 22 secured to the second side of the support frames, they open when the pressure within the cavity defined by the first and second body portions 4, 6 drops below the air pressure external to the housing 2 (i.e. when a patient inhales through the mouthpiece body 8). When the patient then exerts an expiratory lung pressure, the valves 22 close and are sealed against the sealing surface 14b. An expiratory lung pressure measuring apparatus (not shown), which is connected to the valve housing 2 via a conduit (not shown) which is connected to the port body portion 16a can then measure the expiratory lung pressure.

[0047] FIGS. 2a and 2b show a valve housing 102, which is identical to the valve housing 2, except that a pair of butterfly diaphragm valves 122 are secured to a first side of the support frame diametric support strut 14a. In this case, a peripheral edge portion of each of the valves 122 lies adjacent to an annular sealing surface 14c defined by the support frame. With the valves 122 secured to the first side of the support frames, they open when the pressure within the cavity defined by the first and second body portions 4, 6 increases above the air pressure external to the housing 2 (i.e. when a patient exhales through the mouthpiece body 8). When the patient then exerts an inspiratory lung pressure, the valves 122 close and are sealed against the sealing surface 14c. An inspiratory lung pressure measuring apparatus (not shown), which is connected to the valve housing 102 via a conduit (not shown) which is connected to the port body portion 16a can then measure the inspiratory lung pressure.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the valve housing 2, 102.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the valve housing 2, 102.