US 12,623,039 B2 · Medico-surgical apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus (20) for fitting to the machine end of a tracheostomy tube (10) includes both an HME and a speaking valve (30). The HME includes two exchange elements (28, 29) at opposite ends of a housing (23) extending laterally of a coupling (25) for fitting on the tube. The speaking valve has a cylindrical sleeve (31) extending across the housing midway along its length and in line with the tube. The sleeve is rotatable about its axis and has two openings (36) on opposite sides that can be aligned with the exchange elements of the HME to allow gas to flow from the tube through the exchange elements, bypassing the speaking valve. When the patient wishes to speak, he twists and rotates the speaking valve to block flow to the exchange elements and instead to allow air to be inhaled via the valve.

Claims8

Dependent claims

Medico-surgical apparatus adapted for fitting with a machine end of a tracheostomy tube, characterised in that the apparatus includes a housing having both a one-way speaking valve and at least one HME element, that the apparatus is arranged such that in one state flow through the at least one HME element is enabled preferentially to flow through the speaking valve and in another state inhalation flow through the speaking valve is enabled preferentially to flow through the at least one HME element, that the speaking valve has a portion arranged to block a passage through the HME element in the other state, that the portion of the speaking valve is a cylindrical sleeve angularly displaceable within the housing, and that the sleeve has an opening that aligns with the at least one HME element in the one state.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Medico-surgical apparatus

Life of this patent

Medico-surgical apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8