System, apparatus and method for maintaining airway patency and pressure support ventilation
OwnerRichard J. Arnottinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assembly for modifying airflow into a nasopharyngeal airway or trachea of a patient. A valve assembly having an inlet and an outlet attaches to a traditional airflow generator. A valve seal within the assembly is operable by a solenoid and is adapted to cycle in response to a programmable controller circuit wherein upon activation of both the airflow generator and the controller circuit, pressurized air from the airflow generator continuously enters the inlet but passes out of the outlet of the assembly only when the solenoid causes the valve seal to retract and to at least partially unblock the outlet such that the pressurized air is converted into a single, repeatable burst exiting the outlet thereby modifying the traditional airflow.
Claims20
An assembly for modifying airflow into a nasopharyngeal airway or trachea of a patient, comprising:
- a valve assembly adapted to attach to an airflow generator, said valve assembly having two ends, an inlet and an outlet defined between each of said ends, and an interior feed tube, said valve assembly further comprising:
- a motor means disposed at one of said ends;
- an exit tube defined at the other of said ends;
- a valve seal within said interior feed tube connected to and operable by said motor means, said valve seal adapted to cycle within said interior feed tube between said motor means and said exit tube and across said outlet;
- a controller circuit connecting to said motor means for operating said motor means incrementally;
- and,
- wherein upon activation of both said airflow generator and said controller circuit, pressurized air from said airflow generator continuously enters said interior feed tube from said inlet but passes out of said outlet only when said motor means causes said valve seal to move in relation to said exit tube to at least partially unblock said outlet such that said pressurized air is converted into a single, repeatable burst exiting said outlet.
An assembly for modifying airflow into a nasopharyngeal airway or trachea of a patient, comprising:
- means for producing a constant head of pressurized airflow into a valve assembly attached to a patient, said valve assembly including a solenoid-operated valve seal;
- means for maintaining said airflow against said valve assembly while said patient is exhaling and said valve seal is at rest;
- and,
- means for permitting said valve seal to incrementally retract and allow said airflow to pass through said valve assembly and into said nasopharyngeal airway or trachea when said patient inhales, as a result converting said constant head of pressurized airflow into an assisted burst of gas given during inhalation while allowing said patient to finish inspiration and exhale against little or no pressure when said valve seal is at rest.
A method for modifying airflow into a nasopharyngeal airway or trachea of a patient, comprising the steps of:
- attaching a valve assembly to an airflow generator, said airflow generator producing a constant head of pressurized airflow into said valve assembly, said valve assembly including a solenoid-operated valve seal;
- attaching said valve assembly to a patient;
- maintaining said airflow against said valve while said patient is exhaling and said valve is at rest;
- and,
- permitting said valve seal to incrementally retract and allow said airflow to pass through said valve assembly and into said nasopharyngeal airway or trachea when said patient inhales, as a result converting said constant head of pressurized airflow into an assisted burst of gas given during inhalation while allowing said patient to finish inspiration and exhale against lower or no pressure when said valve seal is at rest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.