# US 2013/0152931 A1 · Components for medical circuits

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- Number: US 2013/0152931 A1
- Document ID: US20130152931A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/805,640
- Filed: 2011-06-16
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-22
- Assignees: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
- Inventors: David John Sims; Enrico Alvarez Garcia; Peter Kenneth Graham
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130152931A1

## CPC

- A61M 16/1095: {in the connecting tubes}
- A61M 13/003: {Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing}
- A61M 13/006: {with gas recirculation}
- A61M 16/024: {including calculation means, e.g. using a processor}
- A61M 16/0808: {Condensation traps}
- A61M 16/0875: {Connecting tubes}
- A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)}
- A61M 39/08: Tubes; Storage means specially adapted therefor
- B29C 65/4815: {Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives}
- B29C 65/4845: {Radiation curing adhesives, e.g. UV light curing adhesives}
- B29C 65/562: {using extra joining elements, i.e. which are not integral with the parts to be joined (using plastic snap elements B29C65/58; using plastic rivets B29C65/601)}
- B29D 23/18: Pleated {or corrugated} hoses
- F16L 11/118: having arrangements for particular purposes, e.g. electrically conducting
- F16L 53/38: using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons
- A61M 13/00: Insufflators for therapeutic or disinfectant purposes {, i.e. devices for blowing a gas, powder or vapour into the body (hand-held units in which gas flow is produced by muscular energy at the moment of use B05B11/062)}
- A61M 16/106: {in a path}
- A61M 16/161: {with means for measuring the humidity}
- A61M 2207/00: Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
- B29L 2031/7542: {Catheters}
- Y10T 29/49002: Electrical device making
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00)
- F16L: PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Condensation or “rain-out” is a problem in medical circuits and previous attempts to manage and/or prevent rain-out have resulted in relatively expensive and/or difficult to manufacture medical circuit components. The subject patent provides an improved medical circuit component for managing rain-out. In particular the component may be an improved breathing tube, or insufflation system limb comprising a helically corrugated tube preferably incorporating a heater wire.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A component comprising:
a helically corrugated tube wherein the corrugation profile comprises alternating outer crests and inner troughs,
a heater wire associated with said outer crests,
wherein each said outer crest comprises a peak region, and the peak rels include local troughs comprising a small inward dip, and
said heater wire associated with said outer crests is located within said dip.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a substantially uniform wall thickness.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube has a maximum wall thickness not exceeding 3 times the minimum wall thickness.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer crests correspond to a location of maximum inner radius and maximum outer radius of said tube, and
said inner troughs correspond to a location of minimum inner radius and minimum outer radius of said tube.

### Claim 5

(canceled)

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube includes an outer sheath supported on said outer crests.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A component as claimed in claim 6, wherein said outer sheath traps air between adjacent outer crests.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A component as claimed in claim 6, wherein said outer sheath restrains said heater wire associated with said outer crests in said local trough.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said helically corrugated tube includes multiple helix corrugations.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said component further comprises a heater wire associated with said inner troughs.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A component as claimed in claim 10, wherein said heater wire associated with said inner troughs has a different heating density than said heater wire associated with said outer crests.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A component as claimed in claim 11, wherein said heater wire associated with said inner troughs has a lower heating density than said heater wire associated with said outer crests.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said helically corrugated tube has a varying helix pitch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A component as claimed in claim 13, wherein said helically corrugated tube has a continuously variable helix pitch.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said component is one of:
a conduit for use in at least part of the exhaust arm of an insufflation system,
a breathing tube for use in a breathing circuit and
a catheter mount or tube for connection to a patient interface.

### Claim 16

(canceled)

### Claim 17

(canceled)

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A medical circuit tube as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is flexible as defined by passing the test for increase in flow resistance with bending according to ISO 5367.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is an extruded corrugated tube.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is a breathing tube and is terminated by a first connector at an inlet and a second connector at an outlet, and wherein
only one gases passageway is provided the length between said inlet connector and said outlet connector.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A component as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least at one end of said tube is a corrugation transition region wherein said helical corrugations transition to a substantially annular corrugation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A component as claimed in claim 21, wherein each end of said tube includes a corrugation transition region where said helical corrugations transition to a substantially annular corrugation.

### Claim at position 23

23-40. (canceled)

### Claim 41

A method of forming a component comprising:
extruding a tube,
passing said extruded tube into a corrugator and forming corrugations in said extruded tube having a corrugation profile comprising alternating outer crests and inner troughs, and
wherein each said outer crest comprises a peak region, and the peak regions include local troughs comprising a small inward dip,
wherein said corrugations are helical, and
wherein said method further comprises a step of winding at least one heater wire into said local trough.

### Claim 42

(canceled)

### Claim 43

(canceled)

### Claim 44 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim claim 41, wherein said method further comprises applying an outer sheath over said component.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 44, wherein said step of applying said sheath comprises extruding a sheath over said component.

### Claim 46 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said extruded tube has a substantially uniform wall thickness at the time of corrugating.

### Claim 47 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said outer crests correspond to a location of maximum inner radius and maximum outer radius of said component, and
said inner troughs correspond to a location of minimum inner radius and minimum outer radius of said component.

### Claim 48 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said helically corrugated component includes multiple helix corrugations.

### Claim 49 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said method further comprises a step of winding at least one heater wire into said inner troughs.

### Claim 50 (depends on 49)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 49, wherein said heater wire associated with said inner troughs has a different heating density than said heater wire associated with said outer crests.

### Claim 51 (depends on 50)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 50, wherein said heater wire associated with said inner troughs has a lower heating density than said heater wire associated with said outer crests.

### Claim 52 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said helically corrugated component has a varying helix pitch.

### Claim 53 (depends on 52)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 52, wherein said helically corrugated component has a continuously variable helix pitch.

### Claim 54 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said tube is flexible as defined by passing the test for increase in flow resistance with bending according to ISO 5367.

### Claim 55 (depends on 41)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 41, wherein said method further comprises terminating a first end with a first connector, and
terminating a second end with a second connector, and wherein
only one gases passageway is formed between said first connector and said second connector.

### Claim 56 (depends on 55)

A method of forming a component as claimed in claim 55, wherein said step of forming said corrugations includes forming a transition region at each end of said component, and wherein
said helical corrugations transition to a substantially annular corrugation in the vicinity of said first and second connector respectively.

### Claim 57

(canceled)

### Claim 58

(canceled)