# US 2014/0150801 A1 · Airway pressure control devices with flutter valve

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- Number: US 2014/0150801 A1
- Document ID: US20140150801A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/175,385
- Filed: 2014-02-07
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-28
- Inventors: Michael J. Rusher
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150801A1

## CPC

- A61M 16/208: {Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves}
- A61M 16/0006: {with means for creating vibrations in patients' airways}
- A61M 16/0866: {Passive resistors therefor}
- A63B 21/0088: {by moving the surrounding air}
- A63B 23/18: for improving respiratory function
- A61M 11/06: of the injector type
- A61M 15/0016: {located downstream of the dispenser, i.e. traversed by the product}
- A61M 16/0833: {T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece}
- A61M 2202/0208: Oxygen
- 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)}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

A positive pressure airway device for providing resistance in an air pathway for a patient exhaling. The device includes a central tube region, a inspiratory air passageway for passing air into the central tube region when a patient breathing through the device inhales, and an expiratory air passageway for passing air out of the central tube region when a patient breathing through the device exhales, A valve in the expiratory air passageway allows air to flow out only when a patient using the device exhales with an expiratory air pressure greater than a selected pressure. The valve includes a stopper and a stopper-biasing spring. The passageways and/or stopper and/or spring are adapted to provide unbalanced forces against the stopper, thus causing the stopper to flutter and providing an oscillating pressure drop as the patient exhales.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for providing resistance in an air pathway for a patient exhaling, the device comprising:
a) a central tube region;
b) a first passageway for passing air into said central tube region when a patient breathing through the device inhales;
c) a second passageway for passing air out of said central tube region when a patient breathing through the device exhales;
d) a third passageway for passing air from said central tube region and into a patient when the patient breathing through the device inhales, and for passing air from said patient to said central tube when the patient breathing through the device exhales;
e) a valve in the first passageway that allows air to flow in through the first passageway to the central tube when a patient using the device inhales, and that prevents air from flowing out through the first passageway when a patient using the device exhales;
f) a valve in the second passageway that allows air to flow out from the second passageway when a patient using the device exhales with an expiratory air pressure greater than a selected pressure, that prevents air from flowing out through the second passageway when a patient exhales with an expiratory air pressure that is less than said selected air pressure, and that prevents air from flowing in through the second passageway when a patient using the device inhales,
wherein said valve in said second passageway includes:
i) a stopper to close the passageway and prevent air from flowing through the passageway when the stopper is biased to its closed position, and
ii) a stopper-biasing spring to maintain the stopper in a fixed and closed position unless the expiratory air pressure in the passageway is greater than a selected pressure;
wherein the volume available for expiratory air to occupy remains fixed and constant as long as the valves in the first and second passageways are closed, and
wherein said first passageway, said second passageway, and said third passageway are separate and distinct from each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein said device includes a spring housing to retain said stopper-biasing spring and to partially compress the spring to a length shorter than its free length, and wherein said spring housing is movable with respect to the stopper so that movement of the spring housing is effective for varying the compression length of the spring, and thus is effective for varying the expiratory air pressure that will cause the valve to open.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A device according to claim 2 wherein said spring housing is movable with respect to the stopper so that movement of the spring housing is effective for varying expiratory air pressure at least within the range of 10 cm H2O to 25 cm H2O.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 and further including a fourth passageway for providing a flow of supplemental air to said central tube region while a first flow of air is entering the central tube region through the first passageway, wherein the second flow of air is separate and distinct from the first flow of air at least until the two flows intermix in the central tube region.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein said second passageway contains surface features effective for providing turbulent flow of the air flowing around said stopper in said second passageway.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or contains surface features effective for providing turbulent flow of the air flowing around said stopper in said second passageway.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the spring holding the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or positioned to provide turbulent flow of the air flowing around said stopper in said second passageway.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the combination of features provided by the second passageway and/or the stopper and/or the spring is adapted to provide turbulent flow of the air flowing around said stopper in said second passageway.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein said second passageway contains surface features effective to cause the forces acting on the stopper in the second passageway to be unbalanced as a patient exhales through said second passageway.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or contains surface features effective to cause the forces acting on the stopper in the second passageway to be unbalanced as a patient exhales through said second passageway.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the spring holding the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or positioned to cause the forces acting on the stopper in the second passageway to be unbalanced as a patient exhales through said second passageway.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the combination of features provided by the second passageway and/or the stopper and/or the spring is adapted to cause the forces acting on the stopper in the second passageway to be unbalanced as a patient exhales through said second passageway.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein said second passageway contains surface features effective for providing an oscillating pressure drop across the region of the second passageway in which the stopper is positioned.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or contains surface features effective for providing an oscillating pressure drop across the region of the second passageway in which the stopper is positioned.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the spring holding the stopper in said second passageway is shaped and/or positioned to provide an oscillating pressure drop across the region of the second passageway in which the stopper is positioned.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A device according to claim 1 wherein the combination of features provided by the second passageway and/or the stopper and/or the spring is adapted to provide an oscillating pressure drop across the region of the second passageway in which the stopper is positioned.

### Claim 17

A method for requiring a patient to breathe out with a pre-determined expiratory air pressure, said method comprising:
a) providing a device for providing resistance in an air pathway for a patient exhaling, the device comprising:
i) a central tube region;
ii) a first passageway for passing air into said central tube region when a patient breathing through the device inhales;
iii) a second passageway for passing air out of said central tube region when a patient breathing through the device exhales;
iv) a third passageway for passing air from said central tube region and into a patient when the patient breathing through the device inhales, and for passing air from said patient to said central tube when the patient breathing through the device exhales;
v) a valve in the first passageway that allows air to flow in through the first passageway to the central tube when a patient using the device inhales, and that prevents air from flowing out through the first passageway when a patient using the device exhales;
vi) a valve in the second passageway that allows air to flow out from the second passageway when a patient using the device exhales with an expiratory air pressure greater than a selected pressure, that prevents air from flowing out through the second passageway when a patient exhales with an expiratory air pressure that is less than a selected air pressure, and that prevents air from flowing in through the second passageway when a patient using the device inhales, wherein said valve in said second passageway includes:
A) a stopper to close the passageway and prevent air from flowing through the passageway when the stopper is biased to its closed position, and
B) a stopper-biasing spring to maintain the stopper in a fixed and closed position unless the expiratory air pressure in the passageway is greater than a selected pressure;
wherein the volume defined by the sum of the central tube region plus the first passageway plus the second passageway plus the third passageway remains fixed and constant as long as the valves in the first and second passageways are closed, and
wherein said first passageway, said second passageway, and said third passageway are separate and distinct from each other; and
b) breathing out through said device with sufficient expiratory air pressure to cause said expiratory air valve to open, allowing air to exit the device.