Medical tubes and methods of manufacture
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorsPeter Kenneth Graham, Enrico Alvarez Garcia, David John Sims
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a medical tube comprises an elongate conduit having a first opening, a second opening, a longitudinal axis, a lumen extending between the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal axis, and a corrugated wall, formed from an extruded material, extending between the first opening and the second opening and surrounding the lumen. The wall is stiffer in a first length of the conduit adjacent the first opening than in a second length of the conduit adjacent the second opening. The variable stiffness of the tube wall can improve the thermal profile of the tube as well as improve drain-back of condensation into a humidifier providing humidified gas to the tube.
Claims20
(canceled)
A medical tube configured to provide humidified gas to a patient, the medical tube comprising:
- a humidifier end configured in size and shape to connect to a source of humidified gas;
- a patient end configured in size and shape to connect to a patient interface;
- and
- wherein a wall of the medical tube at the humidifier end of the medical tube comprises greater insulation or is more insulative against heat loss than the patient end of the medical tube or the wall of the medical tube at the humidifier end has an increased thickness, mass, and/or volume so as to insulate the medical tube against heat loss where most condensation occurs.
A medical tube, comprising:
- an elongate conduit having a first opening, a second opening, a longitudinal axis, a lumen extending between the first opening and the second opening along the longitudinal axis, and a wall, formed from an extruded material, extending between the first opening and the second opening and surrounding the lumen;
- wherein the first opening is configured in size and shape to connect to a source of humidified gas;
- wherein the second opening is configured in size and shape to connect to a patient interface;
- and
- wherein the wall comprises greater insulation or is more insulative against heat loss in a first region of the elongate conduit adjacent the first opening than in a second region of the elongate conduit adjacent the second opening.
An expiratory tube comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive exhaled humidified gases from a patient,
- an outlet configured to vent exhaled gases to one or more of:
- atmosphere, a ventilator/blower unit, an air scrubber/filter, other ancillary equipment, any other suitable location,
- wherein a wall of the expiratory tube at the inlet of the expiratory tube comprises greater insulation or is more insulative against heat loss than the outlet of the expiratory tube, or
- wherein the wall of the expiratory tube at the inlet has an increased thickness, mass, and/or volume so as to insulate the expiratory tube against heat loss where most condensation occurs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.