Inhalation incentive device

An inhalation device for indicating inhalation flow rate and time passage after inhalation, comprising:

• a vertical chamber having chamber sidewalls, a first and lower end, and second and upper end, said chamber sidewalls defining a first and lower chamber region with a substantially constant cross-sectional area, and further defining a second and upper chamber region with a varying cross-sectional area;
• an indicator member moveable within said vertical chamber and having a constant cross-sectional area slightly less than said first chamber region;
• means proximate said first end and in communication with said chamber for communicating patient inhalation gas into said chamber and for preventing gas flow from said chamber when patient inhalation ceases, said chamber sidewalls including a transparent portion for observing the position of said indicator within said chamber;
• and
• outlet means proximate said second end for drawing inhalation gas through said communicating means and said chamber, whereby said indicator floats in said chamber upon and partially confines said inhalation gas during said inhalation and said indicator sinks within said chamber after said inhalation ceases whereby a flow passage defined by said indicator and said chamber sidewalls allows said partially confined inhalation gas to escape to retard the sink of said indicator.

An inhalation therapy device for encouraging prescribed breathing by a patient, comprising;

• a closed vertical chamber having a substantially cylindrical sidewall defining chamber cross-sectional area;
• an indicator disc having a circular periphery and a cross-sectional area slightly less than a portion of said chamber cross-sectional area, said chamber sidewall including at least a transparent portion for observing the position of said indicator within said chamber;
• a column member extending along the longitudinal axis of said chamber and about which said indicator disc is coaxially and moveably mounted for axial movement thereon with said periphery in spaced relation with respect to said sidewall;
• a gas inlet into said chamber to communicate patient inhalation gas to said chamber below said indicator disc and a gas outlet from said chamber above said indicator disc for drawing patient inhalation gas from said chamber;
• means for enabling said gas inlet to communicate said patient inhalation gas into said chamber to cause said disc indicator to float thereon upwardly and to partially confine said patient inhalation gas in said chamber and for preventing gas flow from said chamber when patient inhalation ceases;
• and
• a flow passage defined by said indicator disc periphery and said chamber sidewall through which said confined patient inhalation gas flows after said patient inhalation gas flow ceases to reduce the volume of gas upon which said indicator floats and thereby retard the sink of said indicator.

An inhalation therapy device for encouraging prescribed breathing by a patient, comprising:

• a closed chamber having sidewalls which define a first lower portion of said chamber having a first cross-sectional area and a second upper portion of said chamber having a second cross-sectional area, said second cross-sectional area being greater than said first cross-sectional area, said chamber having means for observing movement within said chamber;
• a moveable indicator disposed within said chamber having a cross-sectional area slightly less than said first cross-sectional area, said device including means for guiding said indicator along a longitudinal axis of said chamber said indicator and said chamber sidewalls defining a flow passage having an area dependent upon the position of said indicator within said chamber;
• outlet means for drawing patient inhalation gas from said chamber above said indicator;
• and
• means for communicating gas into said chamber beneath said indicator when patient inhalation gas is drawn through said outlet means and for otherwise preventing gas flow from said chamber, whereby said indicator floats upon and partially contains a portion of said patient inhalation gas during patient inhalation to indicate inhalation flow rate and said indicator sinks as said partially contained gas flows through said flow passage to retard the sink of said indicator within said chamber once patient inhalation gas flow ceases.

An inhalation therapy device for encouraging prescribed breathing by a patient, comprising:

• a chamber having an upper end and sidewalls which define a first lower portion of said chamber having a substantially constant cross-sectional area and a second upper portion of said chamber having a cross-sectional area increasing toward said upper end at a rate greater than any change in said substantially constant cross-sectional area;
• a moveable indicator disposed within said chamber having a cross-sectional area slightly less than said substantially constant cross-sectional area, said indicator and said chamber sidewalls defining a flow passage having an area dependent upon the position of said indicator within said chamber;
• outlet means for drawing patient inhalation gas from said chamber above said indicator;
• and
• means for communicating gas into said chamber beneath said indicator when patient inhalation gas is drawn through said outlet means and for otherwise preventing gas flow from said chamber, whereby said indicator floats upon and partially contains a portion of said patient inhalation gas during patient inhalation to indicate inhalation flow rate and said partially contained inhalation gas flows through said flow passage to retard the sink of said indicator once patient inhalation gas flow ceases.