US 4,446,869 AGranted

Water absorbing trap to protect an infrared exhaled carbon dioxide apnea monitor of a patient's respiration

AssigneeTriMed, Inc.

InventorDaniel W. Knodle

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Abstract

A water trap is connected to a cannula which has a substantially constant internal diameter and which communicates moisture laden patient exhalations therethrough to an analyzer. The trap includes a body having a recess adapted for receiving a water absorbing compound which has an aperture therethrough for communicating dried exhalations to the analyzer. A second recess in the body is adapted for receiving another water adsorbing compound which similarly has an aperture of same diameter. When the first compound becomes substantially saturated and thereby permits moisture laden exhalations to pass therethrough, then the second compound absorbs those exhalations and swells for thereby closing its aperture and preventing communication of moisture laden exhalations to the analyzer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A water trap in combination with a cannula means having a substantially constant pre-selected internal diameter communicating moisture laden patient exhalations to an analyzer, comprising:

(a) a body having a recess with a diameter in excess of said pre-selected diameter and with a pre-selected volume;
(b) inlet adaptor means connected to said body and including an aperture in fluid communication with said recess;
(c) said cannula means having a first end adapted to receive patient exhalations and a second end, said inlet adaptor means secured to said second end of said cannula means and for maintaining said second end internal diameter constant while secured;
(d) said aperture coaxial with said second end when secured to said inlet adaptor means and having a diameter equal to said pre-selected diameter;
(e) water absorbent means disposed in said recess and including an aperture therethrough coaxial with said inlet adaptor means aperture and having a diameter equal to said pre-selected diameter;
(f) said water absorbent means having a volume substantially equal to said pre-selected volume and adapted for drying exhalations;
(g) exit means connected to said body and including an aperture coaxial with and in fluid communication with said water absorbent means aperture;
and,
(h) an analyzer connected to said exit means, said exit means adapted for communicating dryed exhalations from said body to said analyzer.

6 more elements

A water absorbing system for patient exhalation analyzers, comprising:

(a) an analyzer;
(b) water trap means connected to said analyzer;
(c) cannula means having a first end adapted for receiving exhalations of a patient and a second end in fluid communication with said water trap means and said analyzer thereby, said cannula means first end adapted for being secured to said patient in a position for receiving exhalations;
(d) said cannula means having a constant internal diameter;
(e) said water trap means including a body having a recess with an internal diameter in excess of said cannula means internal diameter and with a pre-selected volume;
(f) inlet adaptor means connected to said body in fluid communication with said recess for securing said second end of said cannula means to said water trap means and for maintaining said cannula means second end internal diameter constant, said inlet adaptor means having an internal diameter coaxial with and equal to said cannula means second end internal diameter;
(g) water absorbent means positioned in said recess and having an aperture therethrough coaxial with and having a constant internal diameter equal to said inlet means internal diameter for drying exhalations by absorbing moisture therein, said water absorbent means having a volume substantially equal to said recess volume;
and,
(h) exit means in fluid communication with said water absorbent means aperture and said analyzer for communicating dried exhalations to said analyzer and having an internal diameter coaxial with and equal to said water absorbent means aperture internal diameter.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.