Apparatus for testing polymonary devices
AssigneeMH Custom Design & Mfg., L.C.
InventorsMark J. Hoyt, Jon A. Bertrand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for testing pulmonary devices such as endotracheal tubes and connectors is disclosed. The apparatus forces a predetermined volume of air or gas through the pulmonary device in accordance with a preselected waveform in a first and/or second direction under conditions that simulate an in-patient use environment. The device also measures the amount of work required to force the air or gas through the device under selected conditions. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device produces a laminar or turbulent flow of gas.
Claims6
An apparatus for testing endotracheal tubes under simulated use conditions comprising means for forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the pulmonary device in a first direction at a predetermined rate of flow, means for forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the pulmonary device in a second direction at a predetermined rate of flow, means for measuring the amount of work to force the gas through the device in each direction and means for recording the amount of work expended in forcing the gas through the device in each direction, a water bath and means for controlling the temperature of said water bath to approximate that of a human patient and means within said water tank for conforming the endotracheal tube to the shape of a human trachea so that the endotracheal tube is tested under simulated conditions.
A method for testing pulmonary devices comprising the steps of:
- forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the pulmonary device in a first direction at a predetermined rate of flow,
- forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the device in an opposite direction at a predetermined rate of flow,
- measuring the amount of work to force the gas through the device in each direction, and
- recording the amount of work to force the gas through the device in each direction.
A method for testing pulmonary devices comprising the step of providing an endotracheal tube and immersing the endotracheal tube in a water bath and controlling the temperature of the bath at a temperature of a human patient during the testing procedure and the step of positioning the endotracheal tube in the shape of a human trachea while immersed in the heated water bath so that the test is performed under simulated conditions;
- the method further comprising the steps of forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the pulmonary device in a first direction at a predetermined rate of flow, forcing a predetermined volume of gas through the device in an opposite direction at a predetermined rate of flow, measuring the amount of work to force the gas through the device in each direction, and recording the amount of work to force the gas through the device in each direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.