US 5,474,058 A · MDI ventilator dispenser with bi-directional nozzle

Abstract

A dispenser for medication from an MDI canister is connected into an inspiratory stream from a ventilator to the lungs of an intubated patient. The MDI canister valve is actuated so as to deliver a stream of medication-containing liquid propellant through a medication nozzle from which the liquid is simultaneously ejected in upstream and downstream directions through upstream and downstream exit ports, respectively. The two ejected streams of medication-containing liquid form expanding upstream and downstream plumes of rapidly evaporating medication-containing droplets. The upstream and downstream exit ports of the medication nozzle are sized such that few evaporating droplets of the expanding plumes reach the inner wall of the inspiratory path before they entirely evaporate. Therefore, a high percentage of medication particles become dry and are carried by the inspiratory air stream and efficiently delivered into the lungs of the patient.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A device for dispersing medication from an MDI canister into an inspiratory path between a ventilator and an endotracheal tube, comprising in combination:

(a) a body having a passage extending between an inlet port and an outlet port, the inlet port and outlet port being adapted to couple the body into the inspiratory path;
(b) a nozzle port opening into a midportion of the body;
(c) a medication nozzle disposed in the nozzle port for dispensing aerosol medication from an MDI canister into the body, the medication nozzle including a head portion connected in sealed relation to the nozzle port and a stem portion having a receiving opening for receiving an output stem of an MDI canister, the stem portion being attached to the head portion, a channel extending through stem portion from the receiving opening to a first exit port for ejecting a downstream plume of medication containing droplets toward the outlet port along a longitudinal axis of the body and a second exit port for ejecting an upstream plume of medication containing droplets toward the inlet port along the longitudinal axis, the first and second exit ports being sized to cause medication-containing droplets in the first and second plumes to evaporate before reaching an inner wall of the inspiratory path.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

MDI ventilator dispenser with bi-directional nozzle

Life of this patent

MDI ventilator dispenser with bi-directional nozzle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6