Breath actuated medicinal aerosol delivery apparatus

An apparatus for controlling delivery of medicinal aerosol to a patient for inhalation therapy, comprising:

• (a) a first wye, said first wye including an aerosol inlet port, an air inlet port, and an aerosol outlet port, said aerosol inlet port including nebulizer coupling means for coupling to an aerosol nebulizer;
• (b) a uni-directional inhalation valve coupled to said air inlet port;
• (c) signalling means for providing an inhalation pressure signal representing inhalation of said patient and an exhalation pressure signal representing exhalation of said patient, said inhalation signal generated by said patient's inhalation airflow, said exhalation signal generated by said patient's exhalation airflow;
• and
• (d) control means for sensing the magnitude of said inhalation and exhalation signals, said control means being responsive to a threshold inhalation pressure followed by a threshold exhalation pressure to permit delivery of said breathable gas to a nebulizer only when said threshold inhalation pressure is followed by said threshold exhalation pressure.

An on-demand aerosol delivery apparatus for controlling amounts of medicinal aerosol delivered to a patient during inhalation therapy, comprising:

• (a) a first wye, said first wye including an aerosol inlet port, an air inlet port, and an aerosol outlet port, said aerosol inlet port including nebulizer coupling means for coupling to an aerosol nebulizer;
• (b) a uni-directional inhalation valve coupled to said air inlet port;
• (c) an aerosol delivery conduit coupled to said aerosol inlet port, said aerosol deliver conduit including means for coupling to an aerosol nebulizer;
• (d) signalling means for providing an inhalation pressure signal representing inhalation of said patient and an exhalation pressure signal representing exhalation of said patient, said inhalation signal generated by said patient's inhalation airflow, said exhalation signal generated by said patient's exhalation airflow;
• and
• (e) control means for sensing the magnitude of said inhalation and exhalation signals, said control means being responsive to a threshold inhalation pressure followed by a threshold exhalation pressure to permit delivery of said breathable gas to a nebulizer only when said threshold inhalation pressure is followed by said threshold exhalation pressure.