Liquid ventilator with venturi-inducing patient connector

An involuntary respiratory apparatus for introducing and removing liquid from the lungs of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a reservoir adapted for containing a liquid therein, said reservoir having an inlet opening to receive said liquid thereinto and an outlet opening for dispensing said liquid therefrom;
• a substantially closed loop conduit means for transporting said liquid therethrough, said conduit means being coupled to said outlet opening for receiving said liquid from said reservoir and also being coupled to said inlet opening for discharging said liquid from said conduit means into said reservoir;
• pump means for continuously perfusing said liquid through said conduit means;
• oxygenation means for oxygenating said liquid;
• temperature control means for maintaining the temperature of said liquid within a predetermined range of temperatures;
• one endotracheal tube generally coupled to said conduit means and enabling said liquid to be both introduced into and withdrawn from said lungs of said patient through said one endotracheal tube;
• and
• inspiration and expiration means for causing the introduction of a predetermined volume of said liquid through said endotracheal tube into said lungs generally simulating inspiration by said patient and subsequently withdrawing a predetermined volume of said liquid from said lungs through said endotracheal tube generally simulating expiration by said patient, whereby said patient involuntarily respires as said liquid is introduced and withdrawn from said lungs, said inspiration and expiration means including a Y-connector having an inspiratory limb connected to said conduit means in an upstream direction, an expiratory limb connected to said conduit means in a downstream direction and an endotracheal limb connected to said endotracheal tube, said inspiration and expiration means further including means for selectively occluding and unoccluding said conduit means downstream of said Y-connector, and said inspiratory limb having a diameter sufficiently smaller than a diameter of said expiratory limb to form a venturi when said conduit means is unoccluded downstream of said Y-connector as liquid flows into said Y-connector through said inspiratory limb and from said Y-connector through said expiratory limb to draw liquid from said endotracheal tube and the lungs of the patient into said Y-connector, and when said conduit means is occluded, liquid pumped through said inspiratory limb into said Y-connector is directed out of said Y-connector through said endotracheal tube and into the lungs of the patient whereby alternating occlusion and unocclusion of said conduit means produces simulated inspiration and expiration of the patient.