Method and arrangement for processing respiratory gas of an intubated patient
AssigneeInstrumentarium Corp.
InventorMerilainen Pekka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an arrangement for processing respiratory gas of an intubated patient, wherein the level of humidity of the inhalation gas is increased, if necessary, before the gas is supplied to the patient. To provide accurate and correctly timed humidification, the patient's respiratory volume is measured, the amount of water discharged from the patient is determined on the basis of the measured respiratory volume, and a desired amount of water, dependent on the amount of water discharged from the patient, is supplied to the patient's respiratory tract during the next respiratory phase(s).
Claims36
A method for treating the respiratory gas of an intubated subject, a volume of respiratory gas being inhaled by the subject during an inhalation phase of a respiratory cycle and exhaled during an exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle, the method humidifying the respiratory gas inhaled by the subject and comprising the steps of:
- measuring the respiratory gas volume associated with a given respiratory cycle of the subject;
- determining from the measured respiratory gas volume, the amount of water that has been discharged from the subject during the exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle;
- and
- supplying an amount of water, dependent on the amount of water discharged from the subject, to the respiratory gas volume during a subsequent respiratory cycle of the subject to humidify the inhaled respiratory gas.
Apparatus for treating the respiratory gas of a subject, the subject having a tube in his/her respiratory tract through which a volume of respiratory gas is inhaled during an inhalation phase of a respiratory cycle and is exhaled during an exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle, the apparatus humidifying the respiratory gas inhaled by the subject and comprising:
- a flow sensor for sensing the flow of respiratory gas;
- measuring means coupled to said flow sensor for determining the respiratory gas volume associated with a given respiratory cycle of the subject,
- determining means for determining, from the measured respiratory gas volume, the amount of water that has been discharged from the subject during the exhalation phase of the respiratory cycle;
- and
- means for supplying water to respiratory gas inhaled by the subject, said means being coupled to said determining means for supplying, in a respiratory cycle subsequent to said given respiratory cycle, an amount of water dependent on the amount of water discharged from the subject to humidify the respiratory gas inhaled by the subject.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.