Pressure support system with a primary and a secondary gas flow and a method of using same
AssigneeRespironics, Inc.
InventorsWinslow K. Duff, Patrick W. Truitt, Douglas W. Keeports
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure support system that includes a pressure generating system employing a pressure generator that provides a primary flow of gas to a patient and a supplemental gas system providing a supplemental flow of gas to the patient. A selectively acutable valve associated with the supplemental gas system controls the supplemental flow of gas to the patient, and a control unit coupled to the pressure generating systems controls the valve based on conditions of the pressure generator in the pressure generating system, thereby controlling the flow of the supplemental gas to the patient based on the detected conditions of the pressure generator.
Claims24
A pressure support system comprising:
- (1) a pressure generating system adapted to provide a primary flow of gas to a patient, the pressure generating system comprising:
- (a) an electrically powered pressure generator adapted to receive a supply of breathing gas from a breathing gas source and to produce the primary flow of gas responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator, and
- (b) a control unit operatively coupled to the pressure generator for controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;
- (2) a supplemental gas system adapted to provide a supplemental flow of gas to such a patient in conjunction with the primary flow of gas;
- and
- (3) a selectively actuatable valve associated with the supplemental gas system and with the control unit, wherein the valve substantially disables the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the control unit disabling the supply of electrical power to the pressure generator.
A pressure support system comprising:
- pressure generating means, including an electrically powered pressure generator, for providing a primary flow of gas to a patient responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator;
- controlling means for controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;
- supplemental gas means for providing a supplemental flow of gas to such a patient in conjunction with the primary flow of gas;
- flow controlling means, associated with the pressure generating means and the supplemental gas means, for controlling the supplemental flow of gas delivered to a patient by the supplemental gas means, wherein the flow controlling means substantially disables the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the controlling means disabling the supply of electrical power to the pressure generating means.
A method of providing pressure support to a patient comprising the steps of:
- providing a primary flow of gas to a patient via a first flow system that includes an electrically powered pressure generator responsive to power being provided to the pressure generator;
- controlling a supply of electrical power to the pressure generator so as to cause the pressure generator to output the primary flow of gas;
- providing a supplemental flow of gas to a patient via a second flow system in conjunction with the primary flow of gas;
- controlling the supplemental flow of gas delivered to a patient so as to substantially disable the supplemental flow of gas responsive to the supply of electrical power to the pressure generating means being discontinued.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.