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US 8,905,082 B2Granted
Limb for breathing circuit
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorNathan Lee Gray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A limb for a breathing circuit manufactured from very thin walled polymer materials has an elongate axial reinforcing spine lying freely inside the conduit and fixed to each end connector. The spine is laterally compliant but axially stiff. The spine provides resistance to tensile and compressive loads on the conduit, including that induced by prevailing internal pressures.
Claims31
A limb for a breathing circuit comprising:
- a very thin walled flexible conduit having a first end and a second end and a breathing gases pathway therebetween, wherein the very thin walled flexible conduit is insufficiently sturdy to be self-supporting,
- a first connector fixed to said first end of said very thin walled flexible conduit,
- a second connector fixed to said second end of said very thin walled flexible conduit,
- a first securing collar fixed to said first connector and a second securing collar fixed to said second connector,
- an elongate reinforcing member lying in direct fluid communication with and freely within said very thin walled flexible conduit along a non-tortuous path from said first end of said very thin walled flexible conduit to said second end of said very thin walled flexible conduit,
- wherein a first portion of said elongate reinforcing member extends past said first end of said very thin walled flexible conduit and is positioned between a wall of said very thin walled flexible conduit and said first securing collar, and wherein a second portion of said elongate reinforcing member extends past said second end of said very thin walled flexible conduit, and is positioned between a wall of said very thin walled flexible conduit and said second securing collar,
- said elongate reinforcing member being connected with said first connector and said second connector such that said elongate reinforcing member substantially increases an axial stiffness of said very thin walled flexible conduit, and
- said elongate reinforcing member not including a passageway large enough for gases delivery to a patient.
5 more elements
A method for manufacturing a limb for a breathing circuit comprising:
- providing a very thin walled flexible breathing conduit having a first end and a second end and that is insufficiently sturdy to be self-supporting,
- locating an elongate reinforcing member having a first and a second end, lying in direct fluid communication with and freely within said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit along a non-tortuous path from said first end of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit to said second end of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit, wherein a first portion of said elongate reinforcing member extends past the first end of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit and a second portion of said elongate reinforcing member extends past the second end of the said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit,
- fixing a first end connector with said first end of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit and said first end of said elongate reinforcing member, and
- fixing a second end connector with said second end of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit and said second end of said elongate reinforcing member, such that said elongate reinforcing member substantially increases an axial stiffness of said very thin walled flexible breathing conduit, and
- fixing a first securing collar to said first end connector,
- fixing a second securing collar to said second end connector,
- positioning the first portion of said elongate reinforcing member between a wall of said very thin walled flexible conduit and said first securing collar,
- positioning the second portion of said elongate reinforcing member between a wall of said very thin walled flexible conduit and said second securing collar, and
- not including a passageway large enough for gases delivery to a patient in said elongate reinforcing member.
6 more elements
A limb for a breathing circuit comprising
- a conduit having a first end and a second end and a maximum length, the conduit comprising a side wall, the side wall comprising a very thin walled polymer membrane,
- an external reinforcing sheath extending over at least a portion of the side wall of the conduit;
- a first connector fixed to said first end of said conduit,
- a second connector fixed to said second end of said conduit,
- a reinforcing member having a length such that first and second portions of the reinforcing member extend past the first end and the second end of the conduit and are secured to the first and second connectors respectively to elongate the conduit close to the maximum length, the reinforcing member lying within the conduit.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.