Breathing apparatus detection and purging
AssigneeINO Therapeutics LLC
InventorsJaron Acker, Tom Kohlmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described are methods for safer nitric oxide delivery, as well as apparatuses for performing these methods. The methods may include detecting the presence or absence of a nasal cannula, and stopping the delivery of nitric oxide or providing an alert if the cannula is disconnected. The methods may also include purging the nasal cannula if it is reconnected after a disconnection or if it is replaced by a new cannula. Other methods pertain to automatic purging of the delivery conduit if the elapsed time between successive deliveries of therapeutic gas exceeds a predetermined period of time.
Claims13
A method of administering therapeutic gas containing nitric oxide to a patient, the method comprising:
- detecting the presence or absence of a nasal cannula breathing apparatus at a connection port of a nitric oxide delivery apparatus, wherein the presence or absence of the breathing apparatus is detected by one or more of short range radio frequency identification (RFID), a light source/photodiode arrangement, a strain gauge, a proximity sensor and a bar code;
- flowing therapeutic gas containing nitric oxide to at least one of a nasal cannula and one or more nares of the breathing apparatus if the breathing apparatus is determined to be connected to the nitric oxide delivery apparatus and not flowing therapeutic gas containing nitric oxide to at least one of the nasal cannula and the one or more nares of the breathing apparatus if the breathing apparatus is determined not to be connected to the nitric oxide delivery apparatus;
- and
- purging the nasal cannula breathing apparatus during patient expiration with a purge volume greater than a volume of the one or more nares of the breathing apparatus and less than a total internal volume of the nasal cannula.
A method of administering therapeutic gas containing nitric oxide, the method comprising:
- sensing inspiration of a patient;
- during patient inspiration, delivering a pulse of therapeutic gas containing nitric oxide through a valve along a conduit and nasal cannula and subsequently through one or more nares of a breathing apparatus to the patient;
- repeating the delivering a pulse of the therapeutic gas to provide successive deliveries;
- measuring elapsed times between the successive deliveries of therapeutic gas to the patient;
- determining that an elapsed time between successive deliveries of therapeutic gas exceeds a predetermined period of time;
- sensing expiration of the patient;
- and
- purging the breathing apparatus during patient expiration with a purge volume greater than a volume of the one or more nares of the breathing apparatus and less than a total internal volume of the nasal cannula.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.