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US 9,308,344 B2Granted
Respiratory valve apparatus
AssigneeVentific Holdings Pty Ltd
InventorsMichael David Hallett, Michael Kassipillai Gunaratnam, Allan Nils Gregersen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a pressure responsive respiratory valve apparatus for enabling positive pressure from a source of pressure to be applied to a user's airway, and allowing ingress of a breathable gas from an inlet port into a user's airway during inhalation and egress of expired tidal volume of air from the user's respiratory system to an exhalation port during exhalation. The invention minimises rebreathing of expired gas and optimizes delivery of pressurised breathable gas by venting gas only during exhalation, as well as addressing important user considerations including minimizing noise, pressure swing, and size.
Claims21
A respiratory valve apparatus for delivering a pressurised flow of breathable gas to the airway of a user, the respiratory valve apparatus comprising:
- a valve body including an inlet port for receiving the breathable gas, an outlet port for releasing the breathable gas to the user's airway during an inhalation phase and for receiving exhaled gas during an exhalation phase of the user's respiratory cycle, a breathable gas flow passage communicating between the inlet and outlet ports, an exhaust port for releasing the exhaled gas, and an exhaled gas flow passage communicating between the outlet and exhaust ports, the exhaust port defining a plurality of substantially parallel slots spaced circumferentially around the valve body at the exhaled gas flow passage;
- a first valve located in the breathable gas flow passage and being operable under the pressurised flow of breathable gas from the inlet port to open the breathable gas flow passage during the inhalation phase to enable flow of the breathable gas to the user, and to close the breathable gas flow passage during the exhalation phase;
- a second valve located in the exhaled gas flow passage and including a flexible membrane having a sock-like structure comprising a closed end defining an internal cavity, the flexible membrane being operable to seal the exhaust port by extending, substantially parallel to the valve body, across and against the exhaust port under neutral pressure and during the inhalation phase and to at least partly expose and open the exhaust port during the exhalation phase;
- an equilibrium passage disposed between an upstream side of the first valve and the internal cavity of the second valve and being operable under the pressurised flow of breathable gas from the inlet port to divert part of the breathable gas to the internal cavity of the flexible membrane via the equilibrium passage and to maintain the exhaust port closed during the inhalation phase.
1 more element
A respiratory valve apparatus for delivering a pressurised flow of breathable gas to the airway of a user, comprising:
- a valve body comprising an inlet port configured to receive the breathable gas, an outlet port configured to release the breathable gas to the user's airway during an inhalation phase and to receive exhaled gas during an exhalation phase of a respiratory cycle of the user, a breathable gas flow passage communicating between the inlet and outlet ports, an exhaust port for releasing the exhaled gas, and an exhaled gas flow passage communicating between the outlet and exhaust ports;
- the exhaust port defining a plurality of substantially parallel slots spaced circumferentially around the valve body at the exhaled gas flow passage, the slots being staggered in length;
- a first valve located in the breathable gas flow passage and being configured under the pressurised flow of breathable gas from the inlet port to open the breathable gas flow passage during the inhalation phase to enable flow of the breathable gas to the user, and to close the breathable gas flow passage during the exhalation phase;
- a second valve located in the exhaled gas flow passage and including a flexible membrane that defines an internal cavity, the flexible membrane being configured to close the exhaust port under neutral pressure and during the inhalation phase and to at least partially open the exhaust port during the exhalation phase;
- an equilibrium passage disposed between an upstream side of the first valve and the internal cavity of the second valve and being configured, under the pressurised flow of breathable as from the inlet port, to divert part of the breathable gas to the internal cavity of the flexible membrane via the equilibrium passage to neutral pressure and to maintain the exhaust port closed during the inhalation phase.
2 more elements
A respiratory valve apparatus for delivering, a pressurised flow of breathable gas to the airway of a user, comprising:
- a valve body comprising an inlet port configured to receive the breathable gas, an outlet port configured to release the breathable gas to the user's airway during an inhalation phase and to receive exhaled gas during an exhalation phase of the user's respiratory cycle, a breathable gas flow passage communicating between the inlet and outlet ports, an exhaust port configured to release the exhaled gas, and an exhaled gas flow passage communicating between the outlet and exhaust ports;
- the exhaust port defining a plurality of substantially parallel slots spaced circumferentially around the valve body at the exhaled gas flow passage, each of the slots being longitudinally tapered in thickness and progressively narrower in an upstream direction;
- a first valve located in the breathable gas flow passage and being, configured, under the pressurised flow of breathable gas from the inlet port, to open the breathable gas flow passage during the inhalation phase to enable flow of the breathable gas to the user, and to close the breathable gas flow passage during the exhalation phase;
- a second valve located in the exhaled gas flow passage and comprising a flexible membrane defining an internal cavity, the flexible membrane being:
- configured, under neutral pressure and during the inhalation phase, to close the exhaust port and, during the exhalation phase, to at least partly open the exhaust port;
- an equilibrium passage disposed between an upstream side of the first valve and the internal cavity of the second valve and being configured, under the pressurised flow of breathable gas from the inlet port, to divert part of the breathable gas to the internal cavity of the flexible membrane via the equilibrium passage to neutral pressure and, during the inhalation phase, maintain the exhaust port closed.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.