# US 9,517,318 B2 · Method of delivering medical gases via a nasal cannula assembly with flow control passage communicating with a deformable reservoir

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- Number: US 9,517,318 B2
- Document ID: US9517318B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/930,545
- Filed: 2013-06-28
- Published: 2015-01-01
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-28
- Assignees: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
- Applicants: L'Air Liquide, Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude
- Inventors: Andrew Martin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9517318B2

## CPC

- A61M 16/0672: {Nasal cannula assemblies for oxygen therapy}
- A61M 16/0666: {Nasal cannulas or tubing (devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02)}
- A61M 16/0866: {Passive resistors therefor}
- A61M 16/122: {with dilution}
- A61M 16/125: {Diluting primary gas with ambient air}
- A61M 16/208: {Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves}
- A61M 2202/0208: Oxygen
- A61M 2202/0275: Nitric oxide [NO]
- A61M 2209/02: Equipment for testing the apparatus
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}

## Abstract

The invention concerns a nasal cannula assembly (10) adapted to deliver gases to a patient comprising a first compartment (1) and a second compartment (2) separated by a separation wall (6); a pair of nasal prongs (5) in fluid communication with the first compartment (1); the first compartment (1) comprising a first inlet (11) for introducing a first gas into said first compartment (1); the second compartment (2) comprising a second inlet (2) for introducing a second gas into said second compartment (2); and the separation wall (6) comprising at least one flow restriction element (35) for controlling the passage of gas from the second compartment (2) to the first compartment (1).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for treating pulmonary vasoconstriction in a patient, comprising:
a) providing a nasal cannula assembly (10) adapted to deliver gases to a patient, the nasal cannula assembly (10) comprising:
A) a hollow body (4) configured to be capable of acting as a gas conduct or a gas manifold and comprising an internal chamber (7) defining a first compartment (1),
B) the first compartment (1) and a second compartment (2) separated by a separation wall (6),
C) a pair of nasal prongs (5) in fluid communication with the first compartment (1),
D) the first compartment (1) comprising a first inlet (11) forming a side gases entry in fluid communication with a gas transport conduct and configured to conduct a first gas into said first compartment (1),
E) the second compartment (2) having a fully inflated internal volume for a gas of about 0.5 to 5 ml, the second compartment (2) comprising,
a second inlet (12) configured to conduct a second gas into said second compartment (2), and
a deformable wall (14) forming a part of a boundary between the second compartment (2) and a room atmosphere such that the compliance of the second compartment (2) is not less than 5 ml/cm H2O while filling but is less than 0.1 ml/cm H2O once the second compartment (2) is full,
F) the separation wall (6) comprising two flow restriction channels (35)
having a rounded edge at an entrance from second compartment (2) and
having a reentrant aperture at an exit into the first compartment (1) and
which are oriented and arranged in the separation wall (6) directly opposite the pair of nasal prongs (5) to thereby be capable of
a. permitting a passage of gas from the second compartment (2) to the first compartment (1) in a reduced pressure state during an inhalation phase and
b. preventing a majority of flow of the second gas from the second compartment (2) to the first compartment (1) in a higher pressure state, during an exhalation phase, relative to the passage of gas during the reduced pressure state, during an inhalation phase, such that during the higher pressure state exhalation phase the majority of flow of the second gas entering the second compartment (2) from the second inlet (12) is retained in the second compartment (2) causing the deformable wall (14) to deform and increase the volume of the second compartment (2) by at least 50% volume, as compared to the second compartment (2) volume at the end of the previous reduced pressure state inhalation phase,
b) providing a therapeutically-effective amount of a NO-containing gas to said patient through said nasal cannula assembly (10) for inhalation to thereby reduce the pulmonary vasoconstriction in the patient.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for treating pulmonary vasoconstriction in a patient according to claim 1, further comprising one or more orifices (13) in the first compartment (1) defining a fluid communication from an internal chamber (7) and an external atmosphere.