CO2 sorbent for inhalation drug therapy system

Abstract

A carbon dioxide (CO2) sorbent system for removing CO2 from a recirculating inhalation therapy system includes several sorbent layers within a housing defining an inlet and an outlet. Airflow passages sandwiched between CO2 sorbent layers allow airflow from the inhalation therapy system through the CO2 sorbent assembly. The recirculating inhalation therapy system controls the amount of CO2 within the system without removing aerosol medication contained within the breathable air stream.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a system for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from an inhalation therapy system, and specifically to a CO2 sorbent assembly for extracting metabolically produced CO2 from exhaled air.

[0002] Many diseases and medical conditions are currently being treated by inhalation therapy in which an aerosol medication is inhaled by a patient. Such treatments require inhalation of a proportionally large amount of aerosol medication relative to a low amount of medication that is actually absorbed into the patient's lungs. A relatively large amount of medication is wasted simply by being exhaled during a normal breathing cycle.

[0003] Currently systems for controlling and eliminating CO2 from a breathable air supply are utilized in diving applications, submarines, space vehicles and space suits. These systems utilize a CO2 sorbent bed composed of a solid or liquid sorbent disposed within a container. A stream of air containing CO2 is flowed through the container and the sorbent. The CO2 reacts with the sorbent, trapping CO2 within the container. The remainder of the breathable air recirculates into the controlled environment. Once the container has become saturated with CO2 such that further absorption of CO2 is inefficient, the breathable air stream is switched to a second container. The saturated container is either disposed or regenerated. Such systems have proven effective and efficient for controlling CO2 content within enclosed environments; however, these sorbent systems would tend to remove aerosolized particles within the air stream during inhalation therapy.

[0004] Accordingly, it is desirable to employ CO2 sorbent technology in an inhalation therapy system for controlling CO2 levels and increasing system efficiency by reusing exhaled aerosol medication.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A disclosed embodiment of this invention is an assembly for controlling the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) within a recirculating inhalation therapy system with a CO2 sorbent while allowing reuse of medication in aerosol form by the inhalation therapy system.

[0006] The assembly of this invention removes CO2 from a recirculating inhalation therapy system with a CO2 sorbent. The CO2 sorbent assembly includes several CO2 sorbent layers disposed within a housing. The housing includes perforated sheets defining an inlet and an outlet. Between the CO2 sorbent sheets is an airflow passage. The airflow passage is unobstructed by CO2 sorbent, allowing the free flow of air through the assembly. Carbon dioxide is drawn from the airflow and absorbed in the CO2 sorbent. Because the airflow proceeds through the CO2 sorbent assembly uninterrupted, any aerosol medication remaining in the exhaled air of the patient will proceed directly through and substantially uninhibited by CO2 sorbent assembly for readministration to the patient. In this way, a substantial amount of otherwise wasted medication input into the system is administered to the patient.

[0007] Accordingly, the CO2 sorbent assembly of this invention controls carbon dioxide within a recirculating inhalation therapy system without trapping aerosol medication.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:

[0009] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the embodiment of the CO2 sorbent assembly;

[0010] FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of an air passage configuration;

[0011] FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an air passage configuration;

[0012] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the CO2 sorbent assembly;

[0013] FIG. 2B is side view of the embodiment of FIG. 2A;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an inhalation therapy system; and

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a device to regenerate saturated CO2 sorbent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Referring to FIG. 1A-C, a disclosed embodiment of this invention is a carbon dioxide (CO2) sorbent assembly 12 for an inhalation therapy system 10. The CO2 sorbent assembly 12 includes an inlet and outlet having perforated sheets 14 to allow airflow indicated by arrow 24 to pass through the assembly 12. Disposed within the assembly 12 are CO2 sorbent sheets 16. The CO2 sorbent sheets 16 are comprised of CO2 sorbent material. The specific type of CO2 sorbent can by of any type known to a worker skilled in the art.

[0017] The CO2 sorbent layers 16 combine to define airflow passage 22 through the assembly 12. Airflow through the assembly 12 is drawn into the CO2 sorbent by a pressure gradient created by the normal breathing cycle of a patient drawing air through the airflow passages 22. The exhaled air flow 24 is directed into the CO2 sorbent. The amount of CO2 absorbed by the assembly 12 depends on the flow rate of the exhaled air, the number of sorbent sheets 16 and the dimensions of the airflow passages 22. The higher the number of sheets 16, the greater the amount of CO2 absorbed. The larger the airflow passage 22, the less carbon dioxide absorbed by the CO2 sorbent assembly 12. A smaller airflow passage 22 results in a shorter diffusion path for the CO2 and a greater amount of CO2 is absorbed by sorbent layers16. The number of sorbent sheets 16 and the specific dimensions of the airflow passage 22 are application specific and a worker knowledgeable in the art would understand how to vary these dimensions to produce the desired amount of CO2 absorption.

[0018] The CO2 sorbent sheets are wrapped in a Teflon wrap 18. The Teflon wrap 18 allows permeation of CO2 without allowing the release of CO2 sorbent into the inhalation therapy system 10. Further, the sorbent layers 16 are separated from the airflow passage 22 by perforated sheets 34. The perforated sheets 34 provide structural support for the CO2 sorbent 16 from the air flow passage 22.

[0019] Disposed within the sorbent layers 16 are air passage fins 20. The air passage fins 20 define the airflow passage 22 through the assembly 12 (FIG. 1B). In this embodiment, the air passage fins 20 include an alternating series of channels comprised of peaks 19 and valleys 20 defining the airflow passage through the CO2 sorbent assembly 12. The air passage fins 22 are a separate part sandwiched between sorbent layers 16. Referring to FIG. 1C, another embodiment of this invention is shown where the sorbent layers are formed with an alternating series of channels and peaks to define the airflow flow passage 22 without the need for the air passage fins 20.

[0020] Aerosol medication contained within the airflow 24 flows through the assembly 12 and is not absorbed or trapped within the CO2 sorbent layers 16. Airflow through the assembly 12 flows by the CO2 sorbent layers 16 and therefore allows aerosol medication exhaled from a patient to pass through the assembly 12.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the CO2 sorbent assembly is shown and generally indicated at 40. In this embodiment the CO2 sorbent assembly 40 is cylindrical with a series of spirally wound sorbent sheets 42 alternating between layers of air passage fins 46 defining an air passage through the sorbent assembly 40. The cylindrical housing defines an inlet 50 and an outlet 48. The open space between sorbent layers 42 defines the air passage 46 through the CO2 sorbent assembly.

[0022] The sorbent assembly 40 includes a diameter and a length 56, 58 and air passage fins 56. The diameter 56 and length 58 are sized according to certain applications specific requirements such as airflow rate and desired amount of CO2 absorption.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 3, a block diagram schematically illustrating the inhalation therapy system 10. In such a system, the patient is enclosed within a containment chamber indicated at 70. It should be understood that the containment chamber may be a mask, an oxygen tent or any other structure known to a worker in the art for administering a recirculating breathable air supply.

[0024] The patient breathes in aerosol medication introduced into the system 10 by way of a nebulizer indicated at 72. As the patient inhales the medication, a certain amount of the aerosol medication remains within the patient and a certain amount is exhaled from the patient. Along with the exhaled excess aerosol medication, a certain amount of CO2 is exhaled as is normal during the breathing cycle. Air exhaled from the patient within the patient enclosure 70 is directed into a CO2 sorbent assembly 12,40 to remove a desired amount of CO2. The desired amount of CO2 is removed from the system while minimizing the amount of aerosol medication deposited within the sorbent assembly. Air drawn into the CO2 sorbent assembly 12, 40 is then output back into the patient enclosure 70. The inhalation therapy system illustrated in FIG. 3 is only one possible configuration and illustrates operation of the CO2 sorbent assembly 12, 40.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, an embodiment of a regeneration system 80 is schematically shown. In the applications where the CO2 sorbent assembly 12,40 comprises a regenerable sorbent such as silver oxide or molecular sieve, a regeneration assembly 80 is used to regenerate the CO2 sorbent for re-use and sterilization. The regeneration system 80 includes the heating element 84. An airstream 84 is directed past the heating element 84 and then to the solvent assembly 12. The heated air provides a means of heating the sorbent to its regeneration temperature and sweeps the evolved CO2 from the sorbent assembly 12.

[0026] The CO2 sorbent assembly of this invention provides regulation and control of CO2 within an inhalation therapy system without substantially absorbing exhaled aerosol medication. Control of the CO2 within the inhalation therapy system allows for the re-breathing of exhaled aerosol medication that was not absorbed by the patient. The re-breathing of the aerosol medication provides a more efficient and cost effective inhalation therapy system 10.

[0027] The foregoing description is exemplary and not just a material specification. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and should be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed, however, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications are within the scope of this invention. It is understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Claims

1. An inhalation therapy system comprising; a containment chamber for administering a recirculating breathable air supply; a device for introducing aerosol medication into said recirculating breathable air supply; a CO2 sorbent assembly for controlling CO2 content and defining a passage said breathable air supply.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 sorbent is encapsulated within a porous material providing containment of said CO2 sorbent.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 sorbent includes several layers and said passage is disposed between said layers of CO2 sorbent.

4. The system of claim 1, further including air passage fins defining said air passage between said layers of CO2 sorbent.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said air passage fins are integrally formed within said CO2 sorbent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 sorbent is regenerable.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said CO2 sorbent is silver oxide.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 is non-regenerable.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 sorbent is sodasorb.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said CO2 sorbent is lithium hydroxide.

11. The system of claim 1, further including a regeneration device including a heating element and an air flow device for flowing air through said regeneration device and heating said CO2 sorbent to expel CO2.

12. A method of removing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from an inhalation therapy system comprising the steps of: a.) passing a stream of exhaled air past a CO2 sorbent; b.) absorbing a portion of CO2 from within said exhaled air; c.) passing exhaled medication through said CO2 sorbent for re-inhalation by a patient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step (a.) is further defined by passing a stream of exhaled air between layers of the CO2 sorbent.

14. The method of claim 12, further including the step of regenerating said CO2 sorbent by expelling absorbed CO2.