Patent Application
20240342413
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present disclosure relates, in general, to the medical field, and more particularly to respiratory technology.
Respiratory treatments vary considerably as do the different manufacturer's devices used to facilitate the treatments. Generally, these treatments accomplish two goals. First, it helps strengthen the patient's lungs and second, it clears the phlegm and mucus from the to the patient's airways. This is accomplished with the patient undergoing separate regimens of positive exhalation pressure (PEP) treatments, possibly with a subsequent medicament inhalation (drug delivery). The PEP treatment requires the patient to exhale through any of a plethora of PEP devices that send a resultant pulsation pressure wave back down into their lungs. If this pressure wave has sufficient power, it will dislodge the phlegm from their airways. When enough cycles have been performed, the patient's breathing ability is improved as their lungs are cleared of phlegm to the point where they can undergo an inhalation treatment and receive a medicated aerosol (generally inhaled antibiotics, bronchodilators, corticosteroids) to further increase their lung capacity and ease their labored breathing.
There are several problems encountered by patients using such PEP devices. When the phlegm is brought out of the patient's airways it must exit the mouth and needs a place to be expelled. There is not always a handy place nearby to receive the phlegm. Patients are often elderly, weak or partially incapacitated. Because of their diminished lung capacity, successful exhalations (events) often leaves them out of breath and gasping for air. At this time, dealing with a mouth full of phlegm, while holding a PEP device and trying to catch one's breath is daunting for many. This also stops the rhythm of the PEP routine which is important as the effect of each exhalation builds on itself. A repeated pattern of inhalation and exhalation is necessary to gain the full medical effect of the PEP device. This should not be interrupted.
If the PEP device is contaminated with mucus it may cease to function or at the least, require intensive cleaning subject to prevent bacterial growth. There are vacuum units to deal with the phlegm but switching between devices increases the treatment complexity and robs precious time between breaths.
For these reasons, self-treatment with a PEP device is not a possibility, or if attempted will not provide the full beneficial effects.
Thus, a novel device that handles the full spectrum of respiratory training and is able to be administered by the patient alone would fulfill a long felt need in the medical industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.
A suction adaptor integrated in, and/or on, a PEP device for patients with severe airway clearance issues that protects against potential airway aspiration and can be used for in hospital use and home care.
In accordance with various embodiments, a PEP device is provided that utilizes a separate pathway external to the device's respiratory pathway to eliminate the phlegm developed.
In one aspect, a self-administered respiratory treatment device that allows a patient to maintain the regular, rhythmed breathing to maximize the benefit of the PEP technology.
In another aspect, a self-administered respiratory treatment device incorporating a PEP device and an integrated suction unit that can be quickly employed by the patient is provided.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combination of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components.
While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The examples provided are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “coupled to,” or “connected to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly coupled to or directly connected to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly coupled to,” or “directly connected to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The present invention relates to a novel design for a respiratory treatment device that blends together complimentary devices used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Looking at
It is to be understood that depending on which style of airway clearance device is used, the physical configuration of the polymer body will differ, however, all these devices share commonalities that allow them to be modified consistent with the design provided herein to accomplish the same end result.
The body 4 of the dual purpose respirator treatment device 2 has a front end 8 with an exhaled air exit 6, and a back end 10 with a patient mouthpiece 12 having a exhaled air entrance 11. The exhaled air entrance 11 directs patient exhaled air into a front end of the airway clearance device and a back end of the airway clearance device directs air to the exhaled air exit 6.
Removably attached to at least one exterior side face 14 of the body 4 and along the mouthpiece 12, is a flexible suction catheter 16. This catheter 16 is held in position and has its proximal end extendable beyond the mouthpiece by a catheter securement means which may be openable tubing clips 18 or a section of tubing. In the preferred embodiment, this catheter 16 runs through a series of openable tubing clips 18 that are affixed to the side 14 and mouthpiece, and are sized for the frictional retention of the catheter 16. Its profile is tight to the body's side 14 and mouthpiece 12, to minimize snagging of the catheter. The proximal end 20 of the catheter is open and extends beyond the end 22 of the mouthpiece 20 approximately one to three inches, so as to reside in the patient's mouth when the patient is exhaling into the device 2. The distal end 24 of the catheter 16 is connected to a suction tube 30 of a vacuum unit 26. (See
Looking at
Looking at
In operation, when the suction control means 32 is operated, phlegm 50 can be drawn from the proximal end 20 of the catheter 16 and deposited into the vacuum chamber 36.
In the first and second embodiments, the suction control means 32 is swivel arm mounted to the body with a pivot pin 58 that allows the suction control means 32 to be pivoted out of the way for the replacement of a new catheter 16, and pivoted over the catheter 16 and its orifice 100 for operation and to further ensure the retention of the catheter 16. Once the catheter's proximal end 30 is extended to the proper distance from the end of the patient mouthpiece 12, the catheter 16 is locked in place with this swivel arm 56. In the second embodiment, there is a partial section of the translucent channel 54 removed under the suction control means 32 such that the suction control means 32 (swivel arm) may be depressed like a paddle arm to variably occlude the orifice in the catheter to regulate the amount of suction at the proximal end of the catheter.
As shown by
In both embodiments, the devices 2 and 52 are designed for patients with severe airway clearance issues. It protects against potential airway aspiration and does not interfere with PEP treatments. Most importantly, it allows patients to complete their own respiratory treatments alone. Prior to this there was always the potential for choking when large volumes of phlegm were brought up.
While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. As such, this detailed description and accompanying material is intended to be illustrative only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the inventive concept. What is claimed as the invention, therefore, is all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.
