Patent Application
20240261522
When liquid in a tank or vessel experiences dynamic motion, a variety of wave interactions and liquid phenomena can exist. The oscillation of a fluid caused by external force, called sloshing, occurs in moving vessels containing liquid masses, such as trucks, aircraft, and liquid fueled rockets. This sloshing effect can be a severe problem in energy absorption, and thus, vehicle stability and control.
Living beings can experience analogous sloshing, such as in the skull under impact due to collisions or blast impacts. TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) is the leading cause of death in individuals under age 45. The number of people diagnosed annually with TBI exceeds HIV/ADS, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer's, and breast cancer combined. The cost of TBI in the U.S. is estimated at anywhere from $50 to $150 billion, but quantifying the cost of the pain and suffering of the victims and their families is difficult. The January, 2008 New England Journal of Medicine reports: “More than 1.75 million U.S. military personnel have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since the start of military operations in 2001. Because of improved protective equipment, a higher percentage of soldiers are surviving injuries that would have been fatal in previous wars. Head and neck injuries, including severe brain trauma, have been reported in one quarter of service members who have been evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan”. Traumatic brain injury has been labeled a “signature injury” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The exact proportion of troops who have traumatic brain injury is not known, although it has been reported to be as high as 18% in news articles citing army medical officials. Many troops reportedly have persistent post-concussive symptoms, such as irritability, memory problems, headache, and difficulty concentrating.
The mitigation of blast wave and collision damage is based largely on the principle of energy absorption of fluid-filled containers. As there becomes more room for movement within a vessel, more energy can be absorbed (slosh) rather than transported through the vessel. To reduce this energy absorption, one must attempt to more closely approximate elastic collisions. Elastic collisions are those that result in no net transfer of energy—chiefly, acoustic, kinetic, vibrational, or thermal energy (also stated as a coefficient of restitution (r) approximating 1.0).
Nature's creatures use many mechanisms to abate Traumatic Brain Injury through mitigating SLOSH and thus external energy absorption demonstrating incredible g-force tolerance. Woodpeckers have restricted axial globe movement of their eyes and don't even possess sinus cavities in their heads to reduce SLOSH, thus allowing tolerances of up to 1500 Gs while impacting trees. All avian species retain the nucleuses of their erythrocytes and thus have markedly less distensible red blood cells thus mitigating SLOSH. Longhorn, head butting, sheep also have diminished distensibility of their red blood cells and maintain an elevated pH in their circulatory stream by adding dead space to their respiratory outflow tract. Bats sleep upside down to increase the cerebral space occupying capability of their blood and have arterial venous shunts in their wings to maintain control over CO2. Highly G-force tolerant insects maintain tight control over CO2 through spiracles in the sides of their thorax and abdomen, and aquatic mammals maintain large reservoirs of CO2 partly through large air sacs attached to their respiratory tree.
Although the skull, blood, and brain of a human are nearly incompressible, the volume of the vasculature tree of the cerebrum is actually quite reactive and malleable. As volume is added to the cranium and spinal column, increased pressure follows. The pressure volume curve shown in
Increasing cerebral blood volume and pressure safely and reversibly would serve to fill up the compliance of the cerebral vascular tree and thus reduce the ability to absorb external energies through slosh energy absorption. Envisioning the skull as a container with two major arterial passages entering and four major venous pathways exiting, then any process that either increases the arterial flow, or impedes venous outflow, will serve to fill up the container to its confines. With the application of measured pressure to the neck, the cranial-spinal blood volume increases rapidly and plateaus at a new higher level. Total cerebral blood flow is not affected by diverting venous outflow of blood from jugulars to the vertebral vessels of the brain. The blood volume venous pressure relationship shows a diminishing increase in volume with each increment of neck pressure over the range 40 to 70 mm of mercury. It is of interest that the cranial blood pressure increases from 10 to 30 per cent. The cerebral spinal fluid pressure responds on compression of the individual jugular veins. The average rise in certain tests was 30-45%. Jugular compression increases cerebral blow flow to a new plateau in as little as 0.5 seconds. Increasing the arterial blood flow velocity would also serve to increase the intra-cranial pressure (ICP) and volume, and ultimately raise the end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) by 10% which has been shown to increase the middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity by 40%. This degree of cranial blood volume and pressure increase would be very beneficial in slosh mitigation.
Further, safety of such a procedure of venous compression is well known. In particular, it is known that compression of the neck does not interfere with arterial flow into the cranium and increasing ETCO2 (with resultant rises in arterial flow velocity) does not alter the venous outflow tracts. Although the venous jugular flow beneath the pressure cuff may be temporarily halted, the venous outflow from the cranium is never completely stopped, particularly from the anastomosis between the vertebral spinal vein and the basilar plexus and occipital sinuses which are incompressible. There was no correlation between EEG changes and changes in systolic blood pressure occurring during vascular compression. Compression of up to 70 mmHg does not affect cardiac output, arteriolar blood pressure, pulse rate, or urine flow.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a method is provided for reducing the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury caused by a traumatic event comprising the steps of identifying a subject at risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury, and then increasing the partial pressure of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in the blood of the subject (pCO2). In another aspect of the disclosure, the rise in CO2 is expected to improve (or lower) the compensatory reserve volume of the cranium, thus improving the symptoms of many dysautonomias such as Positional Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). A rise in ETCO2 by this mechanism would also have utility in improving the respiratory drive in Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and even mitigating the symptoms of migraine sufferers.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a breathing apparatus is provided for increasing the partial pressure of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in the blood of a subject (pCO2), that comprises a chamber having an opening in communication with the mouth of the subject and at least one outlet through which gas flows as the subject inhales and exhales, and an enlarged dead space between the opening in communication with the mouth and the at least one outlet. The dead space defines a volume sized to retain a predetermined portion of the CO2 exhaled by the subject to be inhaled or re-breathed by the subject on the next inhalation. In accordance with the present disclosure, the dead space does not exchange CO2 or O2 with the body. The breathing apparatus includes a portion for retaining the breathing apparatus in communication with the mouth of the subject, such as a strap arrangement or a mouthpiece.
In one feature, the dead space is adjustable or calibrated to the physiology of the subject, and in particular to the tidal volume of air displaced by the subject during inhalation and exhalation. In particular, the dead space is calibrated to the weight of the subject.
Breathing through the nasal passage in effect produces a dead space volume, which can amount to almost 150 ml of volume in an average adult. However, this anatomic “dead space” is not easily available for rebreathing as it resides in the many tributaries such as the para-nasal sinuses, middle ear space and mastoid air cells. To circulate the CO2 out of these spaces, the tributaries include turbinates to generate turbulent flow which provides for mixing of the passage and sinus flow and thus accessing the CO2 residing there.
Switching from mouth breathing to nasal breathing is theorized to be a method for the body to exert control over the total utilized dead space and thus CO2 levels maintained within the body. Further control is effectuated by the Nasal Cycle, a little known or understood reflex (that all, or nearly all, vertebrates appear to possess) whereby vascular engorgement of one of the two nasal orifices is brought about through activation of the sympathetic nervous system originating in the thoracic spinal cord. When one side of the nasal passage closes, the nasal resistance soars and the tendency is to open one's mouth to ease the work of breathing. Active, yet not conscious, control of the body's CO2 levels could be triggered by the rate and duration of the vascular engorgement of nasal pathway and, at least in humans, this reflex has been shown to actively engorge one side or the other approximately every 1-8 hours. Tracing the neural control of this reflex appears to put the neural pathway inside the sympathetic nervous system originating in the upper one third of the spinal cord. This location is interesting as no chemoreceptor (for monitoring for CO2 levels) is known in this region. It should be noted that the pressure and volume change dramatically inside the spinal column and baroreceptors (pressure sensitive monitors) within this space could also maintain control of the Nasal Reflex with subsequent vascular congestion in the nares.
The scientific and lay scientific communities have long observed benefits to nasal breathing over oral breathing and studies have been undertaken to understand why. Studies by Fink et al and reported by Tanaka describe an increase in the End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) level of the body by 1.5 mmHg by the mere act of closing one's mouth and breathing through the nose. See, Fink, B. R., E. C. Hanks, S. H. Ngai, and E. M. Papper, Central Regulation of Respiration during Anesthesia and Wakefulness, Ann of NY Acad of Science, 109:892-900, 1963; and Tanaka, An Assessment of Nasal Functions in Control of Nasal Breathing, Department of Surgery, Institute of Pulmonary Cancer Research, and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 280, Japan, the disclosures of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference. As stated above, the added dead space volume in an average 70 kg adult breathing through the nose is about 150 ml, which unit of volume can be referred to as a “Physiological Breathing Unit (PBU)”. The PBU can be considered to be the minimum volume of added dead space that may provide a demonstrable beneficial physiological alteration to occur in the body. CO2 added to the human body can be described as multiples of PBU (for adults 150 ml, and for infants, 3 ml). CO2 is the major determinant of intracranial volume and pressure and also dictates the middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood velocity. A modest increase of fractional inspiration of CO2 (FICO2), for example 5%, leads to an increase in MCA velocity of 50%.
The present disclosure contemplates a method for treating a condition of a subject that is responsive changes in intracranial pressure and/or middle cerebral blood velocity. The condition can be a potential or actual traumatic brain injury. The method comprises increasing the partial pressure of carbon-dioxide (CO2) in the blood of the subject (pCO2). In one aspect, this increase in pCO2 is accomplished by increasing the CO2 content of the air inhaled by the subject above the ambient CO2 content of the air, and in particular by forcing the subject to rebreathe a predetermined portion of the CO2 exhaled by the subject while inhaling ambient air. The predetermined portion of exhaled CO2 is calibrated according to the physiological attributes to the subject indicative of tidal volume, such as weight. In one aspect, the rebreathing is accomplished by a rebreathing apparatus with an enlarged dead space calibrated to retain the predetermined portion of exhaled CO2 to be rebreathed on the next inhalation of ambient air. In one feature of this disclosure, the apparatus can incorporate means to adjust the dead space volume as needed for the subject.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present disclosure includes any alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles disclosed herein as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains
Various embodiments described below may locally alter, elevate, or temporarily maintain an altered physiology of an organism to reduce the likelihood of energy absorption through slosh whereby the coefficient of restitution (r) is increased. The coefficient of restitution (r) indicates the variance of an impacting object away from being a complete total elastic collision (an (r) of 1.0=no energy transfer). Blast or energy absorption in an organism can be viewed as a collision of bodies and thus be defined by a transfer of energies through elastic or inelastic collisions. The mechanisms for biological fluids and molecules to absorb energy can thus be identified and the resultant means to mitigate that absorption can be achieved through several slosh reducing techniques. Dissipation of energies post-blast is also potentiated through these techniques.
An effort to reduce the available space for movement of the brain by increasing cerebral blood volume can serve the purpose of mitigating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or increasing orthostatic or G-tolerance through slosh mitigation at a tissue or organ (macro slosh) level. Red blood cells (RBC) or erythrocytes are highly distensible and have a “sloshable” volume to surface area of only 60 percent. Distending or stiffening these erythrocytes can reduce slosh within the individual cells at a cellular (micro slosh) level and thus reduce energy absorption upon collision. Molecules themselves have a three dimensionality and can have a lack of cross-bridging providing for floppy conformational changes that can promote slosh. Several mechanisms disclosed can safely and reversibly alter the conformational state of certain structures, cells and molecules in the circulatory system that will then reduce energy absorption through slosh at a molecular (molecular slosh) level. Elevating the local CO2 and hence lowering the pH environment of an organism can also serve to mitigate slosh.
Raised inspired CO2 (hypercapnia) can mitigate TBI through the reduction of macro slosh inside the cranium, but also has the ability to reduce the micro slosh inside each individual RBC and reduce the molecular slosh of each individual hemoglobin molecule. Each of these physiology changes allows a better passage of imparted forces through the blood and brain tissues with less of the forces being absorbed. Within the brain's more than 150 cc of cerebral blood, there are more than 1,000,000,000,000 erythrocytes (1 trillion cells) that hypercapnia can potentiate to more closely approximate elastic collisions of cells thus reducing the blast or collision energy absorption. Further, a hypercapnic state can also potentiate the collisions of all the hemoglobin molecules present in the cranium and body to be more elastic, thus reducing blast or collision energy absorption. There are 80 trillion RBC in the human body, more than one trillion in the brain space at any one time. All of these cells are susceptible to slosh energy absorption, and that absorption would be reduced in the setting of hypercapnia. Further, there are 240 million molecules of hemoglobin inside each RBC. Consequently, there are thus 1.9×1022 hemoglobin molecules which are able to absorb the energies of a blast. The slosh energy absorption of these molecules can be significantly reduced by hypercapnia altering the molecules to approximate more elastic collisions.
Hemoglobin is made up of four iron containing heme components and four globins that surround (pocket) each heme, and in essence waterproof these hemes. If the blast energies are absorbed by fluids and blood cells, they are preferentially absorbed by hemoglobin which is then conformationally altered to allow water to enter the hemepocket leading to a rapid, catalytic oxidation to methemoglobin and superoxide. Superoxide is oxygen with an extra electron; methemoglobin is merely an oxyhemoglobin devoid of a superoxide. Without this extra electron, methemoglobin does not have the ability to carry or transfer oxygen (thus the brain suffocates), and in the case of blast lung, massive levels of methemoglobin have been recorded. The erythrocytes can slowly reduce methemoglobin back to functional hemoglobin but if this methemoglobin Reductase reaction is not capable of diverting adequate electrons to counter this redox chemistry, spillover occurs into the oxidative damaging formation of superoxide, nitric oxide, peroxinitrite, etc. When an electron moves from one molecule to another, the donor molecule is thus oxidized while the receiving molecule is reduced (hence the term “redox”). For decades methylene blue has been used as the incredibly safe and well tolerated antidote for cyanide poisoning (and methemoglobinemias). It safely and dramatically facilitates the reductive pathways of methhemoglobin back into hemoglobin. Hypercapnia not only pushes methylene blue into erythrocytes where it can be functional, but it also appears to actually drive methemoglobin reductase to more quickly convert methemoglobin back to hemoglobin. Further, the anti-oxidants (electron donors) ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and riboflavin are also driven into the erythrocyte by hypercapnia; These antioxidants are not useful for post blast or energy absorption outside of erythrocytes. A soldier or athlete can be given physiologic daily doses of Vitamin C, Riboflavin and methylene blue (not a vitamin) and upon triggering a need, hypercapnia will drive these cofactors into the erythrocyte where they can mitigate the after effects of blast energy absorption.
A first embodiment is a method to reduce slosh energy absorption through reduction of inelastic collisions in a fluid containing organism wherein the method is one or more of reversibly increasing pressure, or volume within the organs or cells, or reversibly altering vascular, molecular, or cell wall stiffness or configuration within said organism. One embodiment of a method to increase pressure within the cranium can be by temporarily raising the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the body of the organism by way of altering the fractional percentage of CO2 inspired by the organism. Such a method can maintain the above hypercapnic inspired CO2 levels to exceed ambient levels. The CO2 is actively and instantly pumped into erythrocytes and after the external CO2 delivery stops, the intracellular CO2 levels may take hours to return to normal. These levels can be achieved and maintained by an externally imparted respiratory circuit which can modulate the fractional percentage of CO2 inspired by the organism. The circuit could be one or more of a non-breathing circuit, a breath circuit mask, or a breathing circuit capable of organizing exhaled gas so as to modulate the fractional percentage of CO2 inspired by the organism (a range from 0.05 to 100% could be utilized). The circuit can include a customizable re-breathing circuit whose dead space is adjustable based on an individual's weight and estimated tidal volume (i.e., the normal volume of air displaced between inhalation and exhalation), and desired or optimized level of hypercapnia (a pCO2 range from 25 to 80 mmHg would be optimum). The mask or vessel can incorporate one or several dead space channels or tubes that provide an inhale and exhale pathway that superimpose each other and thereby create mixing of inspired and expired gases. Alternatively, a source of fresh gas, potentially containing CO2 can be supplemented when capnography (measurement of exhaled end-tidal CO2), if utilized, so indicates. A re-breathing respiratory circuit may have one or more of the following: a mask or collecting vessel which has one or multiple channels or tubes whose length or volume is rapidly adjustable to regulate the amount of dead space that an individual will re-breathe for the express purpose of raising or modulating their local CO2 level within their blood stream. The circuit may also contain a physiologically insignificant amount of CO2 in communication with a valve to be delivered to the patient, a fresh gas reservoir in communication with the source of fresh gas flow for receiving excess fresh gas not breathed by the patient, and a reserve gas supply in communication with the exit port through the valve and containing CO2. Alternatively, a non-rebreathing circuit can be comprised of one or more of the following: a non-rebreathing valve preventing gas exhaled from the subject flowing into the circuit, a fresh gas source operative to supply a fresh gas containing physiologically insignificant amount of carbon dioxide to the subject through the non-rebreathing valve, and a reserved gas source operative to supply a reserved gas having a predetermined partial pressure of carbon dioxide to the subject through the non-rebreathing valve. These respiratory circuits can also be used to enable organisms to recover more quickly from vapor anesthetic administration, or poisoning with carbon monoxide, methanol, ethanol, or other volatile hydrocarbons. The circuit and method of treatment may also be used to reduce nitrogen levels in the body. These additional uses may require higher concentrations of oxygen than ambient air. In this case, the fresh gas could contain 100% oxygen and the reserve gas would contain 0.04- 100% CO2 and a high concentration of oxygen, for example 99.9 6-0%; although simply maintaining a higher pCO2 may be all that is needed to improve outcomes in carbon monoxide poisoning.
Venous blood returns to the heart from the muscles and organs partially depleted of oxygen and containing a full complement of carbon dioxide. Blood from various parts of the body is mixed in the heart (mixed venous blood) and pumped into the lungs via the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, the blood vessels break up into a net of small capillary vessels surrounding tiny lung sacs (alveoli). The vessels surrounding the alveoli provide a large surface area for the exchange of gases by diffusion along their concentration gradients. After a breath of air is inhaled into the lungs, it dilutes the CO2 that remains in the alveoli at the end of exhalation. A concentration gradient is then established between the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) in the mixed venous blood (pv CO2) arriving at the alveoli and the alveolar pCO2. The CO2 diffuses into the alveoli from the mixed venous blood from the beginning of inspiration (at which time the concentration gradient for CO2 is established) until equilibrium is reached between the pCO2 in blood from the pulmonary artery and the pCO2 in the alveoli at some time during breath. The blood then returns to the heart via the pulmonary veins and is pumped into the arterial system by the left ventricle of the heart. The pCO2 in the arterial blood, termed arterial pCO2 (pA CO2), is then the same as was in equilibrium with the alveoli. When the subject exhales, the end of his exhalation is considered to have come from the alveoli and thus reflects the equilibrium CO2 concentration between the capillaries and the alveoli. The pCO2 in this gas is the end-tidal (i.e., end of an exhaled breath) pCO2 (pET CO2). The arterial blood also has a pCO2 equal to the pCO2 at equilibrium between the capillaries and alveoli.
With each exhaled breath some CO2 is eliminated and with each inhalation, fresh air containing minimal CO2 (presently 0.04%) is inhaled and dilutes the residual equilibrated alveolar pCO2, establishing a new gradient for CO2 to diffuse out of the mixed venous blood into the alveoli. The rate of breathing, or ventilation (VE), usually expressed in L/min, is exactly that required to eliminate the CO2 brought to the lungs and establish an equilibrium pET-CO2 and pA CO2 of approximately 40 mmHg (in normal humans). When one produces more CO2 (e.g. as a result of fever or exercise), more CO2 is carried to the lungs and one then has to breathe harder to wash out the extra CO2 from the alveoli, and thus maintain the same equilibrium pA CO2, but if the CO2 production stays normal, and one hyperventilates, then excess CO2 is washed out of the alveoli and the pA CO2 falls. There are many scenarios in which it is beneficial for the inspired CO2 to be greater than that which would normally come about physiologically. This heightened state of CO2 in the system has many protective benefits but certainly one would not want to allow the increase in CO2 to rise to dangerous levels. For instance, increases in CO2 is known to increase cerebral blood flow, whereas increases in O2 content decreases cerebral blood flow, as reflected in the graphs of
One way to contribute to the pCO2 levels of the organism can be by the delivery of one or more medicaments that are known to alter pH of the organism such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Some examples of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are Topiramate, Methazolamide, Dorzolamide or Acetazolamide. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors can act as mild diuretics by reducing NaCl and bicarbonate re-absorption in the proximal tubule of the kidney. The bicarbonaturia will thus produce a metabolic acidosis. This mild acidosis has many potential benefits in mitigating slosh as described within. Anticipated acidic pH changes that would prove beneficial would be between about 7.30 and 7.40. Associated pCO2 levels would equate to pCO2 levels of about 45 to 60 mmHg.
Another embodiment of elevating pCO2 in the body of an organism can be a breathing circuit that maintains an elevated pCO2. A circuit can maintain an estimated yet elevated end tidal pCO2 by interposing one or more channels or tubes through which the individual breathes that causes a re-breathing of their previous inhaled or exhaled breath. These channels allow a mixing of inhaled ambient gas and exhaled alveolar gas. The optimal amount of gas re-breathed can be determined by estimating the individual's weight in kilograms and multiplying it by a factor, such as 7, to arrive at an estimated tidal volume in cm3. In one embodiment a third of this volume can be added to the breathing circuit as dead space. This volume determines the predicted level of end tidal CO2 to which the device will equilibrate. In one specific approach, the dead space volume is calibrated to approximately 10 to 50% of the tidal volume of the subject. Alternatively, a secondary source of CO2 could be interposed to rapidly, and on demand, increase the percentage of inspired CO2. Several paper or thin-walled tubes or channels can extend away from the enclosed mouth and nose portion of the device and/or several regions can be placed sequentially along the channels or tubing as perforations or weakening points so as the individual will be able to tear, cut, or break off a predetermined amount of the tubing and thus precisely alter the remaining dead space of the circuit. Demarcations and identifiers placed along the channels/tubing can help the individual decide at which perforation or weakened zone to tear, cut, or remove.
Again, these can be determined as follows: Tidal volume can be estimated by measuring one's weight in kilograms and multiplying by 7, the result would be in cm3 of tidal volume. To determine the amount of dead space to add to the outflow tract of the mask, one need only take the resultant tidal volume and add a corresponding percentage of the tidal volume, such as 1-0-50%, to the outflow tract of the mask. Each incremental increase in dead space added to the outflow tract would cause an incremental increase in final pCO2. For example, if the weight of the individual is 90 kg then the estimated tidal volume would be 630 cm3. For a specific level of hypercapnia, the individual should re-breathe a portion of that tidal volume equal to 10-50% of the estimated tidal volume. In a specific example, the desired percentage is 45% of the tidal volume, so the dead space volume is calculated to be 290 cm3. This added volume of dead space would be expected to increase the pCO2 by approximately 2-3 mmHg.
In addition to the adjustable dead space, monitoring the end tidal CO2 and driving an export valve to open or close to alter the source of the next inspired breath may be utilized in settings whereby precise knowledge of end tidal CO2 may be required. For example, if an end tidal CO2 desired range is 45 mmHg, then upon noting the end tidal CO2 being only 35 mmHg, the valve would be directed to close requiring the individual to take the next breath from the adjustable dead space reservoir/tubing that a previous breath had been collected into. This expiration typically has 4-5% CO2 within it allowing a greater inspired CO2 on the next breath. A reservoir can act as a buffer to store extra CO2 gas. Even when ventilation increases, the subject breaths the accumulated elevated CO2 gas allowing pCO2 to rise to the desired level. A circuit to maintain normal CO2 can include a non-rebreathing valve, a source of fresh gas, a fresh gas reservoir and a source of gas to be inhaled, such as from the increased dead space region or a reservoir of higher concentration of CO2.
The method of controlling pCO2 in a patient at a predetermined desired level can be provided comprising a breathing circuit/mask which is capable of increasing the CO2 to enable an increase in cerebral blood flow and resultant cerebral blood pressure and volume. With increased cerebral blood flow, increased cerebral blood velocity, and increased intracranial pressure and volume there remains less space for intracranial tissues to move in relation to each other, thus brain pulsitility and slosh is diminished. This would require minimizing compressibility at air/fluid/tissue junctures. Although brain tissue is thought to be incompressible and fluid/blood is also relatively incompressible, the fluids are able to escape through the vessels and allow to and fro movement within the cranium and thus absorption of blast wave energies or allowance of orthostatic hypotension. If either the elevated CO2 has been triggered with a resultant increase in cerebral blood flow and/or there has been increased intracranial pressure by any means before a traumatic event, the brain and its components would be less prone to slosh around within the cranium and in relation to each individual component (thus better approximating elastic collisions). This is not unlike seat-belting a passenger inside an automobile. Further, if TBI were to occur despite the above restraining effects of the increased cerebral blood flow, an elevated CO2 would even serve to optimize the healing environment of the brain tissue itself by reducing the systemic inflammatory response and maximizing flow of oxygen rich hemoglobin which is more capable of delivering its oxygen due to high levels of CO2 through maximizing the oxy-hemoglobin dissociation curve. Also, if an intracranial bleed were to occur despite the above protective events, the resultant blood would be constrained to the vascular tree as most, if not all, of the compensatory volume will have been “filled up” by the engorged vessels, thus reducing the degree of extravasated blood.
The benefits of the rebreathing methods and apparatuses disclosed herein typically begin to accrue after the second inhalation of the air with the CO2 content elevated as described. The benefits continue as long as the person is rebreathing the expired CO2. The benefits continue for a limited duration after the rebreathing has ceased and the person is breathing normally, since the pCO2 in the blood stream takes some time to regulate. Volume changes in the cranium may persist for hours as the elevated pCO2 opens the blood brain barrier (BBB) to sugar movement, and fluids and water follow the sugar gradient. When the CO2 comes back down, the BBB closes and traps the extra sugar (with its water) within the cranium for a prolonged period of time (hours). However, as long as the pCO2 of the blood stream is above normal, the person still experiences the CO2 driven beneficial effect of the increased partial pressure. It is contemplated that in certain situations, such as where the rebreathing method disclosed herein is used to drive respiration, the duration of the benefit may be shorter-lived—as one stops the added CO2, the benefits cease within seconds.
The present disclosure contemplates a portable breathing apparatus worn by a person that increases the CO2 inhalation to increase cerebral and spinal blood flow and volume, mitigate the effects of TBI, orthostasis, or assist in driving respiration. In normal inspiration, the person pulls in 500 cc of air, with 21% O2 and 0.04% CO2. In normal expiration, the person pushes 500 cc of air (tidal volume TD), which includes 16% O2 and 4.5% CO2. The present disclosure contemplates a device that controls the mixture of the air that is inhaled by controlling the air that is exhaled. As illustrated in
One embodiment of a breathing apparatus 10 is shown in
The chamber 20 provides the dead space Zone 2 (
For the embodiment shown in
In an alternative embodiment, the telescoping chamber 20 can be replaced by a series of elongated hollow tubes, as depicted in breathing apparatus 40 shown in
In a modification of the apparatus 40, the two tubes can be replaced by a single tube with a larger diameter, as in the apparatus 50 shown in
In a further modification of the apparatus 40, the tubes of a two-tube version 60 can be modified as shown in
Returning to the adjustable embodiment of
The breathing apparatus 80 shown in
In a related concept, a breathing apparatus 90 shown in
Breathing apparatuses with fixed volume cylinders are shown in
The breathing apparatus 110 includes a face mask 112 with an integral fitting 114 adapted for engagement with a fixed volume canister 116. Although the canister 116 is removable in this embodiment, it is removed to introduce a volume spacer 117 that reduces the interior volume of the canister. The spacer 117 can be bowl-shaped with an opening 118 at the base of the spacer adjacent the interior of the canister. In effect the spacer 117 moves the inlet opening 118 to the ambient air closer to the face mask 112, thereby reducing the dead space volume within the canister. A plurality of spacers 117 with corresponding volume indicia 119 can be provided to adjust the dead space volume according to the weight of the user.
In another approach, a breathing apparatus 120 can include a plurality of volume extenders 126 that are configure to engage each other and engage the face mask 124. The extenders can encompass a common volume, such as 50 cc, so that combining multiple extenders can produce a predetermined dead space volume.
The breathing apparatus 130 shown in
In another fixed volume approach, a breathing apparatus 140 shown in
The breathing apparatuses shown in
Breathing apparatuses adapted for active use are also contemplated by the present disclosure. In particular, embodiments that can be gripped between the lips and/or teeth of the user are shown in
The breathing apparatus 170 shown in
The breathing apparatus 180 shown in
The breathing apparatus 190 shown in
The breathing apparatus 200 of
An alternative accordion-type embodiment is shown in
The breathing apparatus 220 shown in
The breathing apparatus 270 of
The embodiments shown in
The breathing apparatuses shown in
The breathing apparatuses shown in
Thus, the breathing apparatuses disclosed herein are configured to provide a dead space volume between the intake/outlet of the apparatus and the mouth of the user that, in effect, collects a certain amount of exhaled CO2 and forces the user to re-breathe that CO2 on the next inhalation. The dead space volume is established to be about ⅓ the tidal volume of the person. Since the tidal volume varies among individuals, the breathing apparatuses disclosed herein provide means for adjusting the dead space volume of the apparatus to meet the physiological needs of the user. In many circumstances it is not possible to determine the person's actual tidal volume, so the present disclosure contemplates the estimates discussed above to determine the desired dead space volume. Of course, if a tidal volume measurement for the person is available, that value can be used to more accurately generate the ⅓ tidal volume value to accurately define the dead space volume. nevertheless, in most cases the actual tidal volume will not be available, such as in a first responder scenario. The adjustable volume features of breathing apparatus, such as the apparatuses shown in
Some of the breathing apparatuses include a set or collection of chambers or tubes that are interchangeable on a base portion of the breathing apparatus. Such apparatuses include the breathing apparatuses shown in
Any of the face-mask embodiments of
Slosh absorption may also be reduced by reversibly increasing pressure or volume within the organs or cells of the organism. The intracranial volume and pressure can be reversibly increased by a device that reduces the flow of one or more outflow vessels of the cranium of said organism. This device would necessarily need to compress the vessels at a level surpassing venous pressure (approximately 15 mmHg, yet not surpass arterial pressure of approximately 80 mmHg). Intracranial volume can also be reversibly increased by the delivery of one or more medicaments to facilitate an increase in intracranial volume or pressure including but not limited to Minocycline, insulin-like growth factor 1, Provera, and Vitamin A. The breathing apparatuses described above can be used in conjunction with a device to reversibly increase intracranial volume and pressure. In particular, the active apparatuses shown in
In one embodiment, a compression device to reduce the likelihood of energy absorption to the brain is operable to raise intracranial and intra ocular volume and pressure by applying pressure to the outflow vasculature and/or cerebral spinal fluid of the brain. The result would be an increase in the structure's coefficient of restitution (r) by attaching a cinch or collar around the neck of the individual or organism. The compression device can be of any design including, but not limited to, a band or cord.
Safely and reversibly increasing cerebral blood volume by any amount up to 10 cm3 and pressure by any amount up to 70 mmHg would serve to fill up the compliance of the cerebral vascular tree and thus reduce the ability to absorb external energies through slosh energy absorption. “With the application of measured pressure to the neck, the cranial blood volume increases rapidly and plateaus at a new higher level. Moyer et al reported that cerebral arterial blood flow was not affected by obstructing the venous outflow of blood from the brain.” See, Effect of Increased Jugular Pressure on Cerebral Hemodynamics, J. H. Moyer. S. I. Miller, and H. Snyder, 1 Appl. Physiol. 7:245, 1954, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. “The blood volume venous pressure relationship shows a diminishing increase in volume with each increment of neck pressure over the range 40 to 70 mm of mercury. It is of interest that the cranial blood volume increases from 10 to 30 per cent (with this neck pressure). See, The Elasticity of the Cranial Blood Pool, Masami Kitano, M.D., and William H. Oldendorf, M.D. and Benedict Cassen, Ph.D., Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 5:613-625, 19 64, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The cerebral spinal fluid pressure responds on compression of the individual jugular veins. The average rise was 48 per cent. See, Observations on the C.S.F Pressure during Compression of the Jugular Veins, D. A. J. Tyrrell, Postgrad. Med. J 1951;27;394-395, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Jugular compression increases cerebral blood flow to a new plateau in as little as 0.5 seconds. See, The Elasticity of the Cranial Blood Pool, Masami Kitano, M.D., and William H. Oldendorf, M.D.:C and Benedict Cassen, Ph.D., Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 5:616, 19 64; A Cinemyelographic Study of Cerebro Fluid Dynamics, Amer J of Roent, GILLAND et al. 10 6 (2):3 69 (1969), the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. This degree of cranial blood volume and pressure increase would be very beneficial in slosh mitigation. Although lesser cranial pressure and volume increases may still have beneficial effects, an increase of 3 cm3 volume and 5 mm Hg is a baseline goal.
Further, safety of such a procedure of venous compression is quite abundant in the literature as it mirrors the 100-year-old Quenkenstadt Maneuver. In this maneuver, “the compression of the neck does not interfere with arterial flow into the cranium. Although the venous jugular flow beneath the pressure cuff may be temporarily halted, the venous outflow from the cranium is never completely stopped, particularly from the anastomosis between the spinal vein and the basilar plexus and occipital sinuses which are incompressible. See, Anatomical Problems Concerned in the Study of Cerebral Blood Flow, VO.V. Batson, Fed. Proc. 3:139, 1944; Experimental Approaches to the Study of the Cerebral Circulation, D. E. Gregg and R. E. Shipley, Fed. Proc. 3:144, 1944, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In fact, there was no correlation between electro-encephalographic (EEG) changes or changes in systolic arterial blood pressure occurring during jugular compression. See, Changes in the electroencephalogram and in systemic blood pressure associated with carotid compression, Fernando Tones, M.D. and Anna Ellington, M.D., Neurology, 1970;20:1077, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Thus, neck compression of up to 70 mmHg does not affect cardiac output, arteriolar blood pressure, pulse rate, or urine flow.
The compression device may be of any material including but not limited to elastic materials. Elastic materials can be any material which when stretched will attempt to return to the natural state and can include one or more of textiles, films (wovens, nonwovens and nettings), foams and rubber (synthetics and natural), polychloroprene (e.g. Neoprene), elastane and other polyurethane-polyurea copolymerss (e.g. Spandex, Lycra), fleece, warp knits or narrow elastic fabrics, raschel, tricot, milanese knits, satin, twill, nylon, cotton tweed, yams, rayon, polyester, leather, canvas, polyurethane, rubberized materials, elastomers, and vinyl. There are also a number of elastic materials which are breathable or moisture wicking which may be preferable during extended wearing periods or wearing during periods of exercise. In addition, the compression device could be partially constructed, coated, or constructed of one or more protecting materials such as Kevlar (para-aramid synthetic fibers), Dyneema (ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene), ceramics, or shear thickening fluids.
The device may encompass circumferentially, the entire neck or just partially around the neck, yet still providing partial or total occlusion of one or more of the outflow vessels on the neck, specifically, but not limited to the internal and external jugular veins, the vertebral veins, and the cerebral spinal circulation. The device may encompass horizontally, the entire neck or just partially up and down the neck.
The width of the compression device may range from a mere thread (at a fraction of an inch) to whatever the length of the exposed neck (up to 12 inches in humans or greater in other creatures), the length may range from 6 to 3 6 inches to circumnavigate the neck. The width of the compression device could be as small as 4 inches but limited only by the height of the neck in largest width, which would be typically less than 6 inches. The thickness of said device could range from a film being only a fraction of a millimeter to a maximum of that which might be cumbersome yet keeps one's neck warm such as 2-3 inches.
The compression device may be preformed for the user in a circular construct. This one size fits all style can have a cinch of sorts that allows one to conform the device to any neck region. Alternatively, the compression device may be a first and second end which is connected by a fastener. A fastener may be a hook and ladder attachment, a snap, a button or any of a number of attachment mechanisms that would be known to one skilled in the art. A compression device with a fastener could have a release mechanism whereby the device can break open or apart at a predetermined force to prevent the collar from inadvertently being snagged or compressing too tightly. One quick release or automatic release method would be the applying of small amounts of hook and ladder attachments within the circumferential ring which would shear apart upon too much force being applied to the compression device.
The compression device may also have one or more monitoring devices and/or communication devices attached or embedded. The compression device can also have a pocket or pouch attached depending on the height of the compression device used. Certainly, advertising can be imprinted or emblazoned onto the device.
These terms and specifications, including the examples, serve to describe the invention by example and not to limit the invention. It is expected that others will perceive differences, which, while differing from the forgoing, do not depart from the scope of the invention herein described and claimed. In particular, any of the function elements described herein may be replaced by any other known element having an equivalent function.
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/968,149, filed on May 1, 2018 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,957,837 on Apr. 16, 2024), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/620,369 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,987,020), filed on Feb. 12, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/807,677 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,985,120), filed Sep. 10, 2010, which claims priority from provisional application No. 61/241,625 filed on Sep. 11, 2009 and provisional application No. 61/260,313 filed on Nov. 11, 2009. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61241625 | Sep 2009 | US | |
| 61260313 | Nov 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15968149 | May 2018 | US |
| Child | 18637011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12807677 | Sep 2010 | US |
| Child | 14620369 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14620369 | Feb 2015 | US |
| Child | 15968149 | US |
