Claims
- 1. A multilumen filter device for use with an apparatus for providing inspiratory gases to a patient and for receiving expiratory gases therefrom, comprising:
a filter housing having a proximal end and a distal end, said filter housing containing a first filter chamber and a second filter chamber, first filter means in said first filter chamber and second filter means in said second filter chamber, said filter housing having a proximal first lumen and a proximal second lumen at said proximal end of said filter housing, said proximal first lumen forming a proximal inspiratory fluid path, and said proximal second lumen forming a proximal expiratory fluid path; said proximal first lumen being in fluid communication with said first filter chamber, and said proximal second lumen being in fluid communication with said second filter chamber, and said filter housing having a distal first lumen and a distal second lumen at said distal end of said filter housing, said distal first lumen forming a distal inspiratory fluid path and being in fluid communication with said first filter chamber; and said distal second lumen forming a distal expiratory fluid path and being in fluid communication with said second filter chamber, wherein fluid passing between said proximal first lumen and said distal first lumen must pass through said first filter means in said first filter chamber, and fluid passing between said proximal second lumen and said distal second lumen must pass through said second filter means in said second filter chamber.
- 2. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said proximal inspiratory fluid path is operably connected to an inlet for a source of inspiratory gas and said proximal expiratory fluid path is operably connected to an expiratory port.
- 3. The filter device of claim 2, wherein, when said distal first lumen and said distal second lumen are operably connected to a mammal, inspiratory gas from a source of inspiratory gas may pass through said proximal inspiratory fluid path and subsequently through said filter means in said first filter chamber and subsequently through said distal inspiratory fluid path to be delivered to said mammal, and expiratory gas from said mammal may pass through said distal expiratory fluid path and subsequently through said second filter means in said second filter chamber and subsequently through said proximal expiratory fluid path to said expiratory port.
- 4. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said proximal first lumen is coaxial with said proximal second lumen.
- 5. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said first filter chamber has a first distal cross-sectional area in the region of said distal inspiratory fluid path, a first filter region cross-sectional area in the region of said first filter means in said first filter chamber, and a first proximal cross-sectional area in the region of said proximal inspiratory fluid path; said first filter region cross-sectional area being greater than said first distal cross-sectional area and said first proximal cross-sectional area.
- 6. The filter device of claim 5, wherein said second filter chamber has a second distal cross-sectional area in the region of said distal expiratory fluid path, a second filter region cross-sectional area in the region of said second filter means in said second filter chamber, and a second proximal cross-sectional area in the region of said proximal expiratory fluid path; said second filter region cross-sectional area being greater than said second distal cross-sectional area and said second proximal cross-sectional area.
- 7. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said proximal end of said filter housing forms a proximal connector for a unilimb breathing apparatus.
- 8. The filter device of claim 6, wherein said proximal end of said filter housing forms a proximal connector for a unilimb breathing apparatus.
- 9. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said distal end of said filter housing forms a distal connector for a unilimb breathing apparatus.
- 10. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said filter means comprises a first filter element in said first filter chamber and a second filter element in said second filter chamber.
- 11. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said first and second filter means comprise a single filter element extending across said first and second filter chambers.
- 12. The filter device of claim 1, wherein said first filter chamber is not in direct fluid communication with said second filter chamber.
- 13. The filter device of claim 1, further comprising at least one connector fitting on at least one of said distal end and said proximal end, wherein said at least one connector fitting matches a mating connector of a least one component of an assisted ventilation system.
- 14. The filter device of claim 13, wherein said connector fitting has blocking means to prevent the connecting of said connector fitting to a component of an assisted ventilation system that does not have a mating connector.
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/018,540, filed Feb. 4, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,896, issued Nov. 16, 1999, which was a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/751,316, filed Nov. 18, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,872, issued Jul. 14, 1998.
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09322795 |
May 1999 |
US |
Child |
09820486 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08751316 |
Nov 1996 |
US |
Child |
09018540 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09018540 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
09322795 |
May 1999 |
US |