This patent application claims benefit of International (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT/EP2014/055479, filed 19 Mar. 2014 by R. Cegla GmbH & Co. KG for THERAPY DEVICE FOR THE TREATMENT OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES, which claims benefit of European Patent Application No. EP 13 161 014.9, filed 26 Mar. 2013, which patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a therapeutic device for the treatment of respiratory illnesses.
A therapeutic device of this kind has been disclosed in EP 2 087 927 B1 which is used for the treatment of respiratory illnesses of persons. Such oscillating PEP systems generate rhythmical vibrations during exhalation due to the resulting pressure fluctuations, by means of which the airways are expanded and the mucous is separated from the bronchial walls.
Such respiratory therapy devices normally comprise a mouthpiece that is inserted in the human mouth and through which the breathing air is forced into a flexible elastic hose fixed onto the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece and the hose in this case are inserted in a curving pipe section that is fixed onto the mouthpiece. As a result of the curvature of the pipe section, the hose is shaped correspondingly to the radius of curvature of the pipe section, meaning that the passage cross-section of the hose is reduced in an area, as a result of which a higher air resistance is generated in this area. Furthermore, during exhalation, the free end of the hose is moved to and fro between the inner walls of the pipe section, thereby producing the necessary pressure fluctuations, since this guarantees that the air resistance in the curved area of the hose is changed slightly.
Such respiratory therapeutic devices have proven outstandingly effective in practice and are used successfully for corresponding bronchial illnesses. However, the airways become smaller and smaller in the direction of the lung periphery, ultimately reducing to a diameter of only about 0.5 mm, meaning that low frequencies between 2 and 6 Hz are necessary in order to overcome the impedance of the airways. For this reason, high pressures of about 10 to 15 cm H2O are required to overcome the capillary effects of the small airways in case of inflammations.
Although respiratory therapeutic devices of prior art have a mouthpiece with a position that can be changed in relation to the pipe section, such medical requirements cannot be achieved with the respiratory therapeutic devices which have been disclosed up to this point.
EP 1 987 864 A1 discloses a therapeutic device comprising a mouthpiece with a passage duct. In this case, a flexible elastic hose is attached to the opening of the passage duct and is supported by a support plate that is attached to the mouthpiece. At the free end of the support plate, a swivel joint is provided by means of which the resistance body can be variably adjusted to different angle positions in relation to the support plate.
It is a disadvantage that the change in position of the angle body exclusively changes the radii of curvature of the hose in the area of the swivel joint, meaning that only low oscillation frequencies can be achieved.
The task of the present invention is therefore to create a respiratory therapeutic device of the aforementioned kind by means of which both low and medium frequencies and pressure or flow fluctuations can be established during exhalation and varied within the widest possible range.
Furthermore, it is the task of the respiratory therapeutic device to enable a combination of the Positive Expiratory Pressure of prior art, by means of which a positive pressure status is generated within the mouthpiece of the respiratory therapeutic device.
This task is accomplished by the provision and use of a novel therapeutic device for the treatment of respiratory illnesses, as will hereinafter be discussed in further detail.
Due to the fact that the support body has an adjusting device attached to it which is held relative to the rigid support body in such a way as to be movable on it, and as a result of which the adjusting device is in an active connection with the hose either directly or via intermediate elements, a corresponding change in the adjustment direction makes it possible to set or change the distance from the hose to the support body, as a result of which the curvature of the hose can be set and varied. Such a change in the curvature of the hose also changes the frequency of the exhaled breathing air and changes the pressure with which the hose counteracts the throughflow of exhaled breathing it in the form of air resistance. As a result, a corresponding change in the adjustment direction enables the frequency of the hose as well as the pressure status of the hose to be adapted to the specified medical conditions. Although these medical conditions have been known in the specialist world for many years, no solution has been found for a respiratory therapeutic device by means of which the medically required frequencies and pressures can be set during exhalation of the breathing air in such a way that a corresponding expectorant effect is achieved in the lung periphery. The respiratory therapeutic devices that have been disclosed can thus only treat the bronchial mucus in the larger area of the lungs with the pressures and vibrations that can be set.
The drawing shows three sample embodiments of a respiratory therapeutic device configured in accordance with the present invention, the details of which are explained below. In the drawing,
So as to allow the necessary frequencies and pressures to be set, the therapeutic device 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2 in which a passage duct 3 is worked. The mouthpiece 2 is normally arranged between the upper and lower lips of a person, and breathing air is blown through the passage duct 3 of the mouthpiece 2 as schematically indicated by arrows. The breathing air is identified with the reference number 4.
A hose 5 made from a flexible elastic material is fixed onto the mouthpiece 2 flush to the opening 6 in the passage duct 3, as a result of which the breathing air 4 is pressed into the hose 5. The hose 5 has a passage opening at its free end 7 facing away from the passage duct 3, which means that the breathing air 4 that has been pressed in flows out of the hose 5.
To initially bend the passage cross-section of the hose 5 within a particular specified area as a result of which it has a smaller passage cross-section than the linear area of the hose 5, a curved or bent support body 11 is provided that is firmly connected to the mouthpiece 2. The curvature of the support body 11 means that the flexible elastic hose 5 is deformed, with the effect that in the area of the curvature of the support body 11, the passage cross-section of the hose 5 is reduced in comparison to the linear area of the hose 5. Consequently, during exhalation, the breathing air 4 flows through the passage duct 3 into the hose 5, causing it to vibrate as the air flows out. In particular, the free end 7 of the hose 5 vibrates to and fro, and is only limited by the support body 11.
To change the frequencies and the pressures that are set which must be overcome by the breathing air 4 flowing through the hose 5 when the patient exhales, there is also an adjusting device 12 arranged in the support body 11 which can be moved relative to it. The adjusting device 12 can be configured either as a detent pin 16 or an adjusting screw 17 according to
The change in position of the adjusting device 12 consequently varies the distance from the hose 5 to the support body 11, as a result of which the curvature of the hose 5 can be set irrespective of the radius of curvature of the support body 11.
The holder 15 namely consists of a holding piece that is mounted on the support body 11 so as to be movable, and of an articulation. As a result, not only can the distance from the guide plate 14 to the support body 11 be varied by means of the adjusting device 12, but so can the resulting distance between the adjusting device 12 and the point of rotation of the guide plate 14, meaning that the hose 5 can be given corresponding curvatures that are independent from the radius of curvature of the support body 11.
To allow the therapeutic device 1 to be held manually against the mouth of a patient, a holding device 10 is formed on the mouthpiece 2 or on the support body 11, projecting at right angles from it.
The adjusting device 12 or the detent pin 16 or the adjusting screw 17 largely run at right angles to the support body 11. However, it is conceivable for the axis of symmetry of the detent groove 18 or of the interior thread 19 to be worked into the support body 11 at an angle to its surface.
The third sample embodiment of a respiratory therapeutic device 1 configured in accordance with the present invention and shown in
Changing the elasticity and curvature of the support plate 20 and the position of the holder 15 also allows the shape of the pressure rise and pressure drop to be influenced, e.g. slow rise—fast drop, symmetrical rise and drop, fast rise—slow drop.
By means of the plug 32 according to the embodiment shown in
As a result, a continuously positive pressure is created which has pressure fluctuations modulated onto it. Here too, changes in the elasticity and curvature of the support plate 20 and the position of the holder 15 can change or individually set the profile of the pressure rise and pressure drop.
Furthermore, differently configured plugs 32 with differently designed interior contours 33 can be used. For example, the interior diameter of the passage opening 33 can be variably configured. It is also conceivable for the interior diameter not to be designed as a cylindrically shaped passage opening but rather as a tapering contour, for example in the form of a cone, by means of which a different kind of pressure status is achieved.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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13161014 | Mar 2013 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2014/055479 | 3/19/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2014/154541 | 10/2/2014 | WO | A |
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