초록 ▼

A reliable, pulse-flow supplemental oxygen apparatus for alleviating respiratory ailments is provided which yields substantial savings in oxygen while giving the patient the physiological equivalent of a prescribed continuous stream of oxygen. The apparatus preferably includes a demand oxygen valve

A reliable, pulse-flow supplemental oxygen apparatus for alleviating respiratory ailments is provided which yields substantial savings in oxygen while giving the patient the physiological equivalent of a prescribed continuous stream of oxygen. The apparatus preferably includes a demand oxygen valve operated in a pulse mode by means of electronic control circuitry which, through an appropriate sensor, monitors the patient\s breathing efforts and gives a variable “custom tailored”pulse volume of oxygen to the patient during the very initial stages of each inspiration. Pulse volume variability is based upon a measured parameter characterizing at least a part of one and preferably a plurality of the patient\s preceeding breaths; advantageously, the elapsed time interval of the patient\s three preceding breath cycles is measured to effectively measure breath rate. These breath-characterizing parameters, together with data characterizing the prescribed continuous oxygen flow to be matched, enable the apparatus to give the desired “on the go”dose variability. The apparatus is also designed to revert to conventional, continuous-flow operation upon a power failure or circuit malfunction.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus adapted for connection between a source of medicinal gas and a patient-coupled gas delivery device for supplying pulse volumes of medicinal gas from time to time during the patient\s breathing cycles, said apparatus comprising: selectively actuatable valve means adapted for operable coupli

Apparatus adapted for connection between a source of medicinal gas and a patient-coupled gas delivery device for supplying pulse volumes of medicinal gas from time to time during the patient\s breathing cycles, said apparatus comprising: selectively actuatable valve means adapted for operable coupling between said gas source and device for selectively establishing and interrupting gas flow communication therebetween; and means operably coupled with said valve means for selectively actuating the same including breathing cycle sensing and measuring means for tracking the patient\s breathing efforts over plural breathing cycles, and for measuring a variable magnitude parameter incident to at least one reference breathing cycle, said variable magnitude parameter being at least partially predictive of the volume of said gas required by said patient during a medicinal gas-supplemented breathing cycle; means operably coupled with said sensing and measuring means for determining a variable magnitude value correlated with said measured parameter and representative of said required volume of medicinal gas; and means coupling said value-determining means and said valve means for opening said valve means during said medicinal gas-supplemented breathing cycle for delivering to said patient said required volume of medicinal gas, said volume being variable in response to the magnitude of said determined value for supplying to said patient variable volumes of said gas during different gas-supplemented breathing cycles.