초록 ▼

A method of topically treating the respiratory tract of a mammal with nitric oxide exposure includes the steps of providing a source of nitric oxide containing gas and delivering the nitric oxide containing gas nasally to the upper respiratory tract of the mammal. Also provided are several designs f

A method of topically treating the respiratory tract of a mammal with nitric oxide exposure includes the steps of providing a source of nitric oxide containing gas and delivering the nitric oxide containing gas nasally to the upper respiratory tract of the mammal. Also provided are several designs for a nasal delivery device for the controlled nasal deliver the nitric oxide containing gas.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of topically treating infection in the respiratory tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of: providing a source of nitric oxide containing gas; and nasally delivering the nitric oxide containing gas, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is confined to an upper r

What is claimed is: 1. A method of topically treating infection in the respiratory tract of a mammal, comprising the steps of: providing a source of nitric oxide containing gas; and nasally delivering the nitric oxide containing gas, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is confined to an upper respiratory tract of the mammal. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is delivered in a volume substantially equal to a volume of gas that would fill the upper respiratory tract of the mammal. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is delivered from a collapsible reservoir with a volume equal to the volume that would fill the upper respiratory tract of the mammal. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of nasal delivery is further comprised of: monitoring an inspiration flow profile of a mammal nasally breathing from a source of breathable gas; and adding the nitric oxide containing gas to a gas stream flowing from the source of the breathable gas close to the end of the mammal's inspiratory flow. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is added at a time when the mammal's inspiratory flow is decelerating. 6. The method of claim 4, wherein the time is after the mammal's inspiratory flow reaches a maximum and returns close to zero flow. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of nasal delivery is further comprised of: monitoring an inspiration flow profile of a mammal nasally breathing from a source of breathable gas; modeling the mammal's inspiration flow profiles for a number of previous breaths; and adding the nitric oxide containing gas to the gas stream flowing from the source of the breathable gas on a subsequent breath based upon a predicted timing determined from the modeling of the mammal's previous breaths. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of nasal delivery is further comprised of: monitoring the volume of breathable gas inspired by the mammal nasally from a source of breathable gas, and adding the nitric oxide containing to a gas stream flowing from the source of the breathable gas once a predetermined volume of the breathable gas is reached. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined volume of the breathable gas ranges from about 20 mL to 50 mL less than the mammal's tidal volume. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring the pressure in the oral cavity of the mammal. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is nasally delivered when the pressure in the oral cavity reaches a threshold pressure sufficient to close the soft palate of the mammal. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold pressure is in the range of about 5 cm H2O to about 10 cm H2O. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is nasally delivered at a flow rate of about 1 liter per minute. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the nitric oxide containing gas is delivered through a first nostril of the mammal while the other nostril is blocked with a one-way flow valve. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the infection of the respiratory tract is due to microorganisms selected from the group consisting of bacteria, mycobateria, virus, parasites and fungi. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein a concentration of the nitric oxide containing gas confined in the upper respiratory tract ranges from about 150 ppm to about 400 ppm.