초록 ▼

According to one aspect of the present invention, an accessory for an aerosol inhalation system includes a main conduit body having an outlet end for placement close to a mouth of a patient, and first and second leg conduits that are in fluid communication with the main conduit body. The accessory f

According to one aspect of the present invention, an accessory for an aerosol inhalation system includes a main conduit body having an outlet end for placement close to a mouth of a patient, and first and second leg conduits that are in fluid communication with the main conduit body. The accessory further includes a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the one port associated with the first leg conduit and the second compartment is sealingly and fluidly coupled to a port associated with the second leg conduit. An arrangement of valves is provided for directing fluid along prescribed flow paths depending on whether the patient inhales or exhales.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An accessory for an aerosol inhalation system comprising: a main conduit body having an outlet end for placement close to a mouth of a patient; a first leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end; a second leg conduit in fluid comm

What is claimed is: 1. An accessory for an aerosol inhalation system comprising: a main conduit body having an outlet end for placement close to a mouth of a patient; a first leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end; a second leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end, the second leg conduit being spaced apart from the first leg conduit; a first port formed as part of the first leg conduit for attachment to a device that generates aerosol particles as a means for delivering medication to the patient; a second port formed as part of the first leg conduit; a third port formed as part of the second leg conduit; a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second port and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the third port; and an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first leg conduit is sealingly closed off from the main conduit body and the second leg conduit resulting in the aerosol particles flowing into and being held in the first compartment of the holding chamber and conversely, when the patient inhales, the first leg conduit is opened to the main conduit body and in fluid communication with the second leg conduit resulting in the aerosol particles delivered through the first port being delivered to the patient, wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of a expandable/collapsible material, wherein the reservoir bag includes a fourth port integrally formed therewith and fluidly in communication with the first compartment and a fifth port integrally formed therewith and fluidly in communication with the second compartment, each of the fourth and fifth ports including fastening features that permit them to be sealingly mated with the second and third ports. 2. An accessory for an aerosol inhalation system comprising: a main conduit body having an outlet end for placement close to a mouth of a patient; a first leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end; a second leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end, the second leg conduit being spaced apart from the first leg conduit; a first port formed as part of the first leg conduit for attachment to a device that generates aerosol particles as a means for delivering medication to the patient; a second port formed as part of the first leg conduit; a third port formed as part of the second leg conduit; a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second port and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the third port; an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first leg conduit is sealingly closed off from the main conduit body and the second leg conduit resulting in the aerosol particles flowing into and being held in the first compartment of the holding chamber and conversely, when the patient inhales, the first leg conduit is opened to the main conduit body and in fluid communication with the second leg conduit resulting in the aerosol particles delivered through the first port being delivered to the patient; and a supplemental gas port in fluid communication with the second compartment and for attachment to a supplemental gas source that delivers a prescribed amount of gas to the second compartment to supplement the flow of the aerosol particles through the first port; wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments defined therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of a expandable/collapsible material. 3. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the main conduit body, the first leg conduit and the second leg conduit are in the form of a Y-shaped connector. 4. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the first leg conduit and the second leg conduit are substantially parallel to one another and are fluidly joined at the same ends to the main conduit body. 5. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the first, second and third ports are all formed on the same face of the accessory. 6. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the first port is formed closer than the second port to the distal end of the first leg conduit. 7. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the second and third ports are formed the same distance from the distal ends of the first and second leg conduits, respectively. 8. The accessory of claim 2, further including cap sealingly closing off the distal end of the first leg conduit. 9. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the arrangement of valves includes an exhalation valve that is disposed in and seals off the distal end of the second leg conduit, the exhalation valve moving between an open position when the patient exhales, thereby opening the second leg conduit to atmosphere and a closed position when the patient inhales. 10. The accessory of claim 9, wherein the exhalation valve comprises a one way valve. 11. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the arrangement of valves includes an inhalation valve that is disposed in the first leg conduit such that the first and second ports are located between the inhalation valve and the distal end thereof. 12. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the inhalation valve is formed at an interface between the main conduit body and the first leg conduit. 13. The accessory of claim 11, wherein the inhalation valve comprises a one way valve. 14. The accessory of claim 2, wherein the device comprises a nebulizer that delivers the aerosol particles at a prescribed flow rate. 15. The accessory of claim 2, further including a third valve that is associated with one of the fifth port and third port, the third valve moving between an open position when the patient inhales causing the second leg conduit and second compartment to be in fluid communication and a closed position when the patient exhales, thereby fluidly closing off the second compartment from the second leg conduit. 16. The accessory of claim 15, wherein the third valve is a one-way valve and wherein, as the patient inhales, the supplemental gas stored in the second compartment is free to flow through the second leg conduit into the main conduit body to the patient to supplement the aerosol particles flowing through the first leg conduit. 17. The accessory of claim 15, wherein the third valve is formed in the fifth port at a location that is above an inlet of the supplemental gas into the fifth port such that the inlet is between the fifth valve and the second compartment. 18. An aerosol inhalation system comprising: at least one device for producing aerosol particles for delivering medication to a patient through a piece of equipment in communication with a respiratory system of the patient; an accessory for interfacing between the at least one device and the piece of equipment, the accessory comprising: a main conduit body having a first end connected to the piece of equipment and a second end, wherein aerosol particles produced by the device flow into the first end and into the main conduit body toward the second leg, the main conduit body including a patient port that is for placement close to a mouth of a patient for delivering the medication thereto; a first leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end; a second leg conduit in fluid communication with the main conduit body and including a distal end, the second leg conduit being spaced apart from the first leg conduit; a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the first leg and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second leg; and an arrangement of valves including a first valve in the form on an inhalation valve that is disposed along the main conduit body between the first and second legs and between the second leg and the patient port, wherein when the first valve opens, a flow path is created between the device that produces the aerosol particles and the patient port and between the second leg and patient to permit the medication to flow freely through the main conduit body to the patient, wherein when the first valve is closed, medication is prevented from flowing from the device to the patient port and from the second leg to the patient port, thereby resulting in the medication being stored in the second compartment which is open to the main conduit body, wherein a second valve is provided for venting the main conduit body when the patient exhales; wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of a expandable/collapsible material. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second valves comprises a one-way valve. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein the device comprises a nebulizer that delivers the aerosol particles at a prescribed flow rate. 21. The system of claim 18, wherein during the first prescribed event by the patient, the supplemental gas stored in the second compartment is free to flow through the second leg conduit into the main conduit body to the patient to supplement the aerosol particles flowing through the first leg conduit. 22. The system of claim 18, wherein the third valve is a one way valve that permits the supplemental gas from flowing into the second leg conduit when the patient inhales and prevents the supplemental gas from flowing into the second leg conduit when the patient exhales gas, the exhaled gas being prevented from flowing into the first compartment by means of the first valve and into the second compartment by means of the third valve. 23. The system of claim 18, further including a third valve for controlling flow between the first compartment and the main conduit body, wherein the third valve is an inhalation valve that opens when the patient inhales and closes during exhalation, thereby closing off the first compartment when the patient exhales. 24. The system of claim 23, further including a supplemental gas source in communication with the second compartment, wherein the supplemental gas is permitted to flow into the main conduit body when the third valve is open as a result of inhalation and is prevented to flow into the main conduit body when the third valve is closed as a result of exhalation. 25. The system of claim 18, wherein the second valve is located at the second end of the main conduit body. 26. An accessory for an aerosol inhalation system comprising: a main conduit body having an outlet port for placement close to a mouth of a patient; at least a first leg and a second leg each in fluid communication with the main conduit body and located along a longitudinal length of the main conduit body; a device that generates aerosol particles as a means for delivering medication to the patient through the outlet port, the device being in fluid communication with the main conduit body; a holding chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment separated from the first compartment, with the first compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the first leg and the second compartment being sealingly and fluidly coupled to the second leg; a supplemental gas source that is in fluid communication with the first compartment of the holding chamber for delivering supplemental gas thereto; and an arrangement of valves such that when the patient exhales, the first and second legs are sealingly closed off from the outlet port of the main conduit body resulting in the aerosol particles that enter the main conduit body from the device being directed into and stored within the second compartment until when the patient inhales and a flow path is established between both the device and the outlet port and the second compartment and the outlet port resulting in the aerosol particles being delivered to the patient, wherein the arrangement of valves includes a supplemental gas valve that is located within the first leg and moves between an open position, when the patient inhales, where the supplemental gas flows to the main conduit body and a closed position where the supplemental gas is prevented from flowing into the main conduit body and is stored in the first compartment, the second leg being located along the main conduit body such that the aerosol particles entering the main conduit body can flow to the second compartment without passing though a valve; wherein the holding chamber is defined by a reservoir bag with the first and second compartments therein and separated from one another by a bi-furcating wall, the reservoir bag being formed of a expandable/collapsible material. 27. The accessory of claim 26, wherein the outlet port is located between the first and second legs and between an exhalation valve at one end of the main conduit body and a first inhalation valve located in the main conduit body between the first and second.