초록 ▼

The invention relates to a small-volume nebulizer with a valve system to provide lung physiotherapy during airway therapy with small-volume nebulizers. The valve system may be incorporated into a small-volume nebulizer. The small-volume nebulizer may be pre-filled with at least one unit-dose of medi

The invention relates to a small-volume nebulizer with a valve system to provide lung physiotherapy during airway therapy with small-volume nebulizers. The valve system may be incorporated into a small-volume nebulizer. The small-volume nebulizer may be pre-filled with at least one unit-dose of medicine and hermetically sealed until use. The nebulizer may be sealed at the top with a removable cap that may be detached at the time of use and replaced with a patient connector. Likewise, the nebulizer may be sealed at the bottom with a bottom cap that is replaced with a gas source at the beginning of a therapeutic aerosol treatment.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer comprising: a small-volume nebulizer body comprising: an aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said aerosolizing chamber is at least one of a siphon, a jet, and a baffle,a chimney at the top of said aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said

1. A pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer comprising: a small-volume nebulizer body comprising: an aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said aerosolizing chamber is at least one of a siphon, a jet, and a baffle,a chimney at the top of said aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said chimney is a valve gate which, during operation of the small-volume nebulizer by a user, opens with an inhalation by the user and closes with an exhalation by the user;a patient interface tube at the top of said chimney, wherein the patient interface tube includes a patient opening operable to connect with a patient interface component and an ambient port having a flow restrictor, wherein, during said operation of the small-volume nebulizer by said user, said flow restrictor is configured to restrict inhalation airflow during said inhalation by the user causing a drop in pressure within said patient interface tube and said flow restrictor restricts exhalation airflow during said exhalation by the user, wherein said inhalation airflow and said exhalation airflow passes through said flow restrictor, andan inlet opening operable to connect with a gas input;a first seal removably engaged with said patient opening;a second seal removably engaged with said inlet opening;a third seal removably engaged with said ambient port and covers the flow restrictor, wherein said first seal, said second seal and said third seal are configured to be unsealed during said operation of the small-volume nebulizer by said user; anda unit-dose of medication contained within said small-volume nebulizer body. 2. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein said patient interface component comprises a mouthpiece. 3. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein said medication is a first component of a multi-component medication, further including a first compartment containing a second component of said multi-component medication. 4. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said unit-doses of medication. 5. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 4, further comprising unit-dose completion demarcation marks. 6. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first seal, said second seal and said third seal is comprised of a piercable seal. 7. The pre-filled, small-volume nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein said flow restrictor is fixed within said ambient port. 8. A small-volume nebulizer comprising: a small-volume nebulizer body comprising: an aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said aerosolizing chamber is at least one of a siphon, a jet, and a baffle,a chimney at the top of said aerosolizing chamber, wherein contained within said chimney is a valve gate;a patient interface tube at the top of said chimney, wherein the patient interface tube includes a patient opening operable to connect with a patient interface component and an ambient port having a flow restrictor comprising an orifice plate, and wherein said patient opening is located at a first end of said patient interface tube, said ambient opening is located at a second end of said patient interface tube and said chimney is located between said first end and said second end of said patient interface tube, andan inlet opening operable to connect with a gas input;wherein, during operation of the small-volume nebulizer by a user, medication is aerosolized within said aerosolizing chamber and remains within said aerosolizing chamber until said valve gate opens based upon an inhalation by the user, and said valve gate closes with an exhalation by the user suppressing the egress of aerosolized medication from said aerosolizing chamber, and wherein said flow restrictor restricts inhalation airflow during said inhalation by the user and said flow restrictor restricts exhalation airflow during said exhalation by the user, wherein said orifice plate comprises a plate with an orifice passing through the plate, and wherein during operation, said inhalation airflow and said exhalation airflow passes through said orifice. 9. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, wherein said patient interface component comprises a mouthpiece. 10. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, wherein said orifice plate is in a removable connection with said ambient port. 11. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, further comprising at least one dose of a medication and at least one hermetic seal associated with said patient interface opening, said inlet opening and said ambient port. 12. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, wherein said flow restrictor comprises a respiratory filter. 13. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, further comprising a respiratory filter in a removable connection with at least one of said flow restrictor and said ambient port. 14. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, wherein said valve gate comprises a flexible material attached to a mount located within said chimney by a valve gate center pivot which is engaged with said mount. 15. The small-volume nebulizer according to claim 8, wherein said orifice is configured to cause said inhalation airflow passing through said orifice to increase velocity and reduce pressure within said patient interface tube. 16. A valve system apparatus for attachment to a small-volume nebulizer comprising: a valve system body comprising: a vertical port operable to connect with an aerosol output port of said small-volume nebulizer that is operable to produce aerosol, wherein contained within said vertical port is a valve gate which is operable to open based upon an inhalation by a user and operable to close based upon an exhalation by the user during operation of said valve system apparatus with said small-volume nebulizer; anda patient interface tube at the top of said vertical port, wherein the patient interface tube includes a flow restrictor at a first end and a patient opening at a second end that is operable to connect with a patient interface component, wherein said vertical port is between said first end and said second end of said patient interface tube, and wherein said flow restrictor is configured to restrict inhalation airflow during said inhalation by the user causing a drop in pressure within said patient interface tube and said flow restrictor restricts exhalation airflow during said exhalation by the user, wherein said inhalation airflow and said exhalation airflow passes through said flow restrictor. 17. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said patient interface component comprises a mouthpiece. 18. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said flow restrictor comprises an orifice plate, wherein said orifice plate comprises a plate with an orifice passing through the plate, and wherein during operation, said inhalation airflow and said exhalation airflow passes through said orifice. 19. The valve system apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said orifice plate is in a removable connection with an ambient port. 20. The valve system apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said orifice is configured to cause said inhalation airflow passing through said orifice to increase velocity and reduce pressure within said patient interface tube. 21. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a seal opening apparatus, wherein said seal opening apparatus operates to open a seal associated with the aerosol output port of the small-volume nebulizer when said valve system apparatus is attached to said small-volume nebulizer. 22. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said flow restrictor comprises a respiratory filter. 23. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising a respiratory filter in a removable connection with at least one of said flow restrictor and said ambient port. 24. The valve system apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said valve gate comprises a flexible material attached to a mount located within said vertical port by a valve gate center pivot which is engaged with said mount. 25. A method of administering aerosolized medicine and a lung physiotherapy utilizing a small-volume nebulizer comprising the steps of: providing said small-volume nebulizer containing at least one unit-dose of medicine with a valve system apparatus, wherein said small-volume nebulizer comprises an aerosolizing chamber containing at least one of a siphon, a jet, and a baffle, and said valve system apparatus comprises a patient interface opening, a flow restrictor and a valve gate located between said aerosolizing chamber and a patient interface component, and wherein said patient interface opening is located at a first end of a patient interface tube and said flow restrictor is located at a second end of said patient interface tube;engaging said patient interface component with said patient interface opening;connecting a source of gas under pressure to said nebulizer; anddelivering aerosolized medicine and lung physiotherapy to a patient, wherein said valve gate opens based upon an inhalation by said patient to deliver said aerosolized medicine and closes based upon an exhalation by said patient to suppress the egress of aerosolized medicine, wherein during said inhalation by said patient said flow restrictor restricts inhalation airflow causing a drop in pressure within said patient interface tube, and wherein said flow restrictor facilitates a non-medicated lung physiotherapy by restricting exhalation airflow during said exhalation by the patient, wherein said inhalation airflow and said exhalation airflow passes through said flow restrictor. 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the medicine to be administered has been prescribed, further comprising the steps of: observing a medication label affixed to said small-volume nebulizer which identifies a medicine contained within said nebulizer;verifying that the medicine identified in the medication label agrees with said prescribed medicine.