§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
Patent US5356396A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US3890967A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Breathing indicator and ventilator

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1973-10-17
•
Granted: 1975-06-24
•
Expires: 1993-10-17
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The device indicates the instantaneous volume of gases being breathed by a medical patient, and provides a means for ''''ventilating'''' the patient; i.e. causing the patient to breathe artificially. A pair of bellows is provided. The first bellows is pneumatically connected to the patient''s respiratory system. The first bellows expands when the patient exhales in a closed system, contracts when the patient inhales or gases are forced into the patient''s lungs. The second bellows is mechanically coupled to but pneumatically isolated from the first bellows. The second bellows preferably is connected to a manual resuscitation squeeze-bag which can be used to expand the second bellows and thereby compress the first bellows and force gases into the patient''s lungs, thus ventilating the patient. An automatic nonrebreathing valve is used to ensure independent operation of the second bellows and the bag. The bellows are mounted so as to expand and contract along an arcuate path. An indicator indicates the excursions of the first bellows, and thus indicates the instantaneous volume of flow. Movement of the bellows along an arcuate path provides mechanical amplification of the movement of the indicator, thus giving improved resolution and accuracy. A disposable liner is provided for the first bellows so that the bellows itself will remain isolated from the gases breathed by the patient, and will be relatively easy to keep clean. Preferably, the second bellows has a cross-sectional area considerably smaller than that of the first, so that only a relatively small flow of gas from the squeeze-bag is effective to force a substantially greater volume of gas into the patient''s lungs. Thus, the double-bellows arrangement serves as an amplifier for the squeeze-bag. In one embodiment of the invention, the movement of the bellows is in a vertical plane, and in another embodiment the movement is in a horizontal plane. An accumulator is used to indicate the total flow of gas breathed by the patient, and a timing device is used to indicate the ''''minute volume'''' of ventilation, i.e., the flow rate. An especially advantageous bellows construction is used.

Inventors

  • 👤 James O Elam
  • 👤 Henning M Ruben

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 14:27
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61M; A61M16/00; A61M16/0057; A61M16/0084; A61M16/0075; A61M16/22; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/909

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 83 words
A breathing responsive device comprising a first bellows, a first conduit means for conducting a first quantity of gas between said first bellows and a patient, a second bellows, mounting means for mounting said first and second bellows in mechanically coupled relationship to one another, said second bellows being pneumatically isolated from said first bellows, second conduit means for conducting a second quantity of gas to said second bellows, and indicating means associated with said first bellows for indicating the relative extent thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 83 words
A breathing responsive device comprising a first bellows, a first conduit means for conducting a first quantity of gas between said first bellows and a patient, a second bellows, mounting means for mounting said first and second bellows in mechanically coupled relationship to one another, said second bellows being pneumatically isolated from said first bellows, second conduit means for conducting a second quantity of gas to said second bellows, and indicating means associated with said first bellows for indicating the relative extent thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 28 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said second bellows has a cross-sectional area which is different from that of said first bellows by a predetermined amount.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said bellows comprise a flexible air-tight outer sleeve with relatively stiff slats forming the walls of the folds in said bellows.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
A device as in claim 1 including a ventilator connected to said second conduit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said indicating means comprises a transverse projection from the end of said first bellows to which said second bellows is attached.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
A device as in claim 1 in which said first and second bellows extend and contract in a generally horizontal direction along a generally arcuate path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
A device as in claim 4 in which said ventilator comprises a resilient squeeze-bag and a non-rebreathing valve interconnecting the outlet of said squeeze-bag with said second conduit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A device as in claim 1 including accumulator means connected to said indicating means to accumulate the movements in one direction by said first bellows.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 40 words
A device as in claim 8 in which said accumulator means inclUdes a wheel with rachet teeth on its periphery, a pawl device mounted on said indicator means to move therewith and engage said rachet teeth to drive said wheel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 16 words
A device as in claim 1 including a removable flexible liner held within said first bellows.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
A device as in claim 10 in which said first bellows is made of a material which is relatively absorptive to anesthetic gases, and said liner is made of a material which is relatively non-absorptive to anesthetic gases.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 44 words
A device as in claim 11 in which said first bellows comprise a flexible air-tight outer sleeve with relatively stiff slats forming the walls of the folds in said bellows, said liner being made of polyethylene, and said sleeve being made of polyvinyl chloride.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 142 words
A breathing-responsive ventilator device comprising a bellows, means for connecting the interior of said bellows with the breathing tract of a patient, a ventilator pump, means for communicating the positive pressure of said pump to the exterior of said bellows to compress said bellows, said communicating means including a non-rebreathing valve connected to vent gas from said communicating means when said patient exhales said non-rebreathing valve including a housing defining a vent, an outlet communicating with the exterior of said bellows, an inlet communicating with said pump and valve means for closing said inlet and opening said vent upon the application of negative pressure between said inlet and outlet, and for opening said inlet and closing said vent upon the application of positive pressure between said inlet and outlet, and indicating means associated with said bellows for indicating the relative extent thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 142 words
A breathing-responsive ventilator device comprising a bellows, means for connecting the interior of said bellows with the breathing tract of a patient, a ventilator pump, means for communicating the positive pressure of said pump to the exterior of said bellows to compress said bellows, said communicating means including a non-rebreathing valve connected to vent gas from said communicating means when said patient exhales said non-rebreathing valve including a housing defining a vent, an outlet communicating with the exterior of said bellows, an inlet communicating with said pump and valve means for closing said inlet and opening said vent upon the application of negative pressure between said inlet and outlet, and for opening said inlet and closing said vent upon the application of positive pressure between said inlet and outlet, and indicating means associated with said bellows for indicating the relative extent thereof.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
A device as in claim 13 in which said ventilator pump comprises a manual squeeze-bag with a check-valve for permitting re-filling of the bag.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 51 words
In a breathing-responsive device, a bellows and means for connecting said bellows to the breathing tract of a medical patient, said bellows including a thin-wall plastic tube with trapezoidal slats on the tube surface, said slats being arranged in four rows and forming a double-reversing pattern, with folds between adjacent rows.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 51 words
In a breathing-responsive device, a bellows and means for connecting said bellows to the breathing tract of a medical patient, said bellows including a thin-wall plastic tube with trapezoidal slats on the tube surface, said slats being arranged in four rows and forming a double-reversing pattern, with folds between adjacent rows.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2904034A Cited
US2907322A Cited
US3046979A Cited
US3256876A Cited
US3262446A Cited
US3457920A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-06-23 1978-12-23 1979-06-24 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-06-23 1982-12-23 1983-06-24 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-06-23 1986-12-23 1987-06-24 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag