Cough-assist systems with humidifier bypass
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12246135-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present technology relates generally to cough-assist devices with humidified cough assistance. In one example, a system includes a cough-assist device having a first phase configured to provide insufflating gas to a patient circuit and a second phase configured to draw exsufflating gas from the patient circuit. A humidifier is disposed between the cough-assist device and a distal end of the patient circuit, the humidifier including a chamber configured to contain heated water and fluidically coupled to the cough-assist device and the patient circuit. The system further includes a bypass configured to (a) direct insufflating gas from the cough-assist device through a first route to the patient circuit such that the insufflating gas is humidified in the chamber, and (b) route exsufflating gas from the patient circuit through a second route to the cough-assist device such that the exsufflating gas bypasses the chamber.
Core Innovation
The patent describes a humidifier assembly that includes a humidifier chamber, first and second conduits, and a third conduit that bypasses the humidifier chamber. The first conduit extends away from the humidifier chamber to receive a first gas from a respiratory device and direct the first gas to the humidifier chamber, and the second conduit extends away from the humidifier chamber to receive gas from the humidifier chamber and direct the gas toward a patient circuit. The third conduit extends between the first conduit and the second conduit and bypasses the humidifier chamber.
To control opposing gas flows, the humidifier assembly includes a first one-way valve and a second one-way valve. The one-way valves are positioned and configured so that the first gas received from the respiratory device is routed through the humidifier chamber via the first conduit and the second conduit while bypassing the third conduit. The one-way valves are also configured to route a second gas received from a patient toward the respiratory device through the third conduit that bypasses the humidifier chamber, and through the first conduit when fluidly coupled to the respiratory device and the patient circuit.
The patent further describes a system in which a patient circuit is coupled to a respiratory device through a humidifier assembly located between the respiratory device and a distal end of the patient circuit. The system defines a first phase directing a first gas toward the distal end and a second phase directing a second gas from the distal end toward the respiratory device. In the system, the first one-way valve and the second one-way valve alternate flow routing so that the first gas is routed through the humidifier chamber and is humidified, while the second gas is routed through the bypass third conduit to bypass the humidifier chamber.
Claims Coverage
The patent provides three independent claims. Each independent claim centers on a humidifier assembly with a humidifier chamber and a bypass conduit, one-way valve-based routing for opposite-direction gas flows, and placement of the humidifier assembly between a respiratory device and a distal end of a patient circuit for phase-based gas handling.
Humidifier assembly with bypass conduit and one-way valve gas routing
A humidifier chamber; a first conduit configured to receive a first gas from a respiratory device and direct the first gas to the humidifier chamber; a second conduit configured to receive the first gas from the humidifier chamber and direct the first gas toward a patient circuit; a third conduit extending between the first conduit and the second conduit, the third conduit bypassing the humidifier chamber; a first one-way valve; and a second one-way valve, wherein the first one-way valve and the second one-way valve are positioned to route the first gas received from the respiratory device through the humidifier chamber via the first conduit and the second conduit while bypassing the third conduit, and route a second gas received from a patient toward the respiratory device through the third conduit that bypasses the humidifier chamber, and through the first conduit, when the humidifier assembly is fluidly coupled to the respiratory device and the patient circuit.
Heated liquid humidifier chamber with bypass flow paths and one-way valves
A chamber configured to retain liquid therein; a heater configured to deliver heat to a liquid within the chamber; a first one-way valve; a second one-way valve; a first flow path configured to receive a first gas from a respiratory device and direct the first gas through the first one-way valve, the first one-way valve located between the respiratory device and the chamber, through the chamber and toward a patient circuit, wherein the second one-way valve blocks the first gas from bypassing the chamber and from entering a bypass conduit located between the patient interface and the respiratory device; and a second flow path configured to receive a second gas from the patient circuit and direct the second gas through the second one-way valve and the bypass conduit and toward the respiratory device without passing through the chamber when the humidifier assembly is fluidly coupled to the respiratory device and the patient circuit.
System with phase-based first-gas humidification and second-gas bypass routing
A system comprising a patient circuit; a respiratory device having a first phase in which a first gas is directed from the respiratory device toward a distal end of the patient circuit and a second phase in which a second gas is directed from the distal end of the patient circuit toward the respiratory device; and a humidifier assembly between and fluidly coupled to the respiratory device and the distal end of the patient circuit, the humidifier assembly comprising a humidifier chamber, a first conduit fluidly coupled to the humidifier chamber, a second conduit fluidly coupled to the humidifier chamber, a third conduit extending between the first conduit and the second conduit, the third conduit bypassing the humidifier chamber, a first one-way valve, and a second one-way valve, wherein the first one-way valve and the second one-way valve are configured to route the first gas received from the respiratory device toward the distal end of the patient circuit by routing the first gas through the first conduit, through the humidifier chamber, and through the second conduit while bypassing the third conduit such that the first gas routed from the respiratory device to the distal end of the patient circuit is humidified in the humidifier chamber, and route the second gas received from the distal end of the patient circuit toward the respiratory device by routing the second gas through the third conduit and the first conduit such that the second gas routed from the distal end of the patient circuit to the respiratory device bypasses the humidifier chamber.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage is the same functional architecture: a humidifier chamber that is used to humidify a first gas routed in a first direction through the chamber, and a bypass third conduit that is used so that an opposite-direction second gas is routed to the respiratory device while bypassing the humidifier chamber. One-way valves, and in another claim a heater with a liquid-retaining chamber, provide the claimed direction-dependent routing between the respiratory device and the patient circuit.
Stated Advantages
Avoiding water carryover to the ventilator/cough-assist machine.
Humidifying the first gas while routing opposite-direction gas through a bypass path that prevents passing through the humidifier chamber.
Documented Applications
Used in a cough-assist device/respiratory device context with insufflation and exsufflation phases where gas routing is directed to humidify insufflation gas while bypassing humidifier passage for exsufflation gas.
Compatible with ventilation insufflation/exsufflation phases, including where patient tubing is disconnected elsewhere between the ventilator and the humidifier.
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