Respiration assembly and methods

Claim 2

In a method of inhalation therapy, the steps of: delivering air or the like to first and second ingress locations of a closed manifold, closing an exhalation valve and retaining the valve closed by pressure which distends a diaphragm into sealed relation with an exhalation port, constricting flow of air from the first ingress location to increase velocity and create a negative pressure, drawing liquid from a source to the constricted air flow by force of the negative air pressure, shearing the liquid by force of the constricted air to create an aerosol in a nebulization chamber, deflecting a portion of the air from the second ingress location within the closed manifold through said nebulization chamber to mix with said aerosol, delivering the mixture to the respiratory system of a user, and thereafter opening said exhalation valve in the manifold venting expired air and manifold pressure to the atmosphere.

Claim 3

In a method as defined in claim 1 further comprising: impinging the sheared liquid and constricted air flow upon a baffle immediately following the shearing step thereby further breaking-up liquid particles of the aerosol.

Claim 4

In a method as defined in claim 1 wherein the mixing step comprises displacing at least part of the air from the second ingress location circuitously through the nebulization chamber, purging aerosol from the chamber and co-mingling aerosol with air.

Claim 5

In a method as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of discontinuing delivery of air to the manifold during the last-mentioned opening step.

Claim 6

A nebulizer, adapted to be interposed between a respirator and the respiratory system of a patient, comprising: liquid storage container means including a nebulization chamber above the liquid; one-piece manifold structure to which the liquid storage container is releasably joined in sealed relation, the manifold structure comprising channel mEans receiving nebulized air from the nebulization chamber and delivering it to the user during inspiration and receiving expired air from the patient during expiration, exhalation port means in the channel means downstream from said liquid storage container, major air influent means in said manifold communicating air to the respiratory system of a patient, minor air influent means communicating with the nebulization chamber to nebulizer air, and means defining a liquid flow path from the stored liquid to the minor air influent means; nozzle means releasably joined to the manifold structure immediately upstream of the minor air influent means to constrict minor air flow thereby developing a negative pressure which draws liquid along the liquid flow path to the minor air influent means where it is nebulized by the constricted minor air flow; flow diverting means in said manifold to divert part of the flow through said major air influent means into said nebulization chamber pressure inflatable valve means releasably joined to the manifold structure adjacent but in spaced relation to the exhalation port means to communicate expired air to the atmosphere when the valve means is not under pressure during expiration and to expand and close the exhalation port means when the valve means is under pressure during inspiration.

Claim 7

A nebulizer, adapted to be interposed between a respirator and the respiratory system of a patient, comprising: liquid storage container means including a nebulization chamber above the liquid; one-piece manifold structure to which the liquid storage container is releasably joined in sealed relation, the manifold structure comprising channel mEans receiving nebulized air from the nebulization chamber and delivering it to the user during inspiration and receiving expired air from the patient during expiration, exhalation port means in the channel means downstream from said liquid storage container, major air influent means in said manifold communicating air to the respiratory system of a patient, minor air influent means communicating with the nebulization chamber to nebulizer air, and means defining a liquid flow path from the stored liquid to the minor air influent means; nozzle means releasably joined to the manifold structure immediately upstream of the minor air influent means to constrict minor air flow thereby developing a negative pressure which draws liquid along the liquid flow path to the minor air influent means where it is nebulized by the constricted minor air flow; flow diverting means in said manifold to divert part of the flow through said major air influent means into said nebulization chamber pressure inflatable valve means releasably joined to the manifold structure adjacent but in spaced relation to the exhalation port means to communicate expired air to the atmosphere when the valve means is not under pressure during expiration and to expand and close the exhalation port means when the valve means is under pressure during inspiration.

Claim 8

A nebulizer as defined in claim 5 wherein the liquid storage container means is force-fit into joined and sealed relation with the manifold structure and comprises a skirt adapted to rest upon a generally flat surface.

Claim 9

A nebulizer as defined in claim 5 wherein the inflatable valve means comprises a bladder housing and a resilient bladder together defining an expandable chamber and wherein the inflatable valve means is force-fit into retained relation with an array of spaced yieldable fingers with memory, the fingers comprising part of the manifold structure.

Claim 10

A nebulizer as defined in claim 5 further comprising means providing open communication of major air flow directly from the major air influent means to the channel means and further comprising baffle means shunting a portion of the major air flow through the nebulization chamber to the channel means.

Claim 11

A nebulizer as defined in claim 5 wherein the nozzle means is releasably held to the manifold structure by force-fit retaining structure, wherein the minor air influent means comprises an orifice surrounded by a tapered surface to cause gravity flow of liquid, and wherein the liquid flow path comprises a liquid-receiving nozzle chamber comprising a space between the flow-constricting end of the nozzle means and the tapered surface and orifice, where the liquid flows and is nebulized by the constricted air flow.

Claim 12

A nebulizer as defined in claim 5 further comprising a baffle means aligned with and spaced a very small distance from where the liquid is first nebulized by the constricted air flow.

Claim 13

A nebulizer as set forth in claim 10 wherein the baffle means is supported by framework means carried in force-fit relation by the manifold structure.

Claim 14

A nebulizer as defined in claim 10 wherein the baffle means further comprises an offset stop projecting toward and contacting the minor air influent means whereby the mentioned small distance is precisely set and maintained.