Apparatus for independent ventilation of two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures

Claim 1

An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising: a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting means respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, one of the said expiratory branches being provided with a positive end-expiratory pressure valve to apply this pressure selectively to one lung only, a threshold inspiratory valve to control the distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern an increasing gas flow through one inspiratory branch and a decreasing inspiratory gas flow through the other inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being placed in one inspiratory branch having a common point with the expiratory branch not provided with the positive end-expiratory pressure valve, a pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in said one inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being connected in series with a pneumatic unidirectional valve to prevent mixing of gases flowing through said inspiratory branches, another pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in the second inspiratory branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing therethrough, one pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in each expiratory branch to enable an independent measurement of volumes of gas expired from each lung and a total ventilation measurement by the respirator, a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.

Claim 2

An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising: a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting means respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, one of the said expiratory branches being provided with a positive end-expiratory pressure valve to apply this pressure selectively to one lung only, a threshold inspiratory valve to control the distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern an increasing gas flow through one inspiratory branch and a decreasing inspiratory gas flow through the other inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being placed in one inspiratory branch having a common point with the expiratory branch not provided with the positive end-expiratory pressure valve, a pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in said one inspiratory branch, said threshold inspiratory valve being connected in series with a pneumatic unidirectional valve to prevent mixing of gases flowing through said inspiratory branches, another pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in the second inspiratory branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing therethrough, one pneumatic unidirectional valve being placed in each expiratory branch to enable an independent measurement of volumes of gas expired from each lung and a total ventilation measurement by the respirator, a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.

Claim 3

An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting said respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of the two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, at least one of said inspiratory branches having a threshold inspiratory valve to control distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern different inspiratory gas flows to each lung, said inspiratory and expiratory branches having pneumatic unidirectional valves, respectively, one in each branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing through these branches, two positive end-expiratory valves, one placed in each of said expiratory branches, respectively, to apply different positive end-expiratory pressures to each lung a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.

Claim 4

An apparatus for controlling and dividing ventilation between two lungs with selective use of positive end-expiratory pressures, comprising a single respirator, a double-lumen bronchial tube, conduit means connecting said respirator with the lungs by means of said double-lumen bronchial tube, said conduit means including two inspiratory and two expiratory branches connected in two inspiratory-expiratory pairs, each pair being terminated by a common point of the inspiratory and expiratory branches and being coupled with one of the two conduits of the double-lumen bronchial tube, said double-lumen bronchial tube together with the two parallel inspiratory branches and two parallel expiratory branches including means adapted to separate gas flows between the respirator and each lung respectively, at least one of said inspiratory branches having a threshold inspiratory valve to control distribution of ventilation between the lungs and to pattern different inspiratory gas flows to each lung, said inspiratory and expiratory branches having pneumatic unidirectional valves, respectively, one in each branch to prevent mixing of gases flowing through these branches, two positive end-expiratory valves, one placed in each of said expiratory branches, respectively, to apply different positive end-expiratory pressures to each lung a variable pneumatic resistor being placed in each of said inspiratory branches, and means interconnecting said resistors to inversely vary the flow through each resistor, respectively, in order to diversify to the maximum the amount of ventilation to each lung.