Salter Labs

Peter W Salter

James N Curti

James Chua

Laurence McGann

Duane D Kazal

James M Davenport

Walter R Van Horn

Barry Crandall

Francis J Kelly

Roy Yasuo Fujimoto

Robert Toshiaki Wada

William W Cook

A nasal cannula for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient and a method of treating a patient with sleep disorder. The nasal cannula comprises a pair of spaced apart supply lines which each have a head at one end thereof with a discharge opening located therein. The opposite end of each supply line is connectable to a high flow respiratory gas source. Each head is sized to be snugly received and retained within one of the nasal cavities of the patient while forming a sufficient leakage passage, between a portion of inwardly facing nasal cavity skin of a patient and a portion of an exterior surface of the head, to facilitate exhausting of any excess respiratory gas supplied to the patient through the leakage passage and also facilitate inhalation of any room air required in excess of the respiratory gas to be supplied to the patient.

Respiratory therapy system including a nasal cannula assembly

A nasal cannula, for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising: a pair of spaced apart supply lines which each have a head at one end thereof with a discharge opening therein. The opposite end of each supply line is connectable to a respiratory gas source. Each head is sized to be snugly received and retained within one of the nasal cavities of the patient while forming a sufficient leakage passage, between a portion of inwardly facing nasal cavity skin of a patient and a portion of an exterior surface of the head, to facilitate exhausting of any excess respiratory gas supplied to the patient through the leakage passage and also facilitate inhalation of any room air required in excess of the respiratory gas to be supplied to the patient. The invention also relates to a respiratory therapy system incorporating the nasal cannula, a method of treating a patient with sleep disorder by using the nasal cannula, a diagnostic tool for measuring nasal cavity pressure of a patient, and a method of using the diagnostic tool for measuring nasal cavity pressure of a patient.

A method of forming a cannula from a cannula mandrel assembly comprising a pair of mouthpiece/nasal mandrels and a mating facepiece mandrel. The facepiece mandrel has a pair of conical holes, in an intermediate section thereof, for receiving a leading end of one mouthpiece/nasal mandrel. The conical holes allow the facepiece mandrel to slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the conical holes abut with respective mating tapering conical sections and prevent further sliding movement along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels. Following assembly, the assembly is heated, at least one coating of a polymeric material is applied thereto and heat from the assembly at least partially cures the polymeric material on the assembly. Following curing, the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are slide along the mouthpiece/nasal mandrels until the facepiece mandrel and formed cannula are removed therefrom. Lastly, the facepiece mandrel is removed from the formed cannula.

Nasal and oral cannula having two capabilities and method of producing same

A nasal cannula comprising a hollow main body having opposed first and second openings formed therein and the main body defining an internal chamber. A partition divides the internal chamber into first and second flow compartments. A flow passageway of a first nasal prong communicates with the first compartment and a flow passageway of the first mouth piece communicates with the first compartment to define a first flow passageway which communicates with both a first nostril and a mouth of the patient. A flow passageway of a second nasal prong communicates with the second compartment and a flow passageway of the second mouth piece communicates with the first compartment to define a second flow passageway which communicates with both a second nostril and the mouth of the patient.

A method of monitoring breathing of a patient with a nasal cannula. The method comprising the steps of forming the nasal cannula with at least one nare, and at least one nare having a primary inlet/outlet opening formed in a remote end thereof. Coupling the nasal cannula to a detection device for monitoring breathing characteristics of the patient while the patient is sleeping. Detecting breathing characteristics of the patient, while the patient is sleeping, via at least the primary inlet/outlet opening of the nare and sending the detected breathing characteristics of the patient to detection device for evaluation.

Nasal cannula for acquiring breathing information

A cannula and method of forming a cannula by forming a cannula mandrel assembly having a nare mandrel, a main body mandrel and mouthpiece mandrel; heating the cannula mandrel assembly, applying a polymeric material to the cannula mandrel assembly to provide a desired material thickness on the mandrel assembly to form the cannula, curing the polymeric material of the formed cannula and extracting the mandrel assembly from the cannula by disassembly and removal of the mandrel assembly parts.

Nasal and oral cannula breathing detection device

A cannula comprising a main body which defines an internal chamber therein. A first and second nasal prongs, respectively, communicate with the internal chamber to define first and second nasal prong passages. A mouthpiece has a gas passageway and a retainer passageway and a first end of the gas passageway communicates with the internal chamber while a second free end of the mouthpiece has a gas opening therein. A shape retaining member is received within the retainer passageway to facilitate retaining an adjusted position of an opening of the gas passageway with respect to a remainder of the cannula. A method of forming the cannula is also disclosed.

This invention is a device () for inspiration of a mist from a nebulizer, having an inlet connector () adapted to engage an outlet port of a nebulizer, a hollow mouthpiece element () for insertion into a patient's mouth; a conduit () forming a fluid connection between the inlet connector, and the hollow mouthpiece element. An exhaust valve () is provided for removing expiratory gases which are exhaled into the mouthpiece element to the ambient atmosphere via an exhaust/positive expiratory pressure (PEP) valve (). The PEP valve is positioned on the conduit between the inlet connector, and the mouthpiece element; and a filter housing () containing a filter () for filtering the exhaled gases passing from the exhaust/PEP valve.

Nebulizer mouthpiece and accessories

A bubble humidifier for adding humidity to supplied oxygen. The bubble humidifier has a humidifier base, for containing a quantity of liquid, and a cover for the humidifier base. The bubble humidifier has an oxygen inlet for supplying oxygen to the bubble humidifier and an moisturized oxygen outlet for connection to a moisturized oxygen supply conduit for supplying humidified oxygen to a patient, and the oxygen inlet being connected to a diffuser for diffusing the supplying oxygen within the bubble humidifier. The bubble humidifier has a pressure relief device for relieving excess pressure generated within the bubble humidifier during operation thereof. The bubble humidifier defining a longitudinal axis and the diffuser is arranged to discharge the oxygen from the diffuser substantially at an angle normal to the longitudinal axis of the bubble humidifier to minimize flow of liquid, contained within the humidifier base, from entering the moisturized oxygen outlet during operation of the bubble humidifier.

Bubble humidifier with improved diffuser and pressure relief device

A nasal cannula for insufflating a patient with oxygen through one nare of the cannula and separately analyzing the exhaled gases from the patient by drawing the sampling of the exhaled gas from the other nare of the cannula into a conventional carbon dioxide analyzer. A further addition of holes or vents in the nares of the cannula are provided on both the interior and posterior of one or both nares in order to substantially reduce or eliminate the incidence of occlusion of the tip of the carbon dioxide sampling nare.

Nasal cannula

This invention is a device ( ) for inspiration of a mist from a nebulizer, the device comprising an inlet connector ( ) adapted to engage an outlet port of a nebulizer; a hollow mouthpiece element ( ) for insertion into a patient's mouth; a conduit ( ) forming a fluid connection between the inlet connector, and the hollow mouthpiece element; an exhaust valve ( ) for removing expiratory gases which are exhaled into the mouthpiece element to the ambient atmosphere via the exhaust/positive expiratory pressure (PEP) valve ( ) positioned on the conduit between the inlet connector, and the mouthpiece element; and a filter housing ( ) containing a filter ( ) for filtering the exhaled gases passing from the exhaust/PEP valve.

An apparatus for insufflating a treating gas into a patient and for measuring a carbon dioxide content exhaled by the patient includes a hollow body with a partitioning wall separating the body into inhalation and exhalation manifolds. Two hollow prongs have coaxial openings close to the body which allow gas exchange for breathing and carbon dioxide measuring purposes. The holes are of a size such that suction drawn through the holes is limited while still allowing accurate gas analysis.

A mouth piece exhalation valve for a nebulizer or breathing circuit. The nebulizer has an internal passageway containing an offset causing an inspiration mist flow to bypass the exhaust valve without impingement. The offset includes a deflector which aids in the deflection of the inspiration mist flow away from the exhaust valve. The deflector is also utilized for directing the exhaust flow upon expiration by a patient through the exhaust valve. The exhaust valve design includes a flap or disc having leaves formed by peripheral arcuate cuts to facilitate the opening and the closing of the leafs in accordance with the expiration and inhalation of a patient respectively. The cuts also aid in the re-introduction of any accumulation of fluid on the external surface of the disc and valve back into the inspirational cycle so as to minimize any external buildup of fluid.

Mouthpiece for a nebulizer

A tubing end-piece interconnects a free end of a piece of tubing and a tubing connector or fitting so that a fluid can flow between the tubing and the fitting or connector. The tubing end-piece includes a body member extending along a longitudinal axis with a bore extending longitudinally therethrough. The body member has an elongated body portion, a doughnut-shaped head portion and a frustoconically-shaped tail portion. The body portion has an outer body surface configured in a shape of a frustum that tapers from a first end and towards a second end. The doughnut-shaped head portion is connected to the first end of said body portion and extends radially outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis to form in cross-section an outer curved surface commencing from the first end and terminating in an outer peripheral edge which defines a first opening into the bore. A frustoconically-shaped tail portion is connected to the second end of the body portion and tapers from the second end and towards a second opening into the bore. The body member has an inner first surface and an inner second surface defining the bore and has a plurality of splines which are spaced apart from one another and extend longitudinally along and outwardly from the outer body surface. The present invention also includes a connector adapted to interconnect a pair of tubing end-pieces so that the fluid can flow between and through the respective pieces of tubing and the pair of tubing connectors, and present a connection which resists snagging when trailed from a portable or fixed source of oxygen gas to an ambulatory patient.

Growing community of inventors

Bakersfield, CA, United States of America

Peter W Salter