Methods and devices for sensing respiration and providing ventilation therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10058668-B2
Application number	US-201414221210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	May 18, 2007
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for intra-airway breath sensors where intra-airway breath sensors are not located within a ventilation gas delivery circuit, but are exposed to spontaneous respiration airflow from a patient. Furthermore, methods and systems of the present invention may be used to protect an intra-airway breath sensor from contacting tissue or accumulating debris that may impair abilities of the intra-airway breath sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A breath sensing and ventilation delivery apparatus comprising:
a ventilation catheter,
a tracheostomy tube cannula with one or more fenestrations in a wall thereof, wherein the cannula at least partially surrounds the ventilation catheter to create an annular space between an inner diameter of the cannula and an outer diameter of the ventilation catheter, and
one or more adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensors structurally independent of the ventilation catheter and the tracheostomy tube cannula, and being positionable within the annular space between the inner diameter of the cannula and the outer diameter of the ventilation catheter and within a path of spontaneous patient respiration airflow passing through the one or more fenestrations.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation catheter extends beyond a distal portion of the cannula and into an airway.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an anchor for preventing movement of a distal tip of the ventilation catheter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more fenestrations are located in a position selected from the group consisting of a superior side of the cannula, an inferior side of the cannula, a lateral side of the cannula, and combinations thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more intra-airway breath sensors are selected from the group consisting of thermal sensors, pressure sensors, pressure sensing lumen, tubes with sensing lumen, sensing subassemblies, gas composition sensors, flow sensors, ultrasonic sensors, resistivity sensors, piezoelectric sensors, light emittance/reflectance sensors, and combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more intra-airway breath sensors are coupled to the ventilation catheter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation catheter is removable from the cannula.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a seal between the cannula and the ventilation catheter at a location proximal to the one or more intra-airway breath sensors.

9. A breath sensing and ventilation delivery apparatus comprising:
(a) a tubular member with a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is adapted to be positioned outside a patient and the distal end is adapted to be positioned in an airway of the patient, wherein the tubular member includes one or more fenestrations in a wall thereof, wherein spontaneous respiration by the patient passes through the one or more fenestrations,
(b) one or more adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensors structurally independent of the tubular member and within a lumen of the tubular member,
wherein a distal end portion of the tubular member is positioned in the airway such that the one or more adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensors are located within the airway, and
wherein the one or more adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensors are positioned within a path of the spontaneous respiration by the patient passing through the one or more fenestrations while within the airway.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more fenestrations are located in a position selected from the group consisting of a superior side of the tubular member, an inferior side of the tubular member, a lateral side of the tubular member, and combinations thereof.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more intra-airway breath sensors are selected from the group consisting of thermal sensors, pressure sensors, pressure sensing lumen, tubes with sensing lumen, sensing subassemblies, gas composition sensors, flow sensors, ultrasonic sensors, resistivity sensors, piezoelectric sensors, light emittance/reflectance sensors, and combinations thereof.

12. A method for breath sensing and ventilation comprising:
inserting at least one adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensor into a tubular guide positioned with a proximal end adapted to be outside of a patient and a distal end adapted to be inside an airway of the patient, the at least one intra-airway breath sensor being structurally independent of the tubular guide and being positionable within the tubular guide within a path of airflow from spontaneous patient respiration; and
monitoring the patient's airway airflow with the at least one intra-airway breath sensor during ventilation,
wherein, during said monitoring, the at least one adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensor is not located within a ventilator gas flow, and
wherein, during said monitoring, the at least one adjustable depth intra-airway breath sensor is shielded from contacting tissue and from accumulating debris by the tubular guide.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tubular guide is a tracheostomy tube cannula.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cannula at least partially surrounds a ventilation catheter for providing the ventilator gas flow, wherein the cannula forms an annular space between the cannula and the ventilation catheter.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one intra-airway breath sensor is within the annular space.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cannula has one or more fenestrations.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tubular guide is a protective shield.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the protective shield is selected from the group consisting of a shield tapered on at least one end, a shield collapsible against an outer surface of a ventilation catheter, stoma sleeve, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one intra-airway breath sensor is selected from the group consisting of thermal sensors, pressure sensors, pressure sensing lumen, gas composition sensors, flow sensors, ultrasonic sensors, resistivity sensors, piezoelectric sensors, light emittance/reflectance sensors, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Breathe Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Wondka Anthony
• Kapust Gregory
• Bryan Robert
• Khenansho Michael

Classifications

• A61M2016/003

  with a flowmeter · CPC title

• A61M2016/0027

  pressure meter · CPC title

• A61M16/0003

  Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure · CPC title

• A61M2205/3375

  Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means · CPC title

• A61M16/042

  with separate conduits for in-and expiration gas, e.g. for limited dead volume · CPC title