Breathing tube assemblies with adjustable elbow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456547-B2
Application number	US-201314420241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Aug 8, 2012
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Breathing tube assemblies for use with a respiratory therapy device, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, includes an elbow that permits adjustment of a position of the breathing tube assembly relative to the respiratory therapy device. In some arrangements, the breathing tube assembly includes a breathing tube and a swivel elbow. The breathing tube is rotationally fixed relative to the respiratory therapy device and the swivel elbow rotatable relative to the breathing tube. In other arrangements, the breathing tube assembly includes an elbow that can be coupled to the respiratory therapy device in one of several possible positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A respiratory therapy system, comprising:
a flow generator that generates a flow of a breathing gas, the flow generator comprising an outlet for the flow of the breathing gas;
a flexible breathing tube assembly comprising a connector and a breathing tube, the breathing tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the connector in a non-rotatable manner, and wherein the connector couples the breathing tube to the outlet of the flow generator;
a patient interface coupled to the second end of the breathing tube such that the breathing tube can deliver the flow of the breathing gas from the flow generator to the patient interface;
a swivel elbow that is rotatably coupled to the connector of the flexible breathing tube assembly, the swivel elbow comprising an engagement portion that completely surrounds the breathing tube in a circumferential direction to couple the swivel elbow to the breathing tube, the swivel elbow further comprising a curved surface portion that is spaced from the engagement portion along a longitudinal direction, wherein the curved surface portion guides a first portion of the breathing tube into a curved shape, wherein the curved surface portion only partially surrounds the breathing tube in the circumferential direction; and
wherein the breathing tube is rotatable relative to the engagement portion of the swivel elbow such that the swivel elbow can be rotated relative to the connector to vary a direction that the breathing tube extends relative to the flow generator.

2. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel elbow has a greater resistance to deformation than the breathing tube such that, in use, the swivel elbow inhibits occlusion of the breathing tube caused by being collapsed by external forces.

3. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the curved surface portion extends between a portion of the swivel elbow that is coupled to the connector and the engagement portion.

4. The respiratory therapy system of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the swivel elbow that is coupled to the connector completely surrounds the breathing tube in a circumferential direction.

5. The respiratory therapy system of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the swivel elbow that is coupled to the connector is positioned at one end of the swivel elbow and the engagement portion is positioned at the other end of the swivel elbow, the curved portion extending therebetween.

6. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the curved surface portion subtends an angle of 90 degrees in a length direction of the breathing tube.

7. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the curved surface portion surrounds one-half of the breathing tube in a circumferential direction.

8. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the curved surface portion is located on an inside portion of the curved shape.

9. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the curved surface portion is located on an outside portion of the curved shape.

10. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel elbow further comprises a tab sized and shaped to facilitate grasping by a user, wherein the tab is located opposite the curved surface portion or engagement portion.

11. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the swivel elbow is constructed from a pair of interlocking halves.

12. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a first interference surface portion and the flow generator comprises a second interference surface portion that, when the breathing tube is coupled to the flow generator, engages the first interference surface portion to secure the breathing tube to the flow generator.

13. The respiratory therapy system of claim 12 , wherein the second interference surface portion is defined by the outlet of the flow generator and the first interference surface portion is defined by a portion of the connector that is received within the outlet.

14. The respiratory therapy system of claim 12 , wherein the second interference surface portion is adjacent the outlet of the flow generator and the first interference surface portion is defined by a portion of the connector that is adjacent the outlet.

15. The respiratory therapy system of claim 14 , wherein the first interference surface portion is defined by a tab of the connector that engages a corresponding recess of the flow generator.

16. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a first electrical terminal configured to connect to a second electrical terminal on the flow generator.

17. The respiratory therapy system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second electrical terminals connect a heat source of the flow generator to a heating coil of the breathing tube.

18. The respiratory therapy system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second electrical terminals provide for data communication between the breathing tube and the flow generator.

19. The respiratory therapy system of claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion is positioned at one end of the swivel elbow and the curved surface portion extends from the engagement portion.

20. A respiratory therapy system, comprising:
a flow generator that generates a flow of a breathing gas, the flow generator comprising an outlet for the flow of the breathing gas;
a flexible breathing tube assembly comprising a connector and a breathing tube, the breathing tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the connector in a non-rotatable manner, and wherein the connector couples the breathing tube to the outlet of the flow generator;
a patient interface coupled to the second end of the breathing tube such that the breathing tube can deliver the flow of the breathing gas from the flow generator to the patient interface;
a swivel elbow that is rotatably coupled to the connector of the flexible breathing tube assembly, the swivel elbow comprising an engagement portion that at least partially surrounds the breathing tube to couple the swivel elbow to the breathing tube, the swivel elbow further comprising a curved surface portion that guides a first portion of the breathing tube into a curved shape; and
wherein the breathing tube is rotatable relative to the engagement portion of the swivel elbow such that the swivel elbow can be rotated relative to the connector to vary a direction that the breathing tube extends relative to the flow generator; and wherein the swivel elbow comprises a shoulder that defines a first interference surface portion and the flow generator comprises at least one tab that defines a second interference surface portion that, when the breathing tube is coupled to the flow generator, engages the first interference surface portion to secure the breathing tube to the flow generator.

21. A flexible breathing tube assembly comprising:
a connector;
a breathing tube having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the connector in a non-rotatable manner, wherein the connector is configured to couple the breathing tube to an outlet of a flow generator that generates a flow of a breathing gas, and wherein the second end is configured to couple to a patient interface such that the breathing tube can deliver the flow of the breathing gas from the flow generator to the patient interface; and
a swivel elbow that is rotatably coupled to the connector, the swivel elbow comprising an engag

Assignees

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Miller Jeremy Livingston
• D'Andrea Dominique Richard

Classifications

• F16L3/1226

  elongated supports, e.g. to support a curved pipe · CPC title

• A61M16/06

  Respiratory or anaesthetic masks · CPC title

• A61M2205/6045

  having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes · CPC title

• A61M16/022

  Control means therefor · CPC title

• A61M16/0825

  with ball-sockets · CPC title