Device for providing a breathing gas flow enriched with anesthetic

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10821256-B2
Application number	US-201715426370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A method and device, for enriching a gas flow with an anesthetic, include a gas mixer (1), with gas inlets (2a, 2b) and one or more gas outlets (3a, 3b), and an anesthetic dispenser (4) connected to the one or more gas outlets. The anesthetic dispenser at least partially enriches the gas flow to provide a breathing gas flow enriched with anesthetic at a patient connector (5). A control valve (7a) is arranged fluidically in series with the anesthetic dispenser (4). The gas outlet is connected to the patient connector (5) via a gas channel (8), arranged fluidically parallel to the anesthetic dispenser (4) and in which at least another control valve (7b) is arranged. A control unit (6) actuates at least one control valve as a function of a desired value for an anesthetic concentration in the breathing gas flow to change anesthetic concentration at the patient connector (5).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for enriching a gas flow with an anesthetic, the device comprising:
a gas mixer comprising at least two gas inlets and at least one gas outlet;
an anesthetic dispenser;
a flow channel comprising a gas channel fluidically connecting the anesthetic dispenser to the at least one gas outlet, the anesthetic dispenser being configured to enrich an anesthetic dispenser gas flow with an anesthetic at least periodically to provide an enriched breathing gas flow, which is enriched with anesthetic;
a first control valve arranged fluidically in series with the anesthetic dispenser in the flow channel, the first control valve being configured to reduce volume flow through the first control valve to zero;
a patient connector fluidically connected to the gas channel;
another gas channel fluidically connecting the at least one gas outlet to the patient connector and arranged fluidically parallel to the anesthetic dispenser, said another gas channel forming a bypass channel flowing anesthetic-free gas from the gas outlet to the patient connector;
a second control valve arranged in the another gas channel, the second control valve being configured to reduce volume flow through the second control valve to zero, the first and second control valves being configured to be actuated independently of each other; and
a control unit configured to actuate the first control valve or the second flow valve or both the first control valve or the second flow valve as a function of a desired value for an anesthetic concentration in the breathing gas flow such that the anesthetic concentration is changed at the patient connector toward the desired value or to the desired value.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas channel and the other gas channel form at least one mixing point at which gas flows are mixed upstream of the patient connector.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein:
the first control valve is arranged between one of the at least two gas inlets and the anesthetic dispenser for changing a first volume flow flowing through the first control valve;
the second control valve is arranged between one of the at least two gas inlets and the mixing point for changing a second volume flow flowing through the second control valve; and
the control unit actuates the first control valve and the second control valve such that a global carrier gas flow, fed to the patient connector, corresponds to the sum of the first and second volume flows.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the at least two gas inlets are supplied with different gases.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one gas outlet comprises a first gas outlet and at least one second gas outlet; and
the gas channel connects the first gas outlet to a breathing system with the patient connector; and
the another gas channel connects the at least one second gas outlet to the breathing system with the patient connector.

6. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a further gas channel, with a mechanical throttling device, fluidically connecting at least one of the at least two gas inlets and the patient connector.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein:
the control unit switches over at least one of the control valves in a cycle between an open position and a closed position; and
a time period during which the respective control valve is in a closed position is longer than a time period during which the control valve is in an open position.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas mixer is part of an anesthesia apparatus capable of operating independently.

9. A device in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a flow measuring device for measuring at least one gas flow of the gas mixer, the flow measuring device being located inside the gas mixer or forming a part of the gas mixer or both located inside the gas mixer and forming a part of the gas mixer, wherein the first control valve, arranged fluidically in series with the anesthetic dispenser, is controlled algorithmically based on at least one flow measurement in the gas mixer.

10. A method for generating a gas flow enriched with anesthetic, the method comprising:
providing a device comprising:
a gas mixer comprising at least two gas inlets and at least one gas outlet;
an anesthetic dispenser;
a flow channel comprising a gas channel fluidically connecting the anesthetic dispenser to the at least one gas outlet, the anesthetic dispenser being configured to enrich an anesthetic dispenser gas flow with an anesthetic at least periodically to provide an enriched breathing gas flow, which is enriched with anesthetic;
a first control valve arranged fluidically in series with the anesthetic dispenser in the flow channel, the first control valve being configured to reduce volume flow through the first control valve to zero;
a patient connector fluidically connected to the gas channel;
another gas channel fluidically connecting the at least one gas outlet to the patient connector and arranged fluidically parallel to the anesthetic dispenser, said another gas channel forming a bypass channel flowing anesthetic-free gas from the gas outlet to the patient connector;
a second control valve arranged in the another gas channel, the second control valve being configured to reduce volume flow through the second control valve to zero, the first and second control valves being configured to be actuated independently of each other;
a control unit configured to actuate the first control valve or the second flow valve or both the first control valve or the second flow valve as a function of a desired value for an anesthetic concentration in the breathing gas flow such that the anesthetic concentration is changed at the patient connector toward the desired value or to the desired value;
providing a first volume flow of a first gas via the first control valve;
providing a second volume flow of a second gas via the second control valve;
forming a carrier gas flow from the first volume flow or from the second volume flow or from both the first volume flow and the second volume flow;
adding at least one anesthetic to the carrier gas flow with the anesthetic dispenser as a function of the desired value for the anesthetic concentration; and
changing the volume flow of the first gas and the volume flow of the second gas taking into account the desired value via the control unit.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the second volume flow is set independently from the first volume flow to a value that is greater than or equal to zero.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the anesthetic is added to a mixture of the first gas and the at least one second gas.

13. A method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the carrier gas flow is composed of the first volume flow and the second volume flow of the second gas and is set to a value of 0.1 L/min to 20 L/min.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the anesthetic concentration is determined in a gas flow leaving the anesthetic dispenser before this gas flow is mixed with at least one additional gas flow.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the first volume flow and the second volume flow are changed by taking into account the desired value and the anesthetic concentration in the gas flow leaving the anesthetic dispenser.

16. A device for enriching a gas flow with an anesthetic, the device comprising:
a gas mixer having a plurality of gas inlets and gas outlets, said gas mixer being

Assignees

• Draegerwerk Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Manigel Jürgen
• Bartels Uwe
• Heesch Ralf
• Wruck Norbert
• Radomski Klaus
• Pilz Ulf

Classifications

• A61M16/01 Primary

  specially adapted for anaesthetising {(A61M16/104, A61M16/18 take precedence)} · CPC title

• A61M2016/1035

  the anaesthetic agent concentration · CPC title

• A61M2016/1025

  the O2 concentration · CPC title

• A61M2016/0033

  electrical · CPC title

• A61M16/12 Primary

  by mixing different gases · CPC title