Ventilation tube unit for connection to a medical ventilator as well as a ventilation system comprising the ventilator and at least one ventilation tube unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154682-B2
Application number	US-201414785108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2014
Priority date	Apr 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A ventilation tube unit (2), for connection to a medical ventilator, includes an outer tube (4) with a tubular connection device (18) with a jacket-side branch (24, 28), for connecting a medical unit such as a water trap, arranged between a first outer tube part (20) and a second outer tube part (22). An inner line (6) is arranged within and extends with the outer tube (4) between two port connectors (8). Each outer tube part (20, 22) includes a variable-length outer tube part that can be varied between a compressed state and an expanded state. The connection device (18) is displaceable in the longitudinal direction (A) relative to the inner line (6) by a compression of one outer tube part (20) and a corresponding expansion of the other outer tube part (22). A ventilation system with at least one such ventilation tube unit is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ventilation tube unit for connection to a medical ventilator, the ventilation tube unit comprising:
an outer tube comprising a first outer tube part, a second outer tube part and a tubular connection device comprising at least one jacket-side branch for connecting a medical unit, the connection device being arranged between the first outer tube part and the second outer tube part of the outer tube, the outer tube comprising an outer tube interior space defining at least a portion of a first fluid flow path;
an inner line arranged within the outer tube, the inner line comprising an inner line interior space defining a second fluid flow path; and
two port connectors, between which the outer tube and the inner line extend, wherein each of the port connectors is connected by a corresponding inner line port to one end of the inner line and by a corresponding outer tube port to an end of the outer tube, the end of the outer tube and the one end of the inner line being located on the same side, wherein each outer tube part comprises a variable length structure with a length that is variable between a compressed state and an expanded state, and the connection device is displaceable in a longitudinal direction relative to the inner line by compressing one outer tube part and correspondingly expanding the other outer tube part.

2. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal flexibility of the outer tube parts is greater than a longitudinal flexibility of the inner line in the longitudinal direction, each outer tube part extending about a portion of the first fluid flow path and a portion of the second fluid flow path.

3. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein each outer tube part comprises a folded tube with a plurality of ring folds that can be opened and folded up, wherein a portion of the plurality of ring folds are opened and a portion of the plurality of ring folds are folded up.

4. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 3 , wherein a flexibility of each of the plurality of ring folds to change over from an opened state into a folded-up state or vice versa is greater than a longitudinal flexibility of the inner line in the longitudinal direction.

5. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the connection device is arranged between the plurality of ring folds of the outer tube such that the connection device is displaceable in the longitudinal direction relative to the inner line by folding up ring folds of one outer tube part and opening ring folds of the other outer tube part.

6. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the medical unit is a water trap for receiving condensation water that is connected to the at least one jacket-side branch.

7. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inner line is dimensionally stable in the longitudinal direction.

8. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a longitudinal rigidity of the inner line to a longitudinal rigidity of the outer tube is selected to be such that a force acting on the connection device and via the outer tube parts and port connectors coupled therewith brings about a longitudinal displacement of the connection device by compression of one outer tube part and by a corresponding expansion of the other outer tube part while a length of the inner line is maintained.

9. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inner line is a cable.

10. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inner line is designed as an inner tube and each inner line port is designed as an inner tube port, so that two tube ducts are formed.

11. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the inner tube comprises a corrugated tube with a plurality of corrugations, which prevent a folding over between the plurality of corrugations due to a constant radii.

12. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 10 , wherein a design of the inner tube is similar to a design of the outer tube, wherein a branch of the inner tube is led through an outer jacket of the outer tube.

13. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the medical unit comprises a water trap or an additional water trap, the water trap or the additional water trap being connected to the branch of the inner tube in order to collect condensation water formed in the inner tube.

14. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising an inner tube extending between the two port connectors, wherein the inner tube is arranged between the inner line and the outer tube in a radial direction, so that two tube ducts are formed.

15. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the inner tube comprises a corrugated tube with a plurality of corrugations, which prevent a folding over between the plurality of corrugations due to a constant radii.

16. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 14 , wherein a design of the inner tube is similar to a design of the outer tube, wherein a branch of the inner tube is led through an outer jacket of the outer tube.

17. The ventilation tube unit in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the medical unit comprises a water trap or an additional water trap, the water trap or the additional water trap being connected to the branch of the inner tube in order to collect condensation water formed in the inner tube.

18. A ventilation system, comprising:
a ventilator for mechanical ventilation of a patient;
a water trap;
a ventilation mask; and
a ventilation tube unit comprising:
an outer tube comprising a first outer tube part, a second outer tube part and a tubular connection device comprising at least one jacket-side branch connected to the water trap, the connection device being arranged between the first outer tube part and the second outer tube part of the outer tube, the outer tube comprising an outer tube inner space defining at least a portion of a first fluid flow path;
an inner line arranged within the outer tube, the inner line comprising an inner line inner space defining a second fluid flow path; and
two port connectors, between which the outer tube and the inner line extend, wherein each of the port connectors is connected by a corresponding inner line port to one end of the inner line and by a corresponding outer tube port to an end of the outer tube, the end of the outer tube and the one end of the inner line being located on the same side, wherein each outer tube part comprises a variable length structure with a length that is variable between a compressed state and an expanded state, and the connection device is displaceable in a longitudinal direction relative to the inner line by compressing one outer tube part and correspondingly expanding the other outer tube part.

19. The ventilation system in accordance with claim 18 , wherein a longitudinal flexibility of the outer tube parts of the outer tube, is greater than a longitudinal flexibility of the inner line in the longitudinal direction, each outer tube part extending about a portion of the first fluid flow path and a portion of the second fluid flow path.

20. A medical ventilator method comprising the steps of:
providing a ventilation tube unit comprising:
an outer tube comprising a first outer tube part, a second outer tube part and a tubular connection device comprising at least one jacket-side branch connected

Assignees

• Draegerwerk Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Grassl Thomas
• Wotha Gerd
• Braedel Meinhard

Classifications

• A61M16/0816

  Joints or connectors · CPC title

• A61M16/0875

  Connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M16/0833

  T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece · CPC title

• A61M2039/1083

  having a plurality of female connectors, e.g. Luer connectors · CPC title

• A61M2205/21

  insensitive to tilting or inclination, e.g. spill-over prevention · CPC title