Variable flow oxygen therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9295794-B2
Application number	US-200913131622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2009
Priority date	Dec 16, 2008
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

The present invention describes systems and methods to provide variable flow oxygen therapy. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method of oxygen therapy involving delivering oxygen-enriched gas to a patient during a first portion of a breathing cycle at a first flow rate. Furthermore, the method of oxygen therapy involves delivering oxygen-enriched gas to the patient during a second portion of the breathing cycle at a second flow rate, where the second flow rate is greater than zero and less than the first flow rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of providing oxygen therapy using an oxygen delivery system, the method comprising:
delivering oxygen-enriched gas to a patient during a first portion of a breathing cycle at a first flow rate, wherein delivering oxygen-enriched gas during the first portion is triggered by an inspiratory phase of the breathing cycle, and wherein:
the oxygen-enriched gas is enriched with oxygen so the oxygen level of the oxygen-enriched gas is greater than the oxygen level of ambient air;
the first flow rate is constant for a pre-determined period of time within the first portion; and
the first flow rate is reduced to zero during the remainder of the first portion; and

delivering oxygen-enriched gas to the patient during a second portion of the breathing cycle at a second flow rate, the second portion corresponding to an expiratory phase of the breathing cycle, wherein the second flow rate is greater than zero and less than the constant first flow rate delivered during the pre-determined period of time and wherein the second flow rate is a variable flow rate that increases linearly during the second portion of the breathing cycle, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are consecutive portions and correspond to the breathing cycle of the patient.

2. An oxygen delivery system comprising:
a housing; and
an oxygen source in communication with the housing, wherein the oxygen source is enabled to deliver oxygen-enriched gas to a patient during a first portion of a breathing cycle at a first flow rate, wherein delivering oxygen-enriched gas during the first portion is triggered by an inspiratory phase of the breathing cycle wherein:
the oxygen-enriched gas is enriched with oxygen so the oxygen level of the oxygen-enriched gas is greater than the oxygen level of ambient air, and
the first flow rate is constant for a pre-determined period of time within the first portion; and
the first flow rate is reduced to zero during the remainder of the first portion; and

wherein the oxygen source is enabled to deliver oxygen-enriched gas to the patient during a second portion of the breathing cycle at a second flow rate, the second portion corresponding to an expiratory phase of the breathing cycle, wherein the second flow rate is greater than zero and less than the constant first flow rate delivered during the pre-determined period of time, and wherein the second flow rate is a variable flow rate that increases linearly during the second portion of the breathing cycle, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are consecutive portions and correspond to the breathing cycle of the patient.

3. The oxygen delivery system of claim 2 , further comprising a flow sensor enabled to control the flow rate of oxygen delivered to the patient.

4. The oxygen delivery system of claim 2 , wherein the oxygen source is further enabled to deliver oxygen-enriched gas to the patient during a third portion of the breathing cycle at a third flow rate, wherein the third flow rate is greater than the second flow rate and less than the first flow rate, and wherein the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion are consecutive portions and correspond to the breathing cycle of the patient.

5. An oxygen delivery system comprising:
a housing;
an oxygen source in communication with the housing, wherein the oxygen source is enabled to deliver oxygen-enriched gas to a patient wherein the oxygen-enriched gas is enriched with oxygen so the oxygen level of the oxygen-enriched gas is greater than the oxygen level of ambient air;
the oxygen source being enabled to be switched between a first mode of oxygen delivery and a second mode of oxygen delivery;
the first mode of oxygen delivery comprises delivering a first volume of oxygen-enriched gas at a constant first flow rate for a first predetermined period of time, and then reducing the first flow rate to zero, wherein delivering the first volume of oxygen-enriched gas is triggered by an inspiratory phase of the breathing cycle;
the second mode of oxygen delivery comprises delivering a second volume of oxygen-enriched gas at a second flow rate for a second predetermined period of time, the second predetermined period of time corresponding to an expiratory phase of the breathing cycle; and
wherein the second flow rate is greater than zero and less than the first flow rate and the second predetermined period of time is greater than the first predetermined period of time and wherein the second flow rate is a variable flow rate that increases linearly during the second predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the oxygen level of the oxygen-enriched gas is more than 21% oxygen.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the oxygen level of the oxygen-enriched gas is more than 21% oxygen.

Assignees

• Bliss Peter
• Murdoch Robert
• Romano Robert
• Hill Peter D
• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Bliss Peter
• Murdoch Robert
• Romano Robert
• Hill Peter D

Classifications

• A61M2202/03

  Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids · CPC title

• A61M2016/1025

  the O2 concentration · CPC title

• A61M16/0051

  with alarm devices · CPC title

• A61P11/00

  Drugs for disorders of the respiratory system · CPC title

• A61M2202/0208

  Oxygen · CPC title