Divided nasal cannula assembly

Abstract

A nasal cannula system includes a nasal cannula for the delivery of and collection of gases, wherein the nasal cannula is coupled to a pair of extension tubes which are slidingly received within right and left earpieces respectively for retaining and securing the extension tubes to fix the cannula in a desired position for use by a patient. Each nasal cannula includes an open recessed channel disposed between a pair of bridges for retaining the extension tube within the earpiece and a locking exit hole at its distal end for helping to secure therein the extension tube to provide a fixed distance adjustment between the nasal cannula and the ears of the patient.

1 . A cannula assembly comprising: 
 a nasal cannula having a centrally disposed plug;    a pair of extensions tubes connected to the nasal cannula; and    a pair of ear pieces each connected to a separate one of the pair of extension tubes, wherein at least one of said pair of extension tubes comprises a stop that limits an adjustment distance between said nasal cannula and the ear pieces.    
   
   
       2 . The cannula assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said ear pieces comprises a channel and wherein each of the channels slidably receives a separate one of said extension tubes.  
   
   
       3 . The cannula assembly of  claim 2 , wherein each of said ear pieces comprises an extension tube entry hole and an extension tube exit hole through which the extension tubes are threaded.  
   
   
       4 . The cannula assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the exit hole of at least one of the ear pieces is smaller than the stop such that the stop prevents the tube from being pulled out of the ear piece.  
   
   
       5 . The cannula assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of said earpieces comprises a tube entrance hole with a sufficient diameter for receiving therethrough one of said pair of extension tubes.  
   
   
       6 . The cannula assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said tube entrance hole does not have a sufficient diameter for receiving said cannula.  
   
   
       7 . The cannula assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a first open end of said cannula is connected to one of the pair of extension tubes by sliding the extension tube into the first open end and securing the extension tube to the cannula with a friction fit, and wherein a second open end of said cannula is connected to the other of the pair of extension tubes by sliding the extension tube into the second open end and securing the extension tube to the cannula with a friction fit.  
   
   
       8 . The cannula assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the pair of extension tubes has a first end that is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a second end that is in fluid communication with the nasal cannula.  
   
   
       9 . A cannula system comprising: 
 a nasal cannula coupled to a pair of extension tubes each of which is coupled to a separate ear piece, wherein said nasal cannula has a single tube having a given diameter and being disposed between the pair of extension tubes, wherein each of said extension tubes has another given diameter smaller than said given diameter of said single tube of said nasal cannula; and    wherein each ear piece has a tube entrance hole with a sufficient diameter for receiving therethrough one of said pair of slider extension tubes but not a sufficient diameter for receiving therethrough said single tube.    
   
   
       10 . The cannula system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of said pair of extension tubes comprises a stop that limits an adjustment distance between the nasal cannula and the ear pieces.  
   
   
       11 . The cannula system of  claim 9 , wherein each of the entrance holes of the ear pieces leads to a corresponding channel in the ear piece that slidably receives a separate one of said pair of extension tubes.  
   
   
       12 . The cannula system of  claim 9 , wherein one of said extension tubes has a first open end that is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a second open end that is in fluid communication with the nasal cannula.  
   
   
       13 . A method of delivering fluid to a user, comprising: 
 providing a nasal cannula with a first end and a second end;    positioning the cannula beneath the user's nose;    providing a first extension tube that is coupled at its first end to the first end of the nasal cannula, wherein a second end of the extension tube is in fluid communication with a fluid source;    providing a second extension tube that is coupled at its first end to a second end of the nasal cannula, wherein a stop is coupled to the second end of the extension tube;    providing a pair of ear pieces, wherein each of the ear pieces slidably receives a separate one of the pair of extension tubes;    hanging one of the ear pieces on one of the ears of the user and hanging the other one of the ear pieces on the other ear of the user;    adjusting the distance between the nasal cannula and the ear pieces by sliding at least one of the extension tubes through its corresponding ear piece.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nasal cannula comprises two nostril tips and the nostril tips are each inserted into a separate one of the nostrils of the user.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said step of inserting the nostril tips of the nasal cannula includes trimming the length of one or more of the nostril tips of the nasal cannula to custom fit the nostril tips to the nostrils of the user.  
   
   
       16 . A cannula system comprising: 
 a pair of earpieces, wherein each of the pair of earpieces comprises a tube entrance hole;    a pair of extension tubes each of which has a first open end and a second open end;    a nasal cannula having a single tube with at least one gas inlet channel and at least one gas outlet channel, said single tube being disposed between the pair of extension tubes;    wherein the first open end of one of the pair of extension tubes is in fluid communication with the gas inlet channel and its second open end is threaded through the tube entrance hole of one of the earpieces and is in fluid communication with a fluid source; and    wherein the first open end of the other one of the pair of extension tubes is in fluid communication with the gas outlet channel and its second open end is threaded through the tube entrance hole of the other one of the earpieces and is in fluid communication with a gas collection system.    
   
   
       17 . The cannula system of  claim 16 , wherein the ear pieces each comprises a tube exit hole, and wherein each of the extension tubes is threaded through a separate one of the exit holes.  
   
   
       18 . The cannula system of  claim 17 , wherein the exit holes are locking holes that frictionally lock the extension tubes to their respective ear pieces so that the extension tubes cannot slide through the exit holes without exerting an outside force on the extension tubes.  
   
   
       19 . The cannula system of  claim 16 , wherein the distance between the nasal cannula and the earpieces is adjustable by sliding at least one of the extension tubes in a distal or proximal direction through the corresponding tube entrance hole of the corresponding ear piece.  
   
   
       20 . The cannula system of  claim 18 , wherein the distance between the nasal cannula and the earpieces is adjustable by sliding at least one of the extension tubes in a distal or proximal direction through the corresponding tube entrance and exit holes of the corresponding ear piece.  
   
   
       21 . A nasal cannula system, comprising a nasal cannula coupled between a pair of extension tubes, wherein one of said tubes terminates at a distal end thereof in a stop and wherein the other one of the extension tubes is adapted to be coupled to a fluid supply.  
   
   
       22 . The nasal cannula system according to  claim 21 , further comprising means for supporting said nasal cannula and portions of said pair of extension tubes from the ears of a user.  
   
   
       23 . The nasal cannula system according to  claim 22 , wherein said means for supporting includes an ear piece having a recessed channel for receiving therein a portion of one of said extension tubes.  
   
   
       24 . The nasal cannula system according to  claim 23 , wherein said means for supporting further includes another ear piece having another recessed channel for receiving therein another portion of another one of said extension tubes.  
   
   
       25 . The nasal cannula system according to  claim 21 , further comprising a securing arrangement attached to either one of said pair of extension tubes for helping to hold the corresponding extension tube in a fixed position.