Electrically Operable Resuscitators

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrically operable resuscitation device comprising a pump including a rigid cylinder including at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet, a piston to travel in said cylinder, and at least one valve, the or each valve configured to allow gas to be displaced into said cylinder through said at least one gas inlet during at least one of a first stroke direction and second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder, and for allowing gas to displaced through said at least one gas outlet during an opposite of said at least one of the first stroke direction and second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder; a motor, selected from one of a stepper motor and feedback motor and stepper motor with feedback and linear motor, operatively connected to said piston to move said piston in said cylinder; a patient interface in ducted fluid connection with said pump to receive gas via said at least one gas outlet and to deliver said gas to said patient.

1 . Apparatus for resuscitation or ventilation of a patient comprising:
 a) a pump including   a rigid cylinder including at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet,   a reciprocating piston movable to travel in said cylinder in a first stroke direction and an opposed second stroke direction, and   at least one valve, the valve configured to allow gas to be displaced into said cylinder through said at least one gas inlet during at least one of a first stroke direction and/or a second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder, and for allowing gas to be displaced through said at least one gas outlet during an opposite of said at least one of the first stroke direction and/or second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder,   b) and accurately positionally controllable motor, operatively connected to said piston to move said piston in said cylinder, and   c) a controller configured for controlling the motor to control the position and displacement of the piston in the cylinder to provide a tidal volume of the gas for delivery to a patient at a pressure sufficient to inflate the lungs of the patient;   d) wherein the pump is engaged or engageable in ducted fluid connection with a patient interface for receiving gas via said at least one gas outlet and delivering said gas to said patient,   e) wherein intermediate of the patient interface and the at least one outlet of the cylinder and in said ducted fluid connection therewith is a gas flow controller the gas flow controller includes a one way valve that allows gas to be displaced from the outlet of the cylinder towards the patient interface and prevents gas from flowing through the one way valve in the opposite direction, and   f) wherein one of the ducted fluid connection and the patient interface includes a pressure relief valve to allow pressure reduction of gas in said patient interface to occur.   
     
     
         2 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said patient interface is a face mask or an endotracheal tube or naso-tube. 
     
     
         3 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the controller comprises a feedback system. 
     
     
         4 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said accurately positionally controllable motor is one or more selected from a stepper motor and a servo motor. 
     
     
         5 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said motor is a linearly operable motor. 
     
     
         6 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said motor is a linear stepper motor and is in part integrally formed with said piston. 
     
     
         7 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said motor is controlled by controller to ensure accurate velocity control of the motor. 
     
     
         8 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the motor is indirectly connected with said piston, via a linkage. 
     
     
         9 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said piston includes a connection rod with which said motor is in operative connection. 
     
     
         10 . A device as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said piston is or includes one part of a two moving part linear motor. 
     
     
         11 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the motor and cylinder are connected together. 
     
     
         12 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the gas flow controller includes a valved exhaust port via which gas can exhaust to relieve pressure at the patient interface. 
     
     
         13 . A device as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said valved exhaust port assumes a closed condition when the piston is moving in a direction to displace gas towards the patient interface and assumes an open condition when the piston is moving in the opposite direction to allow gas due to exhalation of or by the patient to pass through the exhaust port. 
     
     
         14 . A device as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said valved exhaust port includes at least one opening closable by a valve, said valve mounted on or to or in operative association with an actuator to actively control the movement of the valve relative to the opening. 
     
     
         15 . A device as claimed in  claim 13  wherein said valved exhaust port includes at least one opening closable by a valve, said valve mounted for movement relative the opening in a passive manner under the influence of pressure differential in the gas from controller and/or between the gas flow controller and ambient gas pressure. 
     
     
         16 . A device as claimed in  claim 12  wherein said valved exhaust port is moved to a closed condition when gas is to be displaced into said patient and to an open condition to allow gas due to exhalation of or by the patient to pass through the exhaust port. 
     
     
         17 . A device as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said valved exhaust port includes at least one opening closable by a valve, said valve mounted on or to or in operative association with an actuator to actively control the movement of the valve relative the opening. 
     
     
         18 . A device as claimed in  claim 16  wherein said valved exhaust port includes at least one opening closable by a valve, said valve mounted for movement relative the opening in a passive manner under the influence of pressure differential in the gas from controller and/or between the gas flow controller and ambient gas pressure. 
     
     
         19 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cylinder is split into two zones by said piston, a first zone being on one side of said piston and a second zone being on the other side of said piston and wherein said gas inlet(s) are provided to allow gas into the first zone and said gas outlet(s) are provided to allow gas out of said second zone, wherein a one way pump valve is provided to allow gas to transfer from said first zone to said second zone and that restricts flow in the opposite direction. 
     
     
         20 . A device as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cylinder is split into two zones by said piston, a first zone being on one side of said piston and a second zone being on the other side of said piston, and wherein the pump is a double acting pump that includes:
 a) a first one way valve to
 i) allow gas to enter into the first zone via a first gas inlet of said cylinder during movement of the piston in said second stroke direction, and 
 ii) restrict gas flow in the opposite direction through said first gas inlet during movement of the piston in the first stroke direction 
 
 b) a second one way valve to
 i) allow gas to exit the first zone via a first gas outlet of said cylinder during movement of the piston in its first stroke direction, and 
 ii) restrict gas flow in the opposite direction through said first gas outlet during movement of the piston in the second stroke direction 
 
 c) a third one way valve to
 i) allow gas to enter into the second zone via a second gas inlet of said cylinder during movement of the piston in its first stroke direction, and 
 ii) restrict gas flow in the opposite direction through said second gas inlet during movement of the piston in the second stroke direction 
 
 d) a fourth one way valve to
 i) allow gas to exit the second zone via a second gas outlet of said cylinder during movement of the piston in its second stroke direction, and 
 ii) restrict gas flow in the opposite direction through said second gas outlet during movement of the piston in the first stroke direction; and 
 
 e) a manifold or ducting to duct gas from said first and second outlets to said patient interface. 
 
     
     
         21 . A resuscitator device configured to define an inhalation period during which a gas is displaced from the device to a patient and an exhalation period where no gas is displaced from the device to the patient and any gas received from the patient is exhausted from the device, wherein the device comprises an accurately positionally controllable motor adapted to control a pump, the motor being controlled to operate the pump during the inhalation period to deliver gas to the patient and the motor being controlled to prevent delivery of gas to the patient during the exhalation period,
 the pump including
 a rigid cylinder including at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet, a piston to travel in said cylinder, and at least one valve configured to allow gas to be displaced into said cylinder through said at least one gas inlet during at least one of a first stroke direction and/or a second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder, and for allowing gas to be displaced through said at least one gas outlet during an opposite of said at least one of the first stroke direction and/or second stroke direction of said piston in said cylinder, and the motor being operatively connected to said piston to move said piston in said cylinder; wherein the resuscitator device further comprises 
   a controller configured for controlling the motor to control the position and displacement of the piston in the cylinder to provide a tidal volume of the gas for delivery to the patient at a pressure sufficient to inflate the patient's lungs wherein the pump undertakes a plurality of oscillations during any one inhalation period and   wherein a sensor is positioned at or proximate to the patient interface in the flow path to and from the patient to sense at least one or more of the following:
 a) tidal volume, 
 b) flow rate, 
 c) a breath rate, 
 d) patient airway pressure, 
 e) carbon dioxide level, and 
 f) exhaled breath temperature.