Ventilator system with removable airway

Abstract

The present disclosure provides techniques for a ventilator system with a removable airway. A ventilator system may include a removable airway and a base unit. The removable airway may include an air inlet port, a patient inhalation port, an air exhaust port, and a patient exhalation port. The base unit may include two pinch valves. In some cases, the removable airway does not comprise any openings other than the air inlet port, the air exhaust port, the patient inhalation port, and the patient exhalation port. In some cases, the removable airway is configured such that air inside the removable airway does not contact any part of the base unit. In some cases, the removable airway is configured such that air that enters the patient exhalation port is contained within the removable airway along a contiguous path and at no point does the contiguous path contact the base unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ventilator system, comprising:
 a removable airway comprising:
 an air inlet port; 
 a patient inhalation port; 
 an air exhaust port; and 
 a patient exhalation port; and 
   a base unit comprising two pinch valves,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air enters the removable airway through the air inlet port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air is exhausted from the removable airway through the air exhaust port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air leaves the removable airway through the patient inhalation port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air enters the removable airway through the patient exhalation port,   wherein the removable airway does not comprise any openings other than the air inlet port, the air exhaust port, the patient inhalation port, and the patient exhalation port, and   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air within the removable airway does not contact any part of the base unit.   
     
     
         2 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable airway is configured such that the air entering the removable airway through the patient exhalation port passes through the removable airway, without contacting the base unit, and is expelled through the air exhaust port. 
     
     
         3 . The ventilator system of  claim 2 , wherein the removable airway and the base unit are configured such that the air expelled through the air exhaust port into the atmosphere contacts the base unit. 
     
     
         4 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable airway is configured such that air that enters the patient exhalation port is contained within the removable airway along a contiguous path and at no point does the contiguous path contact the base unit. 
     
     
         5 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable airway is configured such that air that passes through the removable airway has no pathway, connection, or contact to the base unit. 
     
     
         6 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , wherein each pinch valve is configured to variably adjust a flow of gas through the removable airway. 
     
     
         7 . The ventilator system of  claim 6 , wherein each pinch valve comprises a first moveable element configured to compress a tube of the removable airway thereby restricting flow through the tube. 
     
     
         8 . The ventilator system of  claim 7 , wherein the first moveable element comprises a roller coupled to a rotatable arm. 
     
     
         9 . The ventilator system of  claim 7 , wherein one or both pinch valves further comprise a fixed element, wherein the tube is positioned between the first movable element and the fixed element, and wherein the first moveable element is configured to move towards the fixed element and compress the tube. 
     
     
         10 . The ventilator system of  claim 7 , wherein one or both pinch valves further comprise a second moveable element, wherein the first and the second moveable elements oppose each other, wherein the tube is in between the first and the second moveable elements, and wherein the first and the second moveable elements are configured to move towards each other and compress the tube. 
     
     
         11 . The ventilator system of  claim 10 , wherein the first moveable element comprises a first roller coupled to a first rotatable arm, and wherein the second moveable element comprises a second roller coupled to a second rotatable arm. 
     
     
         12 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor and a flow sensor, wherein the removable airway comprises at least a portion of the pressure sensor and at least a portion of the flow sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The ventilator system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable airway further comprises:
 a pressure sensor;   a flow sensor; and   first connectors for the pressure sensor and the flow sensor that mate to second connectors on the base unit.   
     
     
         14 . A ventilator system, comprising:
 a removable airway comprising:
 an air inlet port; 
 a patient inhalation port; 
 an air exhaust port; and 
 a patient exhalation port; and 
   a base unit comprising two pinch valves;   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air enters the removable airway through the air inlet port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air is exhausted from the removable airway through the air exhaust port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air leaves the removable airway through the patient inhalation port,   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air enters the removable airway through the patient exhalation port, and   wherein the removable airway is configured such that air that enters the patient exhalation port is contained within the removable airway along a contiguous path and at no point does the contiguous path contact the base unit.   
     
     
         15 . The ventilator system of  claim 14 , wherein the removable airway is configured such that the air entering the removable airway through the patient exhalation port passes through the removable airway, without contacting the base unit, and is expelled through the air exhaust port. 
     
     
         16 . The ventilator system of  claim 15 , wherein the removable airway and the base unit are configured such that the air expelled through the air exhaust port into the atmosphere contacts the base unit. 
     
     
         17 . The ventilator system of  claim 14 , wherein each pinch valve is configured to variably adjust a flow of gas through the removable airway. 
     
     
         18 . The ventilator system of  claim 17 , wherein each pinch valve comprises a first moveable element configured to compress a tube of the removable airway thereby restricting flow through the tube. 
     
     
         19 . The ventilator system of  claim 18 , wherein the first moveable element comprises a roller coupled to a rotatable arm. 
     
     
         20 . The ventilator system of  claim 18 , wherein one or both pinch valves further comprise a fixed element, wherein the tube is positioned between the first movable element and the fixed element, and wherein the first moveable element is configured to move towards the fixed element and compress the tube. 
     
     
         21 . The ventilator system of  claim 18 , wherein one or both pinch valves further comprise a second moveable element, wherein the first and the second moveable elements oppose each other, wherein the tube is in between the first and the second moveable elements, and wherein the first and the second moveable elements are configured to move towards each other and compress the tube. 
     
     
         22 . The ventilator system of  claim 21 , wherein the first moveable element comprises a first roller coupled to a first rotatable arm, and wherein the second moveable element comprises a second roller coupled to a second rotatable arm. 
     
     
         23 . The ventilator system of  claim 14 , further comprising a pressure sensor and a flow sensor, wherein the removable airway comprises at least a portion of the pressure sensor and at least a portion of the flow sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The ventilator system of  claim 14 , wherein the removable airway further comprises:
 a pressure sensor;   a flow sensor; and   first connectors for the pressure sensor and the flow sensor that mate to second connectors on the base unit.