Pressure Regulated Airway Assist Device

Abstract

An airway assist device and methods of making and using an airway assist device to assist in opening an airway or removing fluid or material obstructing an airway of a subject.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An airway assist device, comprising:
 a barrel having a barrel proximal end and a barrel distal end, said barrel distal end having a barrel distal end opening;   a plunger slidably disposed within said barrel;   a face mask having a hollow stem fluidically coupled to said barrel distal end opening at said barrel distal end, said face mask configured to seal about a mouth and nose of a person; and   a first one-way valve coupled to said barrel through which fluid passes into said barrel, said one-way valve configured to regulate suction pressure within said barrel upon outward draw of said plunger in said barrel toward said barrel proximal end.   
     
     
         2 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said first one way valve opens to regulate said suction pressure within said barrel at a pressure relative to atmospheric pressure outside of said barrel of between about 10 kPa to about 60 kPa. 
     
     
         3 . The airway assist device of  claim 2 , wherein said suction pressure relative to ambient pressure is selected from the group consisting of: about 11 kPa, about 12 kPa, about 13 kPa, about 14 kPa, about 15 kPa, about 16 kPa, about 17 kPa, about 18 kPa, about 19 kPa, about 20 kPa, about 21 kPa, about 22 kPa, about 22 kPa, about 23 kPa, about 24 kPa, about 25 kPa, about 26 kPa, about 27 kPa, about 28 kPa, about 29 kPa, about 30 kPa, about 31 kPa, about 32 kPa, about 33 kPa, about 34 kPa, about 35 kPa, about 36 kPa, about 37 kPa, about 38 kPa, about 39 kPa, about 40 kPa, about 41 kPa, about 42 kPa, about 43 kPa, about 44 kPa, about 45 kPa, about 46 kPa, about 47 kPa, about 48 kPa, about 49 kPa, about 50 kPa, about 51 kPa, about 52 kPa, about 53 kPa, about 54 kPa, about kPa, about 56 kPa, about 57 kPa, about 58 kPa, and about 59 kPa. 
     
     
         4 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said first one-way valve coupled to said barrel comprises a ball check valve including a check valve seat having a through-hole fluidically coupled to said second opening at said barrel distal end and a ball forcibly urged by a resilient member against said check valve seat to close said through-hole. 
     
     
         5 . The airway assist device of  claim 4 , wherein reduced pressure in said barrel draws said ball away from said through-hole to allow fluid to pass into said barrel. 
     
     
         6 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second one-way valve coupled to said opening at said barrel distal end through which fluid passes into said barrel upon outward draw of said plunger in said barrel. 
     
     
         7 . The airway assist device of  claim 6 , wherein said second one-way valve coupled to said opening at said barrel distal end comprises a duck bill valve. 
     
     
         8 . The airway assist device of  claim 7 , wherein said duck bill valve comprises a cross-slit duckbill valve. 
     
     
         9 . The airway assist device of  claim 6 , further comprising a third one one-way valve coupled to said barrel through which fluid passes out of said barrel upon inward push of said plunger in said barrel. 
     
     
         10 . The airway assist device of  claim 7 , wherein said third one one-way valve coupled to said third opening at said barrel distal end comprises a duckbill valve. 
     
     
         11 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a first channel encircling said plunger; and   a first seal disposed in said first channel and encircling said plunger.   
     
     
         12 . The airway assist device of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a second channel encircling said plunger; and   a second seal disposed in said second channel and encircling said plunger.   
     
     
         13 . The airway assist device of  claim 12 , wherein said first channel adjacent said second channel. 
     
     
         14 . The airway assist device of  claim 13 , wherein said first or second seal comprises an O-ring. 
     
     
         15 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising a tubular connector having a connector first end coupled to said first opening at said barrel distal end and a connector second end coupled to said face mask. 
     
     
         16 . The airway assist device of  claim 15 , wherein said tubular connector having a non-straight angle between said connector first end and said connector second end. 
     
     
         17 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said face mask has a dome extending to a dome outer periphery configured to seal about a mouth and nose of a person. 
     
     
         18 . The airway assist device of  claim 17 , wherein said dome comprises a clear material allowing a user to observe a person engaged to said face mask or a material drawn up from a throat of said person. 
     
     
         19 . The airway assist device of  claim 18 , wherein said dome outer periphery engaged to an annular cuff configured to seal about a mouth and nose of a person. 
     
     
         20 . The airway assist device of  claim 19 , wherein said annular cuff comprises an inflatable tubular member having a sealable fluid port through which fluid ingresses or egresses said annular cuff. 
     
     
         21 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said face mask removably couples to said first opening at said barrel distal end to allow a plurality of face masks to interchangeably couple to said first opening. 
     
     
         22 . The airway assist device of  claim 21 , wherein said plurality of face masks include a range of different sizes to correspondingly seal about a mouth and nose of a plurality of persons having different size. 
     
     
         23 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising a throat tube passing through said face mask, said throat tube having a tube first end fluidically connected to said first opening at said barrel distal end and a tube second end configured to insert into a throat of said person. 
     
     
         24 . The airway assist device of  claim 23 , wherein said throat tube has a tube wall including one or more notches at said tube second end. 
     
     
         25 . The airway assist device of  claim 24 , wherein said throat tube comprises a pliant tube selected from the group consisting of rubber, silicone and neoprene or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger comprises a hollow tube having three concentric rings encircling an outer surface of said hollow tube, said three concentric rings disposed in spaced apart relation to form said first and second channels. 
     
     
         27 . The airway assist device of  claim 26 , further comprising a retainer ring having an inwardly extending retainer ring shoulder coupled to said barrel proximal end, wherein a proximal one of said three concentric rings engages said retainer ring shoulder to prevent said plunger from withdrawal from said barrel proximal end. 
     
     
         28 . The airway assist device of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle connected to said plunger and extending outward of said barrel proximal end. 
     
     
         29 . The airway assist device of  claim 26 , further comprising a handle connected to said plunger and extending outward of said barrel proximal end. 
     
     
         30 . A method of making an airway assist device, comprising:
 slidably disposing a plunger in a barrel, said barrel having a barrel proximal end and a barrel distal end, said barrel distal end having a barrel distal end opening;   coupling a hollow stem of a face mask to said opening at said barrel distal end, said face mask configured to seal about a mouth and nose of a person; and   coupling a first one-way valve to said barrel through which fluid passes into said barrel, said one-way valve configured to regulate fluid pressure within said barrel upon outward draw of said plunger in said barrel.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said first one way valve opens to regulate said fluid pressure within said barrel at a pressure relative to ambient pressure of between about 10 kPa to about 60 kPa. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said suction pressure relative to ambient pressure is selected from the group consisting of: about 11 kPa, about 12 kPa, about 13 kPa, about 14 kPa, about 15 kPa, about 16 kPa, about 17 kPa, about 18 kPa, about 19 kPa, about 20 kPa, about 21 kPa, about 22 kPa, about 22 kPa, about 23 kPa, about 24 kPa, about 25 kPa, about 26 kPa, about 27 kPa, about 28 kPa, about 29 kPa, about 30 kPa, about 31 kPa, about 32 kPa, about 33 kPa, about 34 kPa, about 35 kPa, about 36 kPa, about 37 kPa, about 38 kPa, about 39 kPa, about 40 kPa, about 41 kPa, about 42 kPa, about 43 kPa, about 44 kPa, about 45 kPa, about 46 kPa, about 47 kPa, about 48 kPa, about 49 kPa, about 50 kPa, about 51 kPa, about 52 kPa, about 53 kPa, about 54 kPa, about kPa, about 56 kPa, about 57 kPa, about 58 kPa, and about 59 kPa. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said first one-way valve coupled to said barrel comprises a ball check valve including a check valve seat having a through-hole fluidically coupled to said second opening at said barrel distal end and a ball forcibly urged by a resilient member against said check valve seat to close said through-hole. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein reduced pressure in said barrel draws said ball away from said through-hole to allow fluid to pass into said barrel. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising coupling a second one-way valve to said opening at said barrel distal end through which fluid passes into said barrel upon outward draw of said plunger in said barrel. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said second one-way valve coupled to said opening at said barrel distal end comprises a duck bill valve. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein said duck bill valve comprises a cross-slit duckbill valve. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising a third one one-way valve coupled to said barrel through which fluid passes out of said barrel upon inward push of said plunger in said barrel. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein said third one one-way valve coupled to said third opening at said barrel distal end comprises a duckbill valve. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising
 encircling said plunger with a first channel; and   disposing a first seal in said first channel, said first seal encircling said plunger.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 encircling said plunger with a second channel; and   disposing a second seal in said second channel, said second seal encircling said plunger.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said first channel adjacent said second channel. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said first or second seal comprises an O-ring. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising coupling a tubular connector first end to said first opening at said barrel distal end and coupling a tubular connector second end to said face mask. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said tubular connector having a non-straight angle between said connector first end and said connector second end. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said face mask has a dome extending to a dome outer periphery configured to seal about a mouth and nose of said person. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein said dome comprises a clear material allowing a user to observe a person engaged to said face mask or a material drawn up from a throat of said person. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising engaging an annular cuff to said dome outer periphery, said annular cuff configured to seal about a mouth and nose of said person. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said annular cuff comprises an inflatable tubular member having a sealable fluid port through which fluid ingresses or egresses said annular cuff. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising removably coupling said face mask to said first opening at said barrel distal end to allow a plurality of face masks to interchangeably couple to said first opening. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising configuring said plurality of face masks to include a range of different sizes to correspondingly seal about a mouth and nose of a plurality of persons having different size. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising passing a throat tube through said face mask, said throat tube having a tube first end fluidically connected to said first opening at said barrel distal end and a tube second end configured to insert into a throat of said person. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein said throat tube has a tube wall including one or more notches at said tube second end. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein said throat tube comprises a pliant tube selected from the group consisting of rubber, silicone and neoprene or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 configuring said plunger as a hollow tube; and   encircling an outer surface of said hollow tube with three concentric rings disposed in spaced apart relation to form said first and second channels.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising coupling a retainer ring having an inwardly extending retainer ring shoulder to said proximal end of said barrel, wherein a proximal one of said three concentric rings engages said retainer ring shoulder to prevent said plunger from withdrawal from said barrel proximal end. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising connecting a handle said plunger, said handle extending outward of said barrel proximal end. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , further comprising connecting a handle to said plunger, said handle extending outward of said barrel proximal end.