US2067120A - Rhythmic inhaler - Google Patents

Description

Jan, 5, 1937. M. B. GEORGE 2,057,120

` RHYTHMIC INHALER l u Filed March 17, 1936 Patented Jan. V5, 1937 UNITED STATS it T 6 Claims.

This invention relates to inhalers and particularly to inhalers such as are used by dentists and doctors for the inhalation of nitrous oxide gas.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a device designed to be disposed in ,the gas line between Va standard gas machine containing nitrous oxide and a standard nasal inhaler, which will rythmically control the passage of the gas to the patient by the provision of swinging doors or valves which, as the patient inhales, swing open, and as the patient exhales, swing to a closed position to thereby help the, lungs accommodate themselves to the gas pressure, and automatically and rhythmically adjust the iiow of gas to the regular nasal inhalers according to the capacity of the lungs of diierent patients, thereby producing a slow, smooth and safe anaesthesia, instead of the too rapid anaesthesia, which puts the lungs under too much strain.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for this purpose which is so constructed as to support a chemical carrier which impregnates the gas with a pleasant odor.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as more fully described hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a plan view of an inhaling apparatus provided with my flow controlling device;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section onY the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an inside elevation of the member used on the outlet end oi the body iii.

Referring to this drawing, ie designates a barrel or tubular body of any suitable material which at its ends has reduced screw threaded portions il and I2. Adapted to be screwed into the reduced portion I2 is an inlet member having a screw threaded portion I3 which engages the screw threads on the interior face of the reduced portion l2 and is provided with a gradually contracted mouth lli. This inlet member is inserted within the portion I2 with its gradually contracted mouth directed towards the interior of the barrel i0.

Adapted to engage with the reduced portion III is an outlet element designated generaly Iii, whose exterior iits the interior of the portion II and is screw threaded to engage with the threads thereci, this element I5 having a semi-globular outer end I6 which is formed with a plurality of (Cl. 12S-203) very fine perforations I'I. Disposed across the discharge end of the member I5 is a wire clip i8 having a middle loop i0, and adapted to be engaged with this loop in any suitable manner is a small sponge, designated 2t, or other equivalent material designed to be impregnated with some fragrant chemical or perfume.

Disposed within the body I0 adjacent the inlet element is a ring 2l, which is split at diametrically opposite points, as at 22, and extending across these` gaps are the pintles 23. Disposed within this ring and loosely fitting the interior diameter of the ring are the two semi-circular doors or valves 2d, whose free edges normally approximate each other. These doors or valves have lugs through which the pintles 23 pass so that the doors or valves may swing. Normally these doors or Valves will be disposed diametrically across the interior of the barrel J0. Set screws 25 pass through the barrel I0 from the exterior thereof and enter the ring 2l for the purpose of holding this ring in place.

As shown in Figure l, the device is designed to be disposed within a gas line leading from a source of gas and leading to an ordinary stand- Y ard nasal inhaler. The gas line leading from the gas tank or other source of supply (not shown) is designated 25. This is a rubber tubing leading from the gas machine and which may be inserted over the reduced portion I2 of the barrel I0. Between the nasal inhaler 21 and the outlet end of the barrel i0, there lare two tubes 28 as usual. These tubes 28 extend into nipples 29 which in turn are connected to a sleeve 30 which is adapted to be disposed over the reduced portion Ii and in gas-tight engagement therewith. v

It is to be understood that the parts 21 and 2B and the pipe 25 are no part of my invention; that these are standard parts oi an inhaling mechanism, It is likewise to be understood that the discharge end of the barrel IFJ might be connected to a single tube leading to an inhaling device adapted to be disposed over the nose and having any suitable or usual construction.

In the use of this device connected as described, the inlet element l-M directs the gas against the two doors or valves 24 which swing lightly on their pivots. With each inhalation by the patient, the suction created in combination with the gas pressure causes these doors to swing open towards the nasal inhaler with a resultant full iiow of gas. With each exhalation. the :torce of the patients breath closes these doors. The function of these doors or valves is to act as a brake on the gas and automatically and rhythmically adjust the flow of the gas to the nasal inhaler according to the capacity of lungs of different patients. This construction produces a slow, smooth, safe anaesthesia instead of the usual too rapid anaesthesia which puts too much stress on the lungs. The gas as it flows to the patient is impregnated with any desired odor or fragrance which renders the gas pleasant to breathe. This device gives the lungs a chance to accommodate themselves to the pressure of the gas and relieves the patient of the choking sensation sometimes suffered.

While I have illustrated a certain denite structure, I wish it to be understood that it might be modiiied in; minor ways Without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

It is to be understood that the standard inhaler designated generally 2l in my drawing has an escape valve, and when the patient exhales, a portion of the exhalation escapes through said valve, while the remainder of the exhalation passes back through the rubber hose and has sufficient pressure to swing the doors or Valves back toward the inlet where the pressure of the exhalation is neutralized by the pressure of the nitrous oxide gas. Ordinarily, the rubber tubes leading from the gas machine are usually in an almost upright position so that gravity also tends to pull the doors back into their closed position if the force of the exhalation is not suicient to counteract the pressure of the gas. Furthermore, the end of the inlet nozzle Hi is sufciently close to the doors or valves as will prevent their swinging backward to a fully opened position.

It will be seen that I have provided a nasal inhaler unit which is easily connected up between the inhaler proper and the source of gas, which may be cheaply made, readily taken apart for cleaning, and in which the valve supporting ring and the valves may be readily removed by reason of the fact that the ring 2| is split into two sections, each section including its valve, being of less width than the internal diameter of the open ends Il and l2 of the barrel lil. Because of the fact that the rubber tubes 28 and the barrel IQ in use are in al nearly vertical position, the weight of the doors will tend to close them against the pressure of the gas upon an inhalation by the patient and thus these doors, though they will swing toward the inhaler 2l, will yet act to brake the gas or retard the too rapid movement of the gas and thus take strain from the patients lungs.

What is claimed is:-

l. A device of the character described, including a tubular barrel having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other and adapted to be disposed in a nitrous oxide gas line between the source of gas and an inhaler, a ring disposed within the barrel and detachable therefrom, and a pair of semi-circular complemental valves swingingly mounted upon said ring, the free edges of the valves approximating each other when closed, the valves swinging open upon an inhalation of the patient and swinging closed upon exhalation.

2. A device of the character described, including a barrel having an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end having an inwardly extending `v)tapered inlet element, the outlet end having a nely perforated outlet element, means in the outlet element for supporting material adapted to carry a chemical and a pair of semi-circular valves hingedly mounted within the barrel and having their straight edges confronting each other, the barrel being adapted to be disposed in a gas line between a source of nitrous oxide gas and the inhaler and the valves swinging towards the outlet end of the barrel when the patient inhales and swinging to a closed position as the patient exhales.

3. As an article of manufacture, a device adapted. to be disposed between a source of anaesthetic gas and an inhaler including a tubular barrel having reduced ends, an inlet element adapted to be disposed in and t the interior of one of said reduced ends and having a tapered tubular portion extending into the barrel, an outlet element adapted to be disposed in engagement with the opposite reduced end of the barrel, the outward element being semi-globular and nely perforated, means within the outlet element for supporting a wad of absorbent material designed to carry an odoriferous chemical, a ring disposed within the barrel adjacent the inlet element, and a pair of semi-circular valves disposed within the ring and approximately tting the same and pivoted to swing to an open or closed position, the free edges of the valves approximating each other.

4. A ilow controlling element adapted to be disposed in a gas line between a source of anaesthetic gas and an inhaler, including a tubular barrel having an inlet at one end and an outlet at its opposite end and two complementary valves pivotally mounted at their outer edges within the barrel for swinging movement in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the barrel, the valves being adapted to swing open as the patient inhales and swing closed as the patient exhales, each valve having the form of half of the cross-section of the barrel.

5. A ow controlling element adapted to be disposed in a gas line between a. source of anaesthetic gas and an inhaler, including a barrel having an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, an annular member carried by the barrel and projecting inward therefrom and having opposed radially extending slots and a pair of semi-circular complemental Valves, the free edges of the valves approximating each other when the valves are closed and the outer edges of the valves approximating the inner edge face of the end member when the valves are closed, the valves swinging open upon an inhalation of the patient and swinging closed upon an exhalation.

6. A flow controlling element adapted to be disposed in a gas line between a source of anaesthetic gas and an inhaler, including a barrel having a screw threaded nipple at its opposite ends, an outlet member engaged with one of the screw threaded nipples, an inwardly tapering inlet member engaged with the other screw threaded nipple and having a small end extending into the barrel and semi-circular valves operatively mounted within the barrel for free swinging movement in a general direction parallel to the barrel, the conical inlet element having its small end disposed adjacent to the valves whereby to limit the movement of the Valves toward the inlet element upon exhalation.

MYRTLE B. GEORGE.

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