GB2440722A

GB2440722A - Heated breathing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2440722A
Application number: GB0615756A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rizwan Uppal; M Rehan Uppal
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-11-06
Filing date: 2006-11-06
Publication date: 2008-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-06
Also published as: GB0615756D0; GB2440722B

Abstract

A high altitude hypoxia and hypothermia protection device has a hollow conduit 1 attached with flexible and adjustable support 2 through eyeglass frame 3 or alternatively independent means to be held in front of nose and has heating filament coil mesh inside 4 getting heated up upon receiving electric supply 7 from battery source 8 through wires 6 and switching mechanism turning coil on and off with inspiration and expiration 9, respectively. The microprocessor controlled sensors for oxygen saturation 10 and automatic respiratory phased controlled switch mechanism with microprocessor 11 can additionally help to turn the device on and off with respiratory phases and can replace the switch 9 at the conduit 1. So upon inspiration the device turns on resulting in filament coil mesh 4 inside conduit 1 getting heated up suddenly, resulting in cold atmospheric air 12 getting warm 13 which enters the lungs 14 from where it is conducted to all parts of body through blood leaving lungs circulation 15 and to carry it to peripheral tissuel6. Where it brings two fold effect 17, one warms peripheral tissue 18 leading to prevention from hypothermia induced damage 19 and secondly shifts the oxygen Hemoglobin dissociation curve to right 20 which results in more oxygen delivery to tissues and cells 21 thus preventing from hypoxic damage and enhances the ventilatory efficiency.

Description

HiGH ALTITUDE HYPOTHERMIA AND HYPOXIA PREVENTING DEViCE The present

invention relates to a personal device which is helpful in preventing hypothermia and tissue hypoxia in individuals at high altitude with very cold atmospheric temperature and low oxygen tension.

Various devices for enhancing the ventilatory efficiency and fighting hypothermia at high altitude are well known. But suffer from certain limitations.

Firstly, the devices for ventilation improvement at high altitude are mostly based on the principal of acclimatization and physical rehabilitation before going at high areas.

Secondly, the means to combat low temperature range from clothing, heating devices based on electrical and chemical means, which mostly focus on body surface temperature heating only.

Both conventional methods have their proven efficacy but can't totally help combat bad effects of extreme cold temperature and low atmospheric oxygen. But present device has overcome these by focusing through a different principal of warming through core temperature.

The main object of this invention is to help body tissues get more oxygen delivery at low oxygen tension places where cold atmospheric temperature multiplies the problem. The low temperature at high altitude has following main effects. Firstly, at cellular level it shifis the oxygen hemoglobin dissociation curve to the left, resulting in less oxygen delivery to tissues like brain, heart etc. Secondly, cold leads to loss of body energy through shivering etc. Thirdly low oxygen and extreme cold temperature leads to cold induced peripheral tissues injuries like frost bite and trench foot. To overcome this the present invention proposes a device which delivers warmth centrally through inspiratory air which diffuses through the lungs whose surface area is more then the total body surface area and travels through blood to all the parts of body uniformly. Thus maintaining the temperature at all tissue levels, which shifts the oxygen hemoglobin dissociation curve to the right causing more oxygen delivery to organs at cellular level.

According to present invention there is provided a hollow light material conduit, single or bi-channel which works as a channel through which inspiratory air has to pass. This is placed in front of nasal passages using an adjustable supporting bar attached to frame for eye glasses or can be held independently such as using mask so that all air is channeled through this. A fine mesh/coil of wires which works as heating filaments upon receiving electric supply through the batteries during inspiration, using a peripheral mechanical switch mechanism, attached to conduit. This helps warm up the cold air which passes through the duct during inspiration. The filament gets disconnected from the supply during expiration to conserve the batteries through this switch mechanism. A manual or automatic temperature control unit, modulates the electric supply from the batteries to the filament coils mesh for required temperature adjustment of the inspired air.

The switch system that turns on with inspiration is a unit that brings electric contacts together with air moving in during each inspiration. Similarly a microprocessor controlled inspiratory and expiratory phases driven on! off mechanism can be replaced with above mentioned switch to decrease hindrance at the inlet of conduit. In addition an Oxygen saturation device attached to the peripheral tissue to pick up the level of oxygen in the tissues and adjust the filament on loll is also attached.

A specilic embodiment of invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:-Fig. I.shows full side view of the apparatus with its components and mechanism of action Fig.2. is a view from nasal side with heating filament coils visible inside the conduit Fig.3. is a front view (opposite nasal side) with heating filament coils mesh and on loff switch Fig 4. is a view of batteries power supply and wiring sketch Fig 5 is a view of oxygen saturation unit Referring to fig.I, [he high altitude hypothermia and hypoxia preventing device, includes a light weight conduit 1 hanging through nasal bridge 3 of the sun glasses. Through this bar 2 there is electric supply wires 6 reaching the conduit 1 and then supplying the heating filament mesh 4. They pass through on /oll switch mechanism 9 attached at the tip of the conduit. The wires 6 for the electric supply travel through the ear hinges of eye glasses frame. The battery supply 8 of various rating as required is hanging down beside the belt area of the individual. The battery is attached with a variable control switch manual control 24 or automatic control 11. The oxygen saturation sensor 10 switch can modulate the supply to the filament after sensing the body oxygen level.

So upon inspiration the device turns on resulting in filament coil mesh 4 inside conduit I getting heated up suddenly, resulting in atmospheric cold air 12 getting warm 13 which enters the lungs 14 from where it is conducted to all parts of body through blood leaving lungs circulation 15 and to carry it to peripheral tissue 16. Where it brings two fold effect 17, one warms peripheral tissue 18 leading to prevention from hypothermia induced damage 19 and secondly shills the oxygen Hemoglobin dissociation curve to right 20 which results in more oxygen delivery to tissues and cells 21.

Referring to fig 2. There is a heating coil inside the air conduit I, comprising a mesh of wire filament coils 4 which can be made of variable thickens and resistance as required. As shown in fig 2 from nasal side view(upper end) the fine net work of heating filament is held in the conduit 1 from which two wires 6 for electric supply all leaving to battery 8 via the supporting bar 2 attached with eye glasses frame 3.

Referring to fig. 3 The front end view is shown with a front held on /off switch mechanism 9. The peripheral switching mechanism 9 is a unit comprising a ball vale like or diaphragm like mechanism. Any inspiratory and expiratory air driven switch can be utilized here.

Referring to fig 4,.There is a battery 8 with two terminals 25, 26, and a panel comprising of manual on /off switch 24 with LED 27, an automatic microprocessor controlled respiratory phases driven switch II and wires 6 leading to filament 4 in conduit l.The circuit to the heating coil is under the modulation of body oxygen saturation control mechanism 10. There is a battery level indicator 28 on the same panel.

Referring to fig 5. there is a microprocessor controlled body oxygen saturation device 10 which can be put on finger/ear lob 30 and displays saturation in percentage (%) on its LCD screen2 and helps modulate the high altitude hypothermia and hypoxia device manually or automatically.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device which comprises a hollow single or bi-channel, conduit of variable sizes made up of a light non metallic material, held in front of nasal passages by an adjustable bar attached to nasal bridge of the eye glasses frame or separate independent means, having metal coils mesh which gets heated when inspiration induced switch "turns on" the electricity through batteries which then warms the air that is going to be inspired through this conduit.

2. A high altitude hypothermia and hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim I where in the hollow nasal conduit is made up of non metal material with single or more than one channels and of various aerodynamic designs like drum shaped, and of variable length and diameters.

3. A high altitude hypothermia and hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim I wherein the conduit is held in front of nostrils for optimum inspiration with an adjustable attachment with eye glasses.

4. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conduit is held in front of nostrils without the use of eye glasses frame, but separate independent means such as mask or bars attached to ears like eye glasses frame holding bars.

5. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conduit is having a mesh of coils of metal wires held inside the conduit which acts as heating coil filament any design of heating coil of any wire thickness and resistance can be used.

6. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim I wherein the switch mechanism is at the front end of conduit which turns on when air is inspired and off when expired to cut off the supply to the heating coil inside the conduit.

7. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the switch can be at other (nostril end) of the conduit and of various technical design available.

8. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim I wherein the switch mechanism can be replaced with respiration guided microprocessor controlled switch turning on with inspiration and off with expiration.

9. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the switch can be replaced or added with another variable resistance switch that remains on but gives full supply during inspiration and less during expiration to conserve battery energy.

10. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as claimed in claim I wherein there is panel for battery charge level indicator and controls of the supply to the coil at unit carrying the battery including a LED light, and various control swithes as mentioned in above claims.

11. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device which can operate on rechargeable and non rechargeable batteries.

12. A high altitude hypothermia hypoxia prevention device as in claim I which has a microprocessor sensor to modulate the filament supply in the device, after sensing the oxygen saturation level in the body.