IE50685B1

IE50685B1 - Anaesthetic gas scavenging device

Info

Publication number: IE50685B1
Application number: IE224/81A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Howorth Air Eng Ltd
Priority date: 1980-03-04
Filing date: 1981-02-06
Publication date: 1986-06-11
Also published as: CA1160537A; GB2070940A; NL8100393A; CH649004A5; GB2070940B; NL180173C; NO149947C; IE810224L; NO149947B; BE887307A; NO810205L

Abstract

Compressible bag 11 which is manipulated by an anaesthetist to control the breathing of a paediatric patient to whom mask 32 is applied, is disposed within a collector dish 12 so that exhaled breath and excess anaesthetic gas can be aspirated away by way of a coupling tube 19 connected to an exhaust duct 26, thereby to avoid pollution of the atmosphere with anaesthetic gas. The dish 12 has a half lid 16 permitting access to the bag 11.

Description

This invention concerns an anaesthetic gas scavenging device which is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for use by paediatricians.

In hospitals, during surgical operations, anaesthetised patients exhale anaesthetic gases, such as nitrous oxide, with the result that there can be a build-up of anaesthetic gases in the operating theatre. It is well known that even very small concentrations of such gases,e.g. of the order of 4 parti per million, can be detrimental to people working in the area; accordingly, we have already proposed to provide, for such a patient, an anti-pollution device comprising a mask for application to a user’s face for exhaled breath to be received therein, the mask being connected, by way of a valve, with a flexible coupling adapted for plug-and-socket connection to a permanent exhaust duct installed in the theatre (and which may also extend to any desired locations in the hospital), as part of the anti-pollution system.

Because small babies cannot exert any significant pressure with the lungs, this prior arrangement, involving a valve which has to be opened by the pressure of exhaled air, is not suitable for such patients. An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement which is particularly suitable for use in connection with babies.

With this object in view, the present invention provides an anaesthetic gas scavenging device, suitable for use by paediatricians, comprising an intertracheal tube, or a face mask for application to a patient's face, connected, by a flexible tube which is adapted to be connected also to an anaesthetic gas supply, to a compressible bag to which anaesthetic gases and exhaled air passes and which is manipulatable to regulate the patient's breath, said bag having an outlet into a collector dish for accommodating said bag, a respective outlet from said dish being adapted for connection, by a flexible coupling, to an exhaust duct· The dish is preferably provided with a half lid facilitating access to the bag for manipulation thereof and permitting entry of environmental air to dilute the anaesthetic gases and breath received from the outlet from the bag. - 3 The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the device of the invention. In the drawing:5 Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the said preferred embodiment fitted with a face mask; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the embodiment of Fig. 1 modified by the fitting of an intertracheal tube in the place of the mask.

The illustrated embodiment of the anaesthetic gas scavenging device of the invention comprises a flexible anaesthetic tube 10 connected at one end to a Tee-piece 30 one arm of which is connected to a face 15 mask 31 adapted for application to a baby patient's face for him to breathe and exhale therethrough, the other arm of the Tee-piece 3θ being coupled to the anaesthetic gas supply equipment indicated diagrammatically at 32. At its other end the tube 10 is connected to an anaesthetist's bag 11 accommodated within a collector dish 12 and having a bag outlet 13· The bag 11 rests upon a perforate plate l4 within the dish 12, the bottom of whieh is formed with a suction outlet 15. At its top, the dish 12 has fitted thereto a half lid 16 which can be rotated about the top of _ Η the dish 12 to enable it to be brought to a convenient position of use, as will be understood from the description of use of the device given later.

Provided for supporting the dish 12 is an arm 5 17 secured, by its non-illustrated end, for example, to an anaesthetic trolley (not shown) and having at its illustrated free end a supporting ring 18 onto which the dish 12 locates by the suction outlet 15 projecting downwards therethrough.

The outlet 15 provides for the connection to the dish 12 of a flexible coupling tube 19, by a socket 20 on said tube 19 fitting to the outlet 15» a releasable catch 21 on the socket 3,0 cooperating with a peg 22 on the suction outlet 15 to retain the socket 20 in place. The flexible coupling tube 19 has, on its other end, a further socket 23 adapted to fit, as a bayonet joint, onto a suction spigot 2k provided on a terminal box 25 connected to an exhaust duct 26 forming part of an anti-pollution gas20 exhaust system through which gas can he aspirated, in large volumes at relatively low pressure, by means of an impeller or the like (not shown).

The manner of operation of the device will readily be understood from the foregoing description.

The mask 31 being applied to the patient's face and - 5 anaesthetic gas being supplied thereto, and the flexible coupling tube 19 being coupled by its ends to the suction outlet 15 of the dish 12 and the suction spigot 24 respectively, an anaesthetist manipulates the bag 11 (to which he has access past the half lid 16 ) so as to regulate the patient’s breathing. Aspirated breath, and excess anaesthetic gases, emerge into the dish 12 by way of the bag outlet which the anaesthetist directs downwards into said 10 dish 12. Air is exhausted, for instance at the rate of about 75θ litres per minute, by way of the coupling tube 19 sod the exhaust duct 26, Accordingly, there is a continuous air current into the dish 12 past the half lid 16, and this mixes with the gas from the bag 11, as it passes to the coupling tube 19. This air dilutes both the anaesthetic gases and the moisture emerging from the bag 11 and therefore is effective to eliminate pollution and also minimise the risk of causing deterioration of the gas-exhaust system, by 2D eliminating the passage of highly saturated vapours therethrough.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example, and variations may be made thereto. Thus, for instance, the dish 12 can be of different configuration from what is shown, and the half lid 16 may be omitted, provided the arrangement is such to ensure that there is an air inflow to mix with and dilute gases coning from the outlet 13 from the bag 11 and that access can be had to the latter for manipulation. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the apparatus may be employed with an endotracheal tube 40, having an inflatable cuff Ul, inflatable by way of an inflation tube 42, in the place of the face mask 31.

Claims

1. An anaesthetic gas scavenging device, suitable for use by paediatricians,comprising an intertracheal tube or a face mask for application to a patient’s face,connected, hy a flexible tube which is adapted 5 to bo connected also to an anaesthetic gas supply, to a compressible bag to which anaesthetic gases and exhaled air pass and which is manipulatable to regulate the patient's breath, said bag having an outlet into a collector dish for accommodating said bag,a respective 10 outlet from said dish being adapted for connection, by a flexible coupling, to an exhaust duct.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the dish is provided with a half lid facilitating access to the bag for manipulation thereof and permitting entry 15 o f environmental air to dilute the anaesthetic gases and breath received from the outlet from the bag,

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein a perforate plate is provided within the collector dish for the bag to rest thereon. 20

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the collector dish is supported hy a suction outlet thereof projecting through a supporting ring provided at the free end of an arm.

5. An anaesthetic gas scavenging device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing·