JPH03504206A - Patient interface systems and methods to prevent water contamination - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Patient Interface to Prevent Water Contamination This invention systems and methods for interfacing patients with monitoring devices that monitor law, and more specifically, if condensed water or other liquid Relating to a system and method for preventing intrusion into.

Background of the invention Monitoring of respiratory and anesthesia gases has advanced to a high level with the development of monitoring technology. advances in the rapid diagnosis and treatment of unfavorable trends in a patient's condition. improve survival rates, enable early postoperative extubation, and improve survival in the intensive care unit. This makes it possible to shorten the period of time. Monitoring of respiratory gases and anesthetics Applications include measuring oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, absorption of anesthetics, and anesthesia machine rotation. This includes detecting line breaks and the introduction of air emboli into the blood. patient's breathing Continuous analysis of anesthetic and anesthesia gases improves patient safety during the treatment process. is becoming increasingly important. For example, anesthetic agents in the patient's respiratory gases administration of anesthetics by monitoring breath-by-breath for concentration and identity. A more scientific basis for control and control is obtained.

Continuous, breath-by-breath monitoring of the patient's respiratory gases and patient systems By simultaneously measuring multiple specific respiratory gases and anesthetics in a This often makes diagnosis and treatment easier, allowing us to predict and treat approaching problems. In other aspects, physicians and other health care personnel at the point of care Data can be instantly provided to the person in charge. interest in patient's breathing Measurements of any gas must be continuously sampled and carried out using an appropriate type of gas analyzer. can be monitored. For example, when monitoring a patient's carbon dioxide levels. , if the amount of carbon dioxide decreases sharply during respiration, this may indicate an impending respiratory problem. It may show everything. Similarly, a sharp increase in carbon dioxide levels warrants attention. may indicate other conditions.

Monitoring a patient's breathing can be done using infrared (IR), polarographic (polar) graph), vs spectrometer (MS), Raman spectrometer, etc. Currently available with many forms of commercially available gas analyzers including other be. Due to the high price of some of the monitoring devices, a single monitor may not be able to serve several patients simultaneously. may be connected to. In many of these situations, the gas analyzer is position and a long capillary tube is used to connect the patient to the analyzer unit. be done. Moistening the inspired air is common practice, and exhaled air from the patient is often Often near 100% relative humidity and temperatures of 37°C, the patient and analyzer Moisture can easily condense at room temperature in the tubing that interfaces the roughly All commercially available gas analysis equipment (e.g. IR, polarographic , M.S.

(Raman spectrometers, etc.) that condensed water or other liquids may be detected by the analyzer. If it invades the detector part, it will have an adverse effect. In addition, water vapor in the exhaled breath sample The presence of such substances can cause errors when measuring exhaled breath concentrations.

One prior art method for removing water vapor from exhaled breath prior to analysis is For example, exhaled air is physically dried by introducing it into a dryer. this one Such a system is a drying system filled with calcium sulfate (CaSo4) as a desiccant. It has been developed using equipment. Such a dryer system consists of at least two Experiencing serious problems. First, the desiccant must be carefully monitored and depleted. Sometimes they must be replaced regularly. Second, to achieve drying of the gas, Increased wasted space in the system due to the large dryer volume required for is produced and therefore longer to measure changes in the composition of the gas. This results in a "washout period". The term wasted space here is the point at which the sample leaves the patient's mouth and the point at which the sample enters the gas analyzer. Any space within a system between points in time. This is a connecting pipe, This may include spaces within filters, desiccants, valves, traps, etc. term “Washout time” is the time at which one unit of gas sample is washed out or Refers to the amount of time required to displace the gas already in the stem.

The washout time is a It is an important element in monitoring changes in the concentration of other constituents. big If there is a large overall volume or wasted volume in the metabolizing gas, the corresponding large This creates a faster washout time, resulting in an increase in the composition of inhaled and exhaled air. reduced ability to quickly and accurately measure time-dependent changes in become. Long washout times associated with dryer systems reduce exhalation Time-dependent changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations in part-by-part analysis The dynamic response needed to measure Large dryer system The overall volume and wasted volume result from changes in the composition of the gas being analyzed. of the composition of gaseous oxygen, carbon dioxide and anesthetics resulting in inferior sensitivity and Measurements become more inaccurate. Therefore, use a desiccant to remove water vapor. systems often require frequent desiccant changes and often result in long delays in the sample line that prevent data from being obtained. . Additionally, in some applications, the desiccant absorbs the gas being monitored. and may result in inaccurate measurements.

Another for removing moisture, patient secretions and other liquids from gas samples One common technique involves cold traps ( coldtrap). Condensation technology is generally partly based on cold trucks. The excessive amount of wasted space added to the gas conveyance system by It wasn't a success. Large wasted space and long washout times The problem was already mentioned with respect to dryer systems, but this also applies to cold trap systems. The same applies to stems.

One such cold trap system is the N,S,Deno and E, Kam.

Dryer for rapid response online exhalation measurement by n) ORRAPID RESPONSE 0N-L I NE EXP I It is described in a paper entitled RED GAS). In this paper, exhaled breath samples were A water condensation method is disclosed for drying the water before it reaches an analytical device.

The disclosed method uses an ice bath to remove condensed water. A dryer consisting of a capacitor and a separator is used. Other cold trap condensers Similar to the sensor equipment, this method provides the opportunity to use the equipment for part-by-part analytical measurement purposes. It has long response time which reduces.

Larry G, Wong and Dwayne R, Wong Estenscoe (Dwayne R.

``Removal of the effects of water vapor in respiratory gas analysis'' by J. (ELIMINATION THEEFFECT OF WATERV APORIN RESPIRATORY GAS ANALYSIS) According to a paper by Ji, cooling a gas sample to a known temperature can reduce the temperature of exhaled air. A method for partially removing water vapor from a sample is described. This method is Minimizes the effect of water vapor pressure on substantially 0° measurements. Dalton's Based on the law of partial pressures, the vapor pressure of water at a given temperature and pressure is constant and is unrelated to the concentration of the gas.

The effect of water vapor on breath analysis is low and specific for all sampled gases. temperature. Bringing a sample of saturated gas to a known temperature By lowering, the partial pressure of water vapor can be determined. Therefore, if the gas If the temperature within the plant is well balanced, the water vapor pressure is constant. but However, the above system is not suitable for measuring every breath. This is because wasted space compromises several desirable performance characteristics, including response time. be. Moreover, this system removes a small amount of moisture from the sample but , basically water vapor contained within the gaseous sample rather than a water removal system. allows most of the gas to enter the gas analyzer.

"Heat and moisture exchange device for breathing J (HEAT AND MOIS) TURE EXCHANGING DEVICE FORRESPIRA US Pat. No. 4,090,513 titled An apparatus for removing moisture from pipes is disclosed. Moisture builds up on the exchange layer and Flows out of the device via a drainage tube.

For other condensate moisture removal systems, reduced response time and moisture removal There are limitations to the applications for which this system is suitable for consideration.

Another way to prevent liquid from reaching the monitoring device is to use a multi-layer interface. U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,822 entitled ``Face System and Method'' will be disclosed. This patent requires a disc to prevent fluid from entering the analyzer. A patient interface that relies on a block-type hydrophobic filter is disclosed. This The stem has a low wasted space volume by using a disc filter. Overcomes the problem of poor response time of most cold trap and dryer systems.

However, such an interface does not allow for situations where the patient requires a humidifier. If so, enough moisture can condense within the filter to block the flow of gas through the filter. . In some cases, it depends on the gas flow rate to the analyzer and the ambient temperature. This can occur within 30 minutes. Filters must be replaced frequently Not only is this inconvenient for medical staff and patients, but the filter This can also result in the loss of important medical information during the period that the medical information is being replaced.

“Apparatus and Methods for Use in Medical Gas Sample Systems J (A PPARATUS AND METH○D FORUSE IN A MEDICAL GAS SAMPLING SYSTEM) U.S. Patent No. 4,549.553 entitled: A method for providing a sample gas flow from a gas tube is disclosed. That spirit The body tube includes a gas diffusion membrane disposed on the wall of the gas tube. The gas diffusion membrane prevents excess water from Water-absorbing or or may be made of water-permeable material.

In a preferred embodiment, the non-wettable gas diffusion membrane is used to prevent or reduce the ingress of sample gases into the flow of If the water saturates the membrane and eventually enters the gaseous sample flow through the membrane, Ru. Non-wetting means that the membrane resists or cannot be saturated with liquid. and that its surface cannot be resisted or covered with liquid. . Teflon® mesh membranes are suitable for this application. It is a non-wetting film. Teflon (registered trademark) is manufactured by Tilmint, Prauea. E, 1. Du Bonn de Namur & Company Inc. It is a registered trademark of Ted. This method probably reduces the number of occlusions in the sample flow. reduces humidity, but does not remove any moisture from the system and still It is susceptible to blockage during intermittent use. In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. Incorporates a funnel with a large volume, which increases the volume of wasted space in the gas conveying system. and result in poor response time characteristics.

More recent methods for preventing water condensation in gas conveying circuits include For respiratory and anesthesia gases that have high permeability but are being analyzed at the same time, An interface tube containing a polymer with low permeability is used.

One such polymer was developed by DuPont researchers and is being sold by Nafio. It is marketed in the form of a tube called ``C-C'' (registered trademark) tube. Nafion (registered trademark) Mark) is E. I. du Pont φ de Namur of Wilmington, Praue. is a registered trademark of & Company Incorporated. Nafion (Noboru) By attaching the tube (registered trademark) directly to the patient's breathing circuit near the connection to the patient, Most of the water vapor in the sample gas dissipates before reaching the filter barrier. It ends up. The disadvantage of this method is the high cost of the Nafion® tube. Ru. of Nafion® of sufficient length to remove the desired amount of water vapor. The tubing section is relative to the cost of other components including the patient interface. It is very expensive. Therefore, rather than a disposable gas sample line Rather, reusables are themselves cleaned and sterilized between uses. It is generally believed that it is necessary to Many attempts to remove liquid from the interface system waste This can adversely affect the accuracy of the results obtained by the monitoring system. is giving. Other attempts to overcome the problem of wasted space include: 1) expensive materials; When integrated into a disposable patient interface using Either make the interface very expensive for a one-time use item, or 2) is shielded in a short period of time.

Improvements in respiratory gas monitoring technology and increased emphasis on breath-by-breath respiratory gas monitoring The demand is to prevent water vapor from reaching the sensing part of the gas analysis system. This highlights the need for an interface system. Such patient interface The face system is designed to prevent blockages or occlusions in gas transfer systems and sensing parts of gas analyzers. or reduce the frequency of contamination or eliminate it. Such a system If water vapor condenses inside the system, such as an inline filter or gas cell of an analyzer, Should eliminate or reduce the risk of clogging stem components . In addition, the patient interface system is desirably free of secretions, condensation, and Barriers to prevent contaminants in the form of particulate matter from entering the gas analyzer will provide. For hygiene reasons, such interface devices should only be used once. It is preferable that the item be for. However, due to economic reasons, it may be used only once. items are prohibitively expensive if they are to be discarded after a single use. It must not be a high rank.

The device of the present invention satisfies all these requirements.

Summary of the invention The present invention interfaces a patient with a gas analyzer that monitors the patient's inhalation and exhalation. A method and apparatus for face-to-face. This invention uses vaporization technology to inhale and moisture in the exhaled breath may block the sample line or detect the gas analyzer. Forbid or prevent access to the intelligence part.

More specifically, the invention provides a gas monitoring device for analysis of respiratory gases of a patient and a patient. The present invention relates to a method and system for interfacing users. one of this invention Example of linking a patient to receive a sample of gas exhaled from the patient's airway include. The patient link includes a tube section attached to the vaporization section. preferred practice In the example, the vaporized portion is cylindrical with multiple proximal (prox ima te) rotations. comprising a coil of tubing formed by winding the tubing around a spool of. air The oxidation portion favors the evaporation of any condensed moisture typically contained within the breathing gas. Encased by a heated element that facilitates. Attached to the output of the vaporization part What is excluded is that vaporized moisture loads are permeable, but particulate matter and liquids are not. It is a very hydrophobic filter. After passing through the filter, the gas has a high permeability to water vapor. but for respiratory gases, anesthetic gases and other gases being analyzed. enters the separator section, which contains a tube material with very low permeability. through the filter Vaporized moisture substantially reduces the amount of moisture that enters the detector section of the gas analyzer wicks out of the system through a separator section of water vapor permeable tubing. .

In one embodiment of the invention, the invention supports a patient's respiratory gases through an airway circuit. and a device for delivering a sample of the gas to a gas analysis cell. . A patient link containing a first length of tubing connects to the airway circuit and samples a respiratory gas. and transfer the sample to a gas analysis cell. The vaporized part is attached to the patient's the sample from the tank and evaporate the moisture contained within the sample. vaporization The portion includes a vaporizing coil that includes a spool having a cylindrical body portion. The main body part It has a first end and a second end.

A second length of tubing is wrapped around the body portion to provide multiple proximal rotations and coil outputs. form a coil with A disk-shaped filter has an input and an output, and the filter The input to the coil is placed at the second end of the cylindrical body where it connects to the output from the coil.

The vaporization section includes a means for heating the block to a predetermined temperature and a means for heating the block to a predetermined temperature. surrounded by a heating block having a chamber for receiving the vaporizing coil therein; It will be done.

a separator part with an input and an output is connected to the output of the disc filter; A separator receives the sample from the filter and extracts water vapor from the gaseous sample. A portion is removed to form a dry gas sample. The separator part dries there. A sample of the gas is sent to a gas analysis cell.

In one embodiment, the separator portion includes a water vapor permeable portion. For example, water vapor The air permeable portion may be a portion of Nafion® tubing.

Another embodiment of the invention is to sample gas within a patient's airway and to including a device for directing the gas to a gas monitor, the device Get Samples of Patient Links and Receive Gas Samples from Patient Links vaporized portion and contained within the sample before sending the sample to the gas monitor. Allow condensed moisture to evaporate.

The invention further provides the steps of: 1) extracting a sample portion of the gas from the patient; ) step of evaporating the moisture contained in the sample part; 3) step of evaporating the moisture contained in the sample part; Remove vaporized moisture from the sample (steps and 4) and send the sample to a monitoring device. and a method of monitoring gas in a patient.

The interface system of the present invention has several advantages over alternative systems and methods. It has some significant advantages. According to this, condensed water by using vaporization technology Filter blockage is reduced as a result of this. Also, water vapor condenses inside the analyzer. and eliminate or reduce the risk of contaminating gas analysis cells within the device. therefore The present invention is a device that provides superior performance in a cost effective manner and that is superior to the prior art. Overcome many of the limitations of the device.

Brief description of the drawing Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in and by the following drawings, and the same Similar reference numbers indicate similar parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a patient interface system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing details of the vaporizing portion of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the patient link and vaporization coil of the present invention.

5 is a plan view of the patient interface system of FIG. 1; FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1, 4, and 5 illustrate a patient that incorporates features of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows an interface system 10 for a user. The interface system 10 11 to sample and monitor the patient's inhaled and exhaled air. This is a device for connecting a patient to a body monitoring device 12. patient interface System 10 includes, but is not limited to, infrared (IR), polar Including loggraph, mass spectrometer (MS), Raman spectrometer, etc. It can be used with many commercially available gas analyzers. This invention and both One specific gas analyzer that stands for Multichannel gas molecule analysis using laser-activated Raman light J (MULTI-C HANNEL MOLECULARGAS ANALYSIS BY LASERACTIVATED RAMAN LIGHT) and Iu name person No. 106.791, herein incorporated by reference.

Interface system 10, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, link 20 , vaporizing section 30 and separator section 40 . patient link 2 0 is a single flexible tube or hose 4 having an input end 44 and an output end 46 2. Input end 44 is connected to the patient's airway passageway and output end 46 is connected to the patient's airway passageway. It is connected to the input of section 30. The output of the vaporizing section 30 is the output 47 of the gas monitor 1. It is connected to the input of the separator section 40 which is connected to the gas input of No.2.

In operation, the patient link 20 provides entry into the patient's airway passageway and Obtain breath and exhaled breath samples.

A tube 42 delivers the sample to vaporization section 30. the gas sample is quite humid Since some of the moisture may condense before reaching the vaporized part 30. There is a possibility that

According to one embodiment of the invention, vaporization section 30 heats the gas sample to Evaporate any condensed moisture contained within the sample. Therefore, the vaporization section Any condensed water that reaches the minute will evaporate while passing through this part of the gas transfer system. do. The gaseous sample is then transported to the separator section where water evaporates from the sample. The gas portion is separated from the remaining gas containing the sample. In this manner, substantially dry Only a sample of the gas that has been removed can enter the gas analyzer.

Typically, a gas or vacuum pump that is a component of a gas analyzer is pumping air from the person's airway through the interface system 10 to the gas analyzer. move or pull in.

Patient link 20 includes a connector 48 at input end 44 .

In one embodiment, connector 48 has a tube 50 extending therefrom that connects the patient. sample of respiratory or anesthetic gases entering the patient's facial orifice and within the patient's airway. It ends at the point where the pull should be extracted. Connector 48 is connected to the endotracheal conduit, nasal cap. Attached to a nucleation or facial mask device, it is attached to the tracheal incision, nose and/or or through the mouth, respectively, into the patient's respiratory tract. in the patient's airway A more detailed description of various means of entry is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,822. seen in

A flexible tube 42 provides inspiratory and expiratory support to the vaporizing portion 30 of the interface 10. send a sample. Tube 42 is preferably a circular tube made of an elastic and flexible material. It is a tube with a cylindrical shape. The tube continuously draws inhaled and exhaled samples into the monitoring device. and preferably have a small diameter to facilitate rapid transportation. small The diameter reduces the volume of wasted space in the interface 10, as already mentioned. - The system also has a fast response time, which is particularly advantageous in the process of breath-by-breath analysis. Tarasu. The inner diameter (ID) of tube 42 is approximately 0.020 inches to approximately 0.060 inches. and the wall thickness of the tube is preferably from about 0.010 inches to Preferably, it is within about 0.040 inches.

For pipe sizes in this range, the range of about 30 m1/min to about 400 m1/min This facilitates the flow of gas within the enclosure.

In one embodiment, tube section 42 has an ID of approximately 0.040 inches and a wall thickness of approximately It is 0.032 inch. In this embodiment, the length of the tube section 42 is the same as that of the input end 44. Approximately 10 feet are included between the output end 46 and the output end 46. However, these The dimensions are for illustrative purposes only and other dimensions may be used to practice the invention. It should be understood that this may be selected to

In one embodiment, the vaporizing portion 30 is a flexible tube positioned within the heating block 54. The tube 52 includes a coil. Coil 52 and tube 42 are shaped at the end of the length of tube 42. The tube may include a single length of tube having a coil formed therein. The length of the tube including the coil is , selected to effect the desired degree of moisture evaporation through the coil. some Factors that influence this length selection are the temperature of the heating block, the table of the coil the distance separating the surface from the inner wall of the heater, the amount of moisture in the sample, and the gas passing through the coil. flow rate, tube wall thickness and total exposed surface area of the coil. coil segment The length of the tube containing the components varies from 2 inches to 50 inches depending on the specific application. It's okay. In this embodiment, the section of tubing that includes coil 52 is approximately 2 feet long. be.

Coil 52 wraps tube 42 around a spool 56 having a head portion 58. It is formed by As shown in FIG. 2, head 58 has tube 42 thereon. It has an opening 60 formed in the central portion through which it is inserted. Best shown in Figure 3 As can be seen, spool 56 includes two semi-circular wall portions 62,64. vinegar The semicircular wall portions 62, 64 of the pool 56 extend longitudinally along the length of the spool 56. Defining two slots 66, 68 extending into. Tube 42 is connected to opening 6 in head 58. 0 to the inner region of the spool 56. Tube 42 is then slotted 66,68 The coil exits the inside of the spool through one of the spools and wraps around the outside of the spool. 52 is formed. The end of the tube is then inserted again through one of the slots 66.68. It goes inside the spool and is attached to the input of the disc filter 70. Figure 2 , 4 and 5, the disk filter 70 is also attached to the header. The base of the spool 56 is formed opposite the closed portion 58. In one embodiment, the air The diameter of the coil 52 is approximately 1.15 inches.

The heating block 54 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 includes a main portion 72 and and an extension portion 74 projecting therefrom. Main portion 62 houses vaporizing coil 52 includes a cylindrical opening 76 suitably shaped and sized to . Extension portion 74 has a channel 78 through which heater 80 is received.

Heating block 54 is any suitable thermally conductive material such as aluminum or copper. It may be manufactured from

Cylindrical opening 76 includes an inner wall 77 that completely surrounds vaporizer coil 52. . This facilitates uniform heat transfer from heating block 54 to coil 52. . When the coil 52 is inserted into the opening 76, the coil 52 is inserted into the inner wall. 77, which heats the gas flowing through the coil and Heat is effectively transferred from the block 54 to the coil 52 to evaporate the moisture contained therein. to be transmitted. Typically, the outer exposed portion of the coil 52 minutes, the distance between the exposed surface of the coil and the heater wall 77 is approximately 0.010 It is positioned within a range of approximately 0.100 inches from 0.15 inches.

Heater 80 may be an electrically resistive heating rod or other capable of providing heat to block 54. May include powerful devices. The heater 80 controls the temperature of the block 54 and the coil 52. raised to a predetermined temperature sufficient to evaporate the moisture that moves through the Ru. The heater 80 is a sensor mounted on the heater block 54 that detects the block temperature. - Adjusted by mostat 82. The thermostat predicts the temperature of block 54. selected to maintain a specified temperature. 1 like this which may be used When the temperature of the block falls below the lower limit threshold b℃ value, the thermostat Turn on heater and turn off heater if block temperature is above upper threshold It is a bimetallic switch. The predetermined temperature of block 54 is typically Typically, the temperature range is from about 37°C to about 75°C. In one embodiment, a thermostat 82 has a controlled temperature of approximately 50°C.

The cylindrical opening 76 of the heater block 78 has a female two-piece tube connector. Terminates within a smaller, concentric opening 84 in which portion 85 is positioned. . The male portion 86 of the two-piece connector connects to the output portion of the vaporizing coil 52. It forms the output of filter 70 and also forms the base of the vaporizing coil. coil 52 is positioned within the opening 76 and the male and female connector portions 85,86 are When coupled together, the coils 52 automatically open the heater block 54. 76.

Filter 70 is disc-shaped and has a diameter ranging from about 4 mm to about 50 mm. do. The filter 70 has a large surface area compared to its volume and a small pore size. It has sharpness. For example, the pore size ranges from about 0.2 microns to about 1.2 microns. It may vary up to the point. This shape may be present in the sample, such as particulate matter or liquid. filter penetration by non-gaseous components. These non-gas components are removed from the filter. captured on the surface. The filter 70 therefore collects secretions and other secretions from the patient. Prevents liquid from being sent to the monitoring device and allows gas samples to be freely monitored allow passage to. In view of its function, the filter 70 is made of PTFE (Bottom). Atex) and hydrophobic grade acrylic copolymer membranes (Versabol), etc. Advantageously, it is constructed from aqueous filter material. The disk filter 70 It has an output connected to an input of separator portion 40 .

Separator section 40 includes a section of water vapor permeable tubing 88. Typically, tube 88 has a length in the range of about 6 inches to about 48 inches, and from about 0.020 inches to having an internal diameter (ID) in the range of approximately 0.085 inches and a wall thickness of approximately 0.004 inches; in the range of about 0,000 inches to about 0,000 inches. In one embodiment of the invention, the tube 88 has high permeability to water vapor, but has been analyzed for respiratory and anesthesia Contains a polymer that has very low permeability to gases. Therefore, if the sample Water vapor rapidly emanates from the gaseous sample as it passes through the separator section 40. cormorant. One commercially available product with these characteristics was developed by researchers at DuPont It was developed by Nafion (registered trademark) and is now available on the market in tube form. This is a polymer that has been released. In one embodiment, about 24 inches long, about 0.0 Nafion® with an ID of 40 inches and a wall thickness of approximately 0.006 inches. The section of pipe shown in Figure 1) is used. The Nafion® tube 88 has a disc membrane Attached directly to the outlet side of the filter 70 and thus contained within the sample and vaporized Most of the water vapor vaporized in the coil 52 reaches the analysis cell where the sample is a gas. The gas is evacuated from the gas delivery system through the Nafion® tubing prior to Go out. The output end of tube 88 is attached to connector 47 which connects to the gas analysis cell. Ru. In the configuration shown, the Nafion® tubing 88 is part of the gas delivery system. near the end and thus can be permanently attached to the gas analyzer at its input .

In this position, the Nafion® tube 88 (cleaned after patient use) There is no need for cleaning and disinfection.

The system and method described herein prevents water contamination of respiratory gas analysis tubes. It was developed primarily for use on. However, this invention It is also useful for other devices and applications. The above description is suitable for the analysis of respiratory gases. There are other applications that will be obvious to those skilled in the art, including embodiments of the invention used herein.

The invention may be carried out in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. can be administered. The above embodiments are considered in all respects only as illustrative. and is not considered as limiting. The scope of the invention is therefore is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the preceding description. Equivalents of Claims All changes within meaning and scope are to be embraced within that scope.

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Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. Samples the patient's respiratory gas through the airway circuit and sends it to the gas analysis cell. an apparatus for connecting to said airway circuit and for supplying said sample of said respiratory gas; a first length of tubing for receiving and transporting the sample to the gas analysis cell; and the link of receiving said sample from said patient link and containing moisture within said sample; a vaporizing portion that evaporates the vaporizing portion, the vaporizing portion comprising: a vaporizing coil including a spool having a cylindrical body portion; a second length of tubing having one end and a second end wrapped around the body portion; form a coil with multiple proximal rotations and an output of the coil, input and output further comprising a membrane filter having a membrane filter, the filter having the second membrane filter of the cylindrical body 2, the input to the filter being the output from the coil. connect and means for heating the segment to a predetermined temperature; a heated segment having a chamber for receiving a vaporizing coil; and further comprising: a separator portion having an input and an output, an input of the separator; is connected to the output of the membrane filter, and the separator is connected to the output of the membrane filter. receiving the sample of gas and removing the water vapor portion from the sample of gas; forming a sample of dry gas and converting said sample of dry gas to said gas component; A device that sends data to an analysis cell. 2. Said means for heating comprises an electrically resistive heating element and said heating block. and a thermostat for controlling temperature. 3. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the separator portion includes a water vapor permeable portion. 4. Claim wherein the water vapor permeable portion comprises a portion of Nafion® tubing. The device according to item 3. 5. A device that samples gas in a patient's airway and sends it to a gas monitor. There it is, a patient link for obtaining a sample of the gas from the patient's airway; receiving a sample of the gas from the patient link; and receiving a sample of the gas from the patient link; an evaporation section in which moisture evaporates; 6. through the gaseous components of the sample and the particulate matter and liquid components of the sample; 6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a filter that blocks . 7. 6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a water vapor permeable portion. 8. Claim wherein the water vapor permeable portion comprises a portion of Nafion® tubing. The device according to item 7. 9. The claim further includes a heater for evaporating condensed moisture within the vaporizing section. The apparatus according to claim 5. 10. A method of monitoring a gas in a patient, the method comprising: collecting a sample of the gas from the patient; a step of extracting the file portion; evaporating moisture contained within the sample portion; removing the evaporated moisture from the sample; and monitoring the sample. and sending the device to the device. 11. The evaporating step evaporates the moisture within the sample portion. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of heating the sample to a predetermined temperature in order to The method described in 0. 12. said step of removing said evaporated moisture is carried out through a water vapor permeable part; passing the sample portion through the sample portion, wherein the water vapor permeable portion absorbs the evaporated moisture. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein Qi is expelled. 13. Claim wherein the water vapor permeable portion comprises a portion of Nafion® tubing. The method according to item 12. 14. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising filtering the samples. How to put it on. 15. Sample the gas in the patient's airway and send the gas sample to a monitoring device an apparatus for, comprising a first part; The first part is a patient link that receives a sample of the gas from the patient's airway; Moisture contained within the sample received from the patient link is not allowed to evaporate. and a filter for removing non-gaseous components of the sample, The device further including a second part; The second part is a heating portion surrounding the vaporizing portion; a water vapor permeable portion for selectively conveying evaporated moisture. 16. Claim wherein the water vapor permeable portion comprises a portion of Nafion® tubing. The device according to item 15. 17. The first portion dedicates the first portion for use on a single patient. and comprising materials that make it economical to dispose of said first part after each use. The apparatus according to claim 15. 18. the heating portion includes a thermally conductive block and an electric heating element; means for a thermal element to maintain the temperature of said block at a predetermined temperature; 16. The device according to claim 15, having: 19. A method for monitoring inhalation and exhalation of a patient, the method comprising: extracting a sample portion of evaporating condensed moisture contained within the sample portion; filtering the sample portion; and removing the evaporated material from the sample. and sending the sample to a monitoring device. ,Method. 20. the step of evaporating the sample to evaporate the moisture; 20. The method of claim 19, comprising heating to a predetermined temperature. 21. The step of removing the evaporated moisture is carried out through the water vapor permeable portion. passing the sample portion, the water vapor permeable portion being exposed to the evaporation. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the moisture is expelled. 22. The water vapor permeable portion comprises a portion of Nafion® tubing. The method according to claim 21.