JPS62101260A - Apparatus for supplying heated moistened air for treatment of nastis - 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 <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a heated humidified air supply device for curing nasal mucosal discomfort such as colds or allergic rhinitis.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a device that promptly calms symptoms of colds and allergic rhinitis by sending heated, humidified air at an appropriate temperature and humidity toward the nostrils of a patient at an appropriate speed.

<Prior art> Conventionally, in this type of device, first, physiological saline in a water tank is turned into a haze by an aerosol generator to create an aerosol, and then the aerosol and air are mixed to produce humidified air. is heated to an appropriate temperature (43°C ± 0.5°C) (hereinafter referred to as appropriate temperature) in a nozzle device equipped with a controllable air heating means attached to the tip of a communication pipe that serves as a flow path for the aerosol. It was being controlled and directed into the patient's nostrils.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the conventional device described above, since the aerosol flow velocity at the nozzle outlet is as high as 15 to 20 m/See, it is difficult to keep the humidified air at an appropriate temperature using only the air heating means in the nozzle device. However, the following problems arose.

(1) Since the residence time of the aerosol in the nozzle device is short, a large-capacity air heating means is required to raise the temperature of the humidified air, and the large-capacity air heating means is large and expensive; Furthermore, the durability is extremely short.

(2) Since physiological saline is used to improve the generation of aerosol, a ceramic heater must be used as the means for heating the air inside the nozzle device. When the humidified air passes through the extremely narrow space of the ceramic heater in order to raise the temperature to an appropriate temperature, the atomized salt water becomes water droplets and spills out of the nozzle device, and the salt is extracted and blocks the nozzle outlet.

(3) Because low-temperature aerosol is always supplied into the nozzle device from the communication pipe, even if it is heated to an appropriate temperature by the air heating means in the nozzle device, it cools down rapidly when the heating stops. The heat capacity cannot be increased, and the temperature ripple at the nozzle exit is large, making it difficult to maintain heat.

(4) When the air heating means is under ON-OFF control, switching a large amount of electric power and the generated nozzle have an adverse effect on nearby equipment.

(5) Since the voltage applied to the air heating means becomes high, sufficient care must be taken to ensure the insulation of the device itself.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to solve the above problems, the present invention eliminates the technical concept of heating humidified air to an appropriate temperature in a nozzle device to create heated humidified air, and instead The technological idea is to heat the aerosol in the water tank of the generator.

That is, the heated humidified air supply device for curing rhinitis of the present invention includes an aerosol generator that atomizes physiological saline in a water tank using ultrasonic waves, and a proximal end connected to the generator to transport the aerosol. a communication pipe serving as a passage, a blowing means for transferring the aerosol with an air flow, a heating means for heating the aerosol in the water storage tank, and a nozzle attached to the tip of the communication pipe for sending out a heated humidified air flow. It is characterized by consisting of.

Due to the above configuration, by heating the water tank, which has a large heat capacity, it is easy to control the heating of the humidified air to an appropriate temperature, and even if the heating means is ON-OFF control) The temperature ripple is small, making it easy to heat and maintain the temperature at the appropriate temperature. That is, by heating the aerosol in the water storage tank by the heating means, heated humidified air containing a large amount of appropriately heated aerosol is appropriately diffused and mixed within the communication pipe, and is sent out from the nozzle at an appropriate temperature.

<Example> The present invention will be described below based on the example shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, an aerosol generator 1 is composed of a water tank 3 containing physiological saline 2 and an ultrasonic generator 5, and a communication pipe is composed of a transfer pipe 1 and a transfer pipe 12. The means consists of a blower fan 7, and the air heating means 9 consists of a heater 10. Physiological saline 2 is atomized by receiving ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic generator 5 and becomes an aerosol 4 of water droplets of an appropriate size. In addition, a partition plate 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the water tank 3, and this partition plate 7 allows the aerosol 4 to be transferred to the transfer pipe 1).
prevent backflow.

The heater 10 heats the air pressurized by the blower fan 7, and the heated air flow passes through the transfer pipe 1) and mixes with the aerosol 4 in the water storage tank 3, bringing the aerosol 4 to a predetermined temperature. Heat.

A nozzle 14 is provided at the tip of a flexible pipe 13 at the tip of a transfer pipe 12 that transfers heated humidified air containing a mixture of aerosol 4 and heated air, and a temperature sensor 15 is provided within this nozzle 14. . This temperature sensor 15 uses a temperature-dependent variable resistance element such as a thermistor, and is preferably installed at a position where the temperature of the heated humidified air near the outlet hole 16 can be accurately measured.

This temperature sensor 15 is connected to a microcomputer controller 17, which will be described later, so that if the heating temperature of the heated humidified air in the nozzle 14 deviates slightly from the appropriate temperature,
The sensing signal is sent to the microcomputer controller 17, and the SIRISK 18 is operated to control the Ti flow in the heater 10 as heating means.

Then, the air volume by the above-mentioned blower fan 7, the heater 10
The heating temperature is controlled by a microcomputer controller 17.

That is, the air volume is controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the fan 8, and the heating temperature is controlled by current control based on the thyristor 18's thyristor phase control. Alternatively, the air volume may be adjusted by controlling the size of the opening area of the air intake port of the blower fan 7, and the heating temperature may be controlled by a thermostat. Reference numeral 19 is a DC stabilized power supply such as a switching regulator, which supplies a constant DC voltage to each component.

Further, the aerosol generator 1, the blower fan 7, the air heating means 9, the transfer pipe 1), a part of the transfer pipe 12, the microcomputer controller 17, the thyristor 18, and the DC stabilized power supply 17 are housed in the housing 2.
The portion of the transfer pipe 12 located outside the casing 24 is constructed of a flexible pipe 13 and is attached to the nozzle 1.
4's operability has been improved. The cyrisk 18 is connected to an outlet 21 outside the housing 24 via a fuse 20, and the microcomputer controller 17 is connected to an indicator light 22 and a warning light 23 installed on the surface of the housing 24. This fuse 20 is installed to prevent overcurrent, and the indicator light 22 indicates "preparing (warming up)", "ready completed", "in use", etc., and the warning light 23 indicates Air blow abnormality (
abnormality in fan motor rotation speed), temperature abnormality in heater 10,
Informs you of a shortage of water in the water tank 3, etc.

The device configured as described above is used in the following manner. First, the nozzle device 14 is attached to the patient with the tip thereof facing the patient's nostril.

By plugging the outlet 21 into a power source, the aerosol of physiological saline generated by the aerosol generator 1 is mixed with the heated air flow formed by the blower fan 7 and the heater 10 and heated in the water storage tank 3. Ru. Then, this heated aerovine is moderately diffused while being transferred through the transfer pipe 12 and flexible vibe 13, mixed evenly with air, and is discharged from the outlet hole 16 of the nozzle 14 as a heated humidified air flow having an appropriate temperature. It is delivered into the patient's nostrils and healing occurs.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the heating means is a saline water heating means that heats the aerosol 4't by 1 m' by directly heating the physiological saline 2 in the water storage tank 3. It consists of a heater 25 provided at the bottom of the water tank 3. Alternatively, the saline heating means may be an immersion heater (not shown) inserted directly into the water tank 3.

In this case a transfer pipe 1 for transferring the air flow from the blower fan 7
), and a transfer pipe 12 that serves as a transfer path for the heated aerosol.
This means that the airflow from the blower fan 7 preferably flows into the water storage tank 3.
It is connected almost perpendicularly to the aerosol sent out from the

<Effects of the Invention> As mentioned above, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Temperature control is simple. In other words, if the heated aerosol is properly diffused and mixed while being transferred in the communication pipe, and the heat capacity is large, it is easy to maintain the temperature at an appropriate temperature.Moreover, it is possible to use a temperature sensor such as a thermocouple installed in the nozzle as the heating means. By interlocking, it is possible to control the temperature to an appropriate temperature. (2) If more precise temperature control is required, a heating means such as a heater can be provided inside the nozzle. In this case, the heater in the nozzle only needs to be able to control the temperature within the range of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, and since it can be used even with a small heat capacity, the device itself can be used even if continuous control (analog control) of the heater is applied. is never expensive. Also, due to this,
The influence of ambient temperature changes due to seasonal changes can be reduced by the heater inside the nozzle device.81! It has the advantage of being able to maintain a constant outlet temperature at all times.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram outlining an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a modified embodiment of the present invention. Aerosol generator, 2. Physiological saline, 3. Water tank, 4. Aerosol, 5. Ultrasonic generator, 7. Blowing fan (air blowing means) 9.
Air heating means, 1), 12 Transfer pipe, (communication pipe), 1
5. Nozzle,

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An aerosol generator that atomizes physiological saline in a water storage tank using ultrasonic waves, a communication tube whose proximal end is connected to the generator and serves as a transfer path for the aerosol, and an air flow to atomize the aerosol. A heating humidifier for curing rhinitis, comprising: a blowing means for transporting the aerosol, a heating means for heating the aerosol in the water storage tank, and a nozzle attached to the tip of the communicating tube for sending out a heated humidified air flow. Air supply device. (2) Heated humidification for curing rhinitis according to claim 1, wherein the heating means comprises an air heating means that sends a heated air flow connected to the air blowing means into the water tank. Air supply device. (3) The heated humidified air supply device for curing rhinitis as set forth in claim (1), wherein the heating means comprises a saline heating means that directly heats the physiological saline in the water storage tank.