JPS6229062B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a gas flow unit to be installed in a gas control device, particularly for use in gaseous anesthetics, analgesics (hereinafter collectively referred to as anesthetics), and other medical purposes. The present invention relates to a gas flow unit, such as an evaporator, installed in an apparatus used for controlling a gas or mixture of gases such as oxygen or air.

In this specification, the term gas flow unit refers to a device which is attachable to a gas control device and receives a supply of these gases during operation of the device. In other words, the "gas flow unit" is
This includes, among others, evaporators, flow meters, gas mixers, volume meters, ventilators, pressure gauges, and absorbers.

GB 1385670 describes a gas control device in which one or several gas flow units can be removably mounted by unscrewing the plug. The plug-in method allows the gas flow unit to be easily installed and removed from the device, making maintenance and cleaning of the unit easy, and also prevents mistakes in replacing the unit during operation. Furthermore, this method allows the anesthetist to
For example, an evaporator installed in an anesthesia machine can be easily and quickly replaced. This method facilitates the control of one (or more) of a variety of volatile anesthetics, ensuring that the anesthetist applies the correct one to each patient according to their individual needs. Can be done.

Known plug-in gas flow units are equipped with a locking mechanism that cooperates with the back or rack of the anesthesia machine. The locking operation in this case is such that the unit is pulled firmly against a sealing member around the part of the anesthesia machine which supplies the desired gas to the supply unit. However, the known unit of this type allows the device to be activated after it has been installed without having to move the lock into the locking position. A gas flow unit that is installed but not locked may be displaced unexpectedly, or gas may leak from a seal that has not been sufficiently pressed during the locking operation and is therefore not fully activated. It is possible that

The gas flow unit of the present invention, which is configured to be plugged into a gas control device, comprises:
means for controlling the amount of gas supplied from the supply of the apparatus; a locking mechanism for cooperating with the apparatus to lock the unit to the apparatus; and a control mechanism, unless the locking mechanism is moved to a position in which it locks the unit and the apparatus. and a combination system such that the means cannot be moved into an operative position permitting the supply of gas from the device.

Therefore, the gas flow unit cannot be connected to the gas circuit unless it is properly locked in place on the device, and when the gas flow unit is installed but not locked, the operator cannot control the unit. It is clear that it cannot be operated.

Known plug-in type anesthesia machines that supply gas to a removably attached gas flow unit seal each hole communicating with the atmosphere and prevent gas flow when the gas flow unit is not installed. When the unit is installed, the spring biased member is configured to open the closed holes in contact with the actuating member of the gas flow unit, thereby bringing the holes into communication with the gas flow unit. It has a valve. As long as the gas flow unit is installed in the device, the valve will remain open even when the unit itself is in its off position.
Therefore, even if it is not intended to communicate the gas flow unit with the gas circuit, if gas remains in the internal passages of the unit between said holes in the gas flow unit and the control means, this residual gas will It goes into the gas circuit. Additionally, if the gas flow unit is a vaporizer and the control means is a valve that does not close completely when in the OFF position, a significant amount of undesirable gas may enter the circuit and may be invisible to the anesthetist. do.

It is clear that such a situation is not acceptable, and the present invention solves this problem.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control means control the inflow of gas into the gas flow unit from the supply side via one or several corresponding holes in the device, each said hole having a normally closed a valve is provided which is biased in the direction of The activation means is configured to displace each valve from a closed position to a position that opens the valve only when the control means is in its activated position.

Anesthesia machines typically have two separate vaporizers to supply two different anesthetics in the carrier gas, so that different patients require different anesthetics. In some cases, a common anesthesia device can be used during a series of surgeries. In such cases, it is of course undesirable for two types of anesthetics to be supplied to a single patient or mixed. Apart from the above-mentioned case with different vaporizers, it may also be desirable to have an anesthesia machine or gas control system with two or more units that cannot be used simultaneously. For example, one device in which two units cooperate, i.e. a flow meter designed to operate with different flows of gas, or an evaporator for trichlorethylene and a carbon dioxide gas. (It is preferable that the same anesthetist use these during different surgeries, but
(It is not recommended to use trichlorethylene and soda lime at the same time as they will react and generate toxic gas.)

Known anesthesia machines having evaporators configured to select one out of a number of evaporators, as described above, include a pipe system or conduit on which the evaporators are mounted and each evaporator can be connected to the gas circuit. It has a strong backbone or latsuku. In order to prevent contamination caused by the mixture of different gases, a configuration is already known in which a selector valve is used so that the carrier gas is supplied to only one selected evaporator at a time. . However, such systems require the operation of two valves in order to bring either evaporator into the circuit: a selector valve on the backrest and a carrier gas passage communicating with the evaporator. There is the disadvantage of having to operate a control valve for controlling the concentration of vaporized gas added to the carrier gas. In addition, this system can cause incorrect operation of the valve, causing the wrong anesthetic or the wrong concentration of anesthetic to be delivered to the patient without the anesthetist noticing, or the wrong anesthetic being delivered to the patient in the wrong concentration. There may be situations in which this is not possible.

The present invention ensures that only one of two or more evaporators is connected to the gas circuit at a time, even when using a selector valve in an anesthesia machine that selects one from a number of evaporators. It is configured to communicate with each other.

In an embodiment of the invention, the combination system extends outwardly from the unit to its operative position by operation of the control means such that a similar adjacent unit mounted on the anesthesia machine assumes the operative position. It is designed to prevent

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the backrest 1 of an anesthesia machine and two gas flow units 2, 3 in the form of evaporators arranged side by side, each for supplying a different volatile anesthetic. There is. Each evaporator is mounted in a removable, plug-in type, and has a pair of holes 4a and 4b formed upright from the back rod and corresponding recesses 5 (third to sixth holes) formed on the back of each evaporator. (see figure) and is attached to the back rod 1.

Each evaporator is provided with a rotatable shaft 6 extending into a recess 7 on the back rod when the evaporator is inserted into the holes 4a, 4b in order to lock the evaporator in place on the back rod. I already have the means. This axis 6
A groove 6a (FIG. 5) having a predetermined shape is formed in the evaporator 3 of FIG.
When the finger-operated lever 8 is rotated 90 degrees to the position of the lever on the evaporator 2,
It engages the latch member 7a in the recess 7. By operating this locking mechanism, the evaporator is prevented from coming off the back rod, and at the same time, the back of the evaporator is firmly attached to the back rod surface, and the annular seals arranged around the bases of the holes 4a and 4b are The evaporator is hermetically joined to the material 9. In FIG. 1, the lever 8 on the evaporator 3 is in the unlocked position, and its lock remains active as long as the evaporator is in position on the backrest.

As will be explained in more detail below, the evaporator cannot be connected to the gas circuit unless it is locked onto the backrest.

At the top of each evaporator, means are provided for controlling the evaporator, comprising a concentration dial 10 connected to a rotary plate or other suitable form of control valve located within the evaporator. Each evaporator is fitted with British Patent No. 1224478
The device is of the bypass type as described in No. 1, and has an evaporation chamber and a circuit bypassing the chamber in the lower part 11 of the unit (FIG. 3). The carrier gas entering the evaporator is separated into two streams, one leading to the evaporation chamber and the other passing through a bypass circuit, after which both streams are combined and discharged from the evaporator. The details of the configuration of the control valve will not be described, but its function will be briefly explained. In response to the rotation of the dial 10, the ratio of the gas flowing through the evaporation chamber and the bypass circuit is changed, so that the anesthetic agent in the flow at the exit point is changed. Assume that the concentration of gas is changed. The dial shows a scale for sequentially changing the concentration by the control valve, and an off position in which the control valve is closed and no anesthetic gas flows out through the evaporator.

2 and 3, on the lower side of the concentration dial 10, both upper and lower flat parts 12b,
A cam 12 is rotatably arranged, dividing the cam 12c and forming a shoulder 12a therebetween extending in an inclined direction. The cam 12 cooperates with a crank 13, which has a central portion 13a and end portions 13b, 1 disposed at both ends thereof.
3c, the two ends of which engage a cam 12 and a vertically reciprocating platform 14, respectively. The platform 14 has a pair of spring biased plungers 15.
(one of which is shown in FIG. 6), the plunger biasing the platform in the direction of the upper crank end 13c;
This crank end 13c is the other crank end 13b.
is biased toward the cam 12. When the concentration dial 10 is in the off position (and therefore the control valve is closed), the crank end 1
3b rests on the lower flat portion 12b of the cam 12, and the platform 14 is in the upper position shown in FIG. When the concentration dial is rotated from the off position (counterclockwise) and reaches the operating position and the control valve is opened, the crank end 13b
The upper flat part 12 of the shoulder part 12a of the
At point c, the crank is rotated to the position shown in Figure 2, and the crank end 13c moves the platform 14 downward against the spring.

Note that on the underside of the platform 14, a disk 20 with a pin 21 is attached to the shaft 6. When this shaft 6 is rotated to the lock position, the pin 21 is in a position matching the hole 22 of the platform 14, and the dial 1
The descending movement of the platform is not hindered when the 0 is subsequently rotated. However, when the shaft 6 is in the unlocked position, the pin 21
is offset from hole 20 in platform 14. Therefore, in this state, even if the crank end 13c attempts to lower the platform 14 as described above, the platform 14 is blocked by the pin 21 and cannot be lowered. Therefore, the dial 10 does not rotate from the off position.

A pin 16 projects from the back side of the platform 14, and this pin 16 reciprocates within a hole 17. This hole 17 intersects with the hole 18, and the hole 1
Inside the pin 8 is a pair of pins 19a and 19b which are biased toward each other by a spring. When the platform 14 is in its upper position, the pin 16 is out of the hole 18 and both pins 19a, 19b are located entirely within the hole 18. When the platform is lowered by rotating the dial 10, the pin 16 also lowers and enters the hole 18, and the pins 19a and 1
9b to separate them from each other. In this state, the outer ends of both pins protrude from the holes 18 to the outside of the evaporator, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

That is, when the evaporator control valve is brought into its operating position to allow gas to enter the evaporator, the pins 19a, 19b project outwardly on either side of the gas flow unit. Looking back at FIG. 1, the dial 10 of the evaporator 2 has been rotated from the off position to the operating position, thereby opening the control valve and causing the pins 19a and 19b to protrude outward. . In the evaporator 3, if the dial is rotated (assuming that the lock is already completed in this case), the cam 12, crank 13, platform 14, pin 16, and associated pin 1
Activation of the mechanism including 9a, 19b causes the pins 19a, 19b to project outward, as in the previous case. However, in this case, the adjacent evaporator 2
If the pin 19b is already in the protruding state,
The pin 19a of the evaporator 3 is blocked by the pin 19b and cannot protrude, so the dial 10 cannot be rotated.

With the configuration described above, it is impossible to connect two or more evaporators to the gas circuit at the same time, and the pins 19a, 19
The mechanism including b is a pair of holes 4 on the back rod.
This is valid in any case for two evaporators of the same type (or other gas flow units with similar arrangement) in two adjacent positions defined by a, 4b.

As mentioned above, the evaporators 2 and 3 are connected to the back rod 1, respectively.
It has a mechanism that will not operate unless it is locked at the top.

To further explain the characteristics of the present invention, the present invention provides holes 4a and 4b on the back rod side that cooperate with the evaporator.
However, it is equipped with a means that opens only when the control valve on the evaporator side attached to it is open. Figures 7A and 7B show the configuration of the hole in the back rod. Holes 4a and 4b are hole 2 in the back rod.
3a and 23b, the hole 23a communicates with an inlet conduit 24 from the carrier gas supply section, and the hole 23b communicates with an outlet conduit 25, respectively. Further, both holes 23a and 23b are communicated through a conduit 26. A piston-shaped valve 27 and a stem 28 attached thereto are mounted in each hole 23a, 23b, and each is biased upward by a spring 29.

FIG. 7A shows a state where the evaporator is not attached to a predetermined position on the back rod. In this state, each hole 23a, 23b is closed, and the inlet side and outlet side conduits 24, 25 are connected to the conduit 2.
6. When the evaporator is mounted and the control valve is opened, the pin 30, which is the actuating member, is moved by the lowering of the platform 14 as described above.
(FIGS. 3 and 6) also descends to the valve stem 28.
is pressed to bring the valve 27 to the position shown in Figure 7B. In this state, the hole 4a is open and communicates with the inlet side conduit 24, and the hole 4b is opened and communicated with the outlet side conduit 25.
The intermediate conduit 26 is closed. The carrier gas enters the recess 5 of the evaporator through the hole 4a, passes through a side hole (not shown), and then enters the evaporator body as described above and is separated into two paths (in this case, the recess 5 opening 5 at the top of
(a is closed by a sealing material 30a placed around a pin 30 which is a moving member). Once the combined carrier gas and anesthetic mixture reaches the other recess 5 of the evaporator, it passes from there through the hole 4b to the outlet conduit 25 of the back rod.

From the above explanation, unless the dial 10 of the evaporator is rotated from its off position and the control valve is not rotated, the hole in the back rod is closed, so the evaporator is completely independent from the gas circuit. This means that
If gas leaks from the evaporator for some reason, the leaked gas will flow from the recess 5 to the top opening 5.
a (at this time, pin 30 is retracted)
Furthermore, it is discharged into the atmosphere through suitable openings previously formed for gas release.

Furthermore, when the evaporator in one of the mounting positions is not in a conductive state, the carrier gas is bypassed to the corresponding holes 4a and 4b, and the supply of carrier gas is effective to the evaporators in other positions. It will be held on. In other words, Article 7A
In FIG. 7B, the outlet opening 25 becomes the inlet opening for the next mounting position.
By using the above-mentioned series type instead of the parallel arrangement commonly used in known anesthesia machines of the type that selects one from a large number, direct placement in the dorsal rod is unnecessary. dead pipework can be minimized,
This reduces the risk of explosive vapor formation such as ether in such conduits.

In a variant of the invention, for example, the pin 30 may be used not only to actuate the valve 27, but also to actuate a valve associated with a pressure gauge or other mechanism which only acts when the control means is moved into the actuated position. You can also do that.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows the 2
FIG. 2 is a detailed plan view of the evaporator shown in FIG. 1 with a part cut away; FIG. The end view of the evaporator shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are detailed sectional views of various parts of the evaporator shown in FIGS. Figure and 7th
Figure B is a diagram showing the engaging part for connecting the gas flow unit to the anesthesia machine side, and shows two different states. In the figure, reference numerals 1... Back rod, 2, 3... Gas flow unit (evaporator), 4a, 4b... Hole, 7... Recess, 6... Rotating shaft, 8... Lever, 10... ...Dial, 12...Cam, 13...Crank, 14...
...Platform, 16...Pin, 17, 18
... Hole, 19a, 19b ... Pin, 20 ... Disc, 21 ... Pin, 22 ... Hole, 24 ... Inlet side conduit, 25 ... Outlet conduit, 26 ... Intermediate conduit, 2
7... Valve, 28... Stem, 29... Spring, 30... Pin (activating member).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A gas flow unit adapted to be mounted on a gas control device in a plug-in manner, the gas flow unit moving between an off position and an operating position to control the gas supply provided by the gas control device. a locking mechanism that cooperates with the gas control device to lock the gas flow unit in position on the gas control device; a first position in which the gas flow unit 2 is locked relative to the gas control device 1;
an interlocking device comprising a shaft 6 adapted to rotate to a second position in which the gas flow unit 2 is released from the gas control device 1; and a plate 20 mounted on the shaft 6 for rotation therewith. and which plate 20 supports at least one upright pin 21 which is indirectly mechanically coupled to the control means 10 upon rotation of the shaft 6 into its second position. A gas flow unit characterized in that it engages the platform 14 to prevent movement of the control means 10 into its operating position. 2. In the gas flow unit according to claim 1, the control means 10 is connected to one on the gas control device 1.
A gas flow unit 2 is mounted on the gas control device, controlling the supply of gas from the supply side through one or several holes, each hole having a valve 27 biased to keep it closed at all times. When the gas flow unit 2 is mounted on the gas control device 1 and the control means 10 is in its operating position, the gas flow unit includes an actuating pin 30 forming part of the interlocking device. Each hole 4
A gas flow unit operative to move each valve member 27 of a, 4b away from a hole closed position. 3. The gas flow unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the interlocking device projects outwardly from the gas flow unit 2 when the control means 10 is operated into its operating position and is mounted on the gas control device 1. A gas flow unit characterized in that it includes at least one pin 19a, 19b which prevents the control means 10 of a similar adjacent gas flow unit 3 from being operated into its operating position. 4. In the gas flow unit according to claim 3, each of the two parts is adapted to protrude from both sides of the gas flow unit 2 against the biasing force of the spring.
Two spring-loaded pins 19a, 19b are provided, each protruding by another pin 16 depending from the spring-loaded platform 14 such that each of these pins can reciprocate within the bore 17. This further pin 16 is adapted to be moved towards the spring-loaded pins 19a, 19b during movement of the platform 14 against the spring biasing force caused by the rotation of the crank 13. The end 13c of the crank presses against the platform 14, and the crank 13 is rotated by a cam 12 which rotates upon rotation of the dial 10 forming part of the control means. A gas flow unit characterized by: 5. In the gas flow unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Gas flow characterized in that the shaft 6 has a groove 6a of a predetermined shape, which groove 6a engages a latch member 7a in a recess 7 of the gas control device 1 adapted to receive the shaft 6. unit.