MXPA98003171A - Level indicator of a - Google Patents

Abstract

This product consists of two basic components that are: a plastic box (in which are incorporated the ignition switch, an electronic card, a column of light-emitting diodes or LEDs and a 9-volt battery that powers the circuit of this control electronic) and an aluminum profile in which a series of contacts or terminals are assembled in pairs and at predetermined distances that perform the optimal measurement.

Description

• ^ W MANOMETER FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a manometer for measuring the elastic pressure of gases and / or vapors, and more specifically to a low cost disposable manometer having two variations or pressure scales. It is common practice to include a manometer in the circuit breath of a patient, to show the breathing pressure to an assistant. Breathing circuits of this nature include ventilator breathing circuits, resuscitation bags, hyperinflation bags, etc. As an example, the Patent of E. U.A. No. 5, 140,982 issued to Jack Bauman on August 25, 1992 shows a resuscitator that includes a manometer. Mainly due to the danger of transmission of infectious diseases, it has been common practice in recent years to discard the breathing circuit components after a single use. Therefore, there has been an effort to produce disposable components, including. manometers, which have a relatively low cost and are still accurate and safe. Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved disposable manometer for use in the breathing circuit of a patient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A manometer constructed in accordance with the present invention is for use with a source of gas under pressure, and comprises a housing forming a hole and a float movably mounted within the bore. The float can be moved slidably between a resting position, an extended pressure scale, and a reduced pressure scale. The spring means is connected to the float to drive the float to the resting position at the same time allowing movement of the float at the two scales due to the gas pressure. The housing can be connected to the gas source, so that the gas pressure moves the float from the rest position and at least the expanded pressure scale. At relatively low pressures, the float moves on the expanded pressure scale and at higher pressures, the float moves on the reduced pressure scale against the forces of the spring means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the manometer; ftf Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective, exploded view of the manometer; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a position of the parts; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram, similar to Figure 4, but illustrating another position of the parts; and Figure 6 is a view of a breathing circuit that includes a manometer in accordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Although the manometer can be used in a variety of breathing circuits, Figure 6 illustrates the gauge 10 in use "as part of a disposable manual resuscitator 1 1. The resuscitator 11 is described in more detail in the U.S. Patent. from W. F. Cook No. 4, -774,941 dated Sf October 1988, but it should be understood that the manometer 10 may be used instead of 20 other designs of resuscitator. In summary, the resuscitator 1 1 comprises a compression bag 12 having a check valve 13 at its lower end. At its upper end a valve housing 14 and a duckbill valve 15 are secured. The housing 14 includes a relief port 17 and a tubular air duct 18, and a mask 19 is connected to receive air and / or other gases from the conduit 18. In the specific example illustrated in the drawings, the pressure gauge 10 is connected to an adapter 20 that is between the conduit 18 and the mask 19. In use, when an assistant compresses the bag 12, air is forced from the bag up through the valve 15, the conduit 18 and the mask 19 to a patient (not shown). The pressure gauge 10 is connected to the adapter 18 and shows the air pressure that is being supplied to the patient. The term "air" is defined herein to include ambient air, gases, vapors and mixtures of said substances. With specific reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressure gauge 10 comprises a tubular housing 21 that forms an internal bore 22, and a slide is slidably mounted in the bore 22. Although the slide may take several configurations such as a dial, in the present specific example of the invention, the slide is in the form of a piston 23. The piston 23 is formed by a skirt 24 and a crown 25 of the tubular piston. The hole 22 includes a pressure end 28 of the patient or device and an external end 29 that is at reference or ambient air pressure. A connector 31 is attached to the pressure end 28 of the device and to a tubular nozzle 32 that is formed in the adapter 20. The connector 31 includes a passage 33 that receives the nozzle 32. The nozzle 32 forms an air passage that opens in the passage 33 of the connector 31, whereby the air pressure inside the adapter 20 and the patient mask 19 is also present in • the step 33 and in the end 28 of the hole 22 (on the left, as shown in FIG. figure 2, of the piston 23). Accordingly, the patient's air pressure within the adapter 20, greater than the ambient pressure, tends to move the piston 23 to the right (as seen in FIG. 2) to the external end 29. The. housing 21 is secured to connector 31 by a radially extending flange or flange 36 formed in housing 21 at end 28. An annular groove 37 in connector 31 receives flange 36. Housing 21 (and piston 23) is made of a relatively rigid and transparent material such as rigid PVC, and the connector 31 is preferably made of a relatively soft and foldable material such as silicone. Accordingly, the connector 31, during assembly of the parts, may be deformed sufficiently to insert the right end of the connector. connector on the pressure end 28 of the housing bore and cause the flange 36 to extend into the slot 37. The piston 23 is urged elastically towards the pressure end 28 of the housing 21 by means of elastic spring 41 which exhibits two levels tensile . The spring means comprises a relatively short elastic spring 42 and a relatively long elastic spring 43. One end of each of the springs 42 and 43 is fixed to the crown 25 of the piston 23, and the other end of each of the springs 42 and 43 is fixed to the connector 31 and of the housing 21 at the pressure end 28.

# With specific reference to Figure 3, the skirt 24 and the crown 25 of the piston 23 form a hollow interior 46 that opens towards the pressure end 28 of the housing 21, and the interior 46 forms a chamber for the two springs 42 and 43. The skirt 24 is supported on the connector 31 (and thus forms a stop) when the piston 23 is at the pressure end of the housing, and the position of the piston 23 shown in Figure 2 is referred to herein as the "at rest" position. The piston 23 is urged to the position in f rest by the short spring 42, while the long spring 43 is not pressed in this position and is wound inside the chamber 46. The length of the short spring 42 is formed to be under light tension or no tension when the piston is in the rest position illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. When the pressure Assorted to the patient and inside the mask of face 19 and the adapter 20 rises over ambient pressure (due to compression of the bag 12) of the piston 23, which faces the pressure end 28 of the hole, rises above the reference pressure or .. environment on the right side of the piston. This rise in patient pressure causes the piston 23 to move to the right against the tension of the spring 42, with the additional result that the long spring 43 unfolds and straightens. The amount of movement of the piston to the right is proportional to the pressure of the patient. If the pressure rises high enough, the piston 23 reaches the position shown in dotted lines 47 in Figure 4, in which point the long spring 43 has been straightened. Still at higher patient pressures, the piston moves even more to the right # to the solid line position 48 in Figure 5, and on this movement scale both springs 42 and 43 exert a tension or force that drives the piston towards the rest position. A means such as an annular rim 49 is provided to prevent the piston 47 from moving out of the right or low pressure end 29 of the housing 21. Housing 21 is preferably provided with marks or f scale ratings to give a visual indication of the levels pressure associated with the different positions of the piston. Although the scale can be marked directly on the housing 21, scale marks 51 are formed in a transverse sleeve 52, and the sleeve 52 fits snugly around the outside of the housing 21 (see Figures 2 and 3). As best illustrated in the figure 3, the markings 51 include an expanded scale variation 53 and a compressed scale variation 54. Several positions on the piston 23 can be measured against the scale marks, such as the crown 25 of the piston, and the corrophy can be given a color of distinction or contrast to make this position visible. In the present specific example, the lines in the expanded scale variation 53 are adjacent to the crown 25 of the piston at the same time in the rest position and for the compressed scale variation 54 when both springs are pressed. short and long. When you press only the short spring, a stroke of The relatively small pressure is sufficient to move the piston a given distance; therefore, although the lengths of the two variations 53 and 54 may be similar in general, the pressure variation on the expanded scale 53 is substantially less than the pressure variation on the compressed scale 54. In this specific example, the scale expanded 53 includes pressure markings indicating 0-2-4-6-8 pressure units over reference pressure, and compressed scale 54 includes markings indicating 10-20-30-40-50 pressure units. The crown 25 of the piston is at the O mark when the piston is in the rest position (it is against the stop formed by the connector 31), and is approximately at the mark 10 when the long spring 43 has been straightened and is about of exerting tension on the piston (simultaneously with the short spring 42, of course). Although other constructions for the springs 42 and 43 may be provided, such as the two coiled metal tension springs, in the present case, the two springs are formed of an elastic material such as silicone. For example, an elongated silicana band can be cut in length from one end to almost the other end, and then one of the two strips can be cut to a shorter length to form the short spring. Any spring means can be used which provides a tension force on one scale of movement of the piston and another tension force on another scale of movement of the piston. The described arrangement of an expanded scale at lower pressure for convenient interest and a "compressed scale at higher pressures where less discrimination is accepted, is particularly advantageous. As shown in Figure 3, one end of each spring 42 and 43 is fixed to the connector 31 and the other end of each spring is fixed to the piston 23. In this example of the invention, a hole (figures 2 and 3) it is formed through the crown 25 of the piston and a soft folding nozzle 62 is attached to the right ends of the two springs. The nozzle 62 has an annular groove 63 therein, and when the nozzle is pressed through the gap 61, the edge of the hole extends into slot 63 thus maintaining the nozzle fixed to the piston. Although the right ends of the springs 42 and 43 can be fixed to various locations on the piston, it is preferred that the attachment point be biased slightly from the piston axis as shown in Figure 2. This arrangement serves to reduce any audible vibration caused by persistent oscillation of the piston, due to springs 42 and 43 when pressure is applied. Also as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, one of the springs has a larger cross-sectional area than the other spring and therefore has a different spring rate when tensioned.

As best illustrated in Figure 2, the piston 23 has a slightly reduced outer diameter as indicated by the number 66, and a smaller external diameter as indicated by the number 67, adjacent to the crown 25. These portions 66 and 67 reduce the surface contact area between the wire 24 and the housing 21, and reduce the likelihood that the piston will rise or jam in the hole 22 due to stress of the springs. In a method of assembling the parts, the connector 31 and the springs 42 and 43 are secured together and to the nozzle 62, and the nozzle is fixed to the piston 23. Prior to forming the rim 49 in the housing 21, the previous assembly is inserted at the right end of the hole 22 and the connector 31 engages the flange 36. The flange 49 is then formed and the sleeve 52 is mounted on the housing 21. #

Claims (10)

1. • CLAIMS 1 .- Apparatus for providing an indication of the magnitude of a device air pressure present in a device relative to a reference air pressure, said apparatus comprising (a) a housing that forms an internal hole, said hole that has first and second extreme positions; (b) said first external portion can be connected to said * device so that said device air pressure 10 is present in said first extreme position, and said second end portion is exposed to said reference air pressure; (c) a slide slidably mounted on said air gap and exposed to said device air pressure, said 15 slider being in a rest position when said device air pressure is "substantially equal to said reference air pressure; and (d) spring means operably connected between said slider and said housing for driving said slider. 20 to said rest position in two strength scales, said two scales that include a scale of relatively low force adjacent to said position at rest and a relatively high force scale displaced from said position at rest. 1 and 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprise first and second springs, one of said springs that drives movement of said slide while in said low force scale and both of said springs 5 that drive movement of said sliding while on said high force scale. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprise first and second springs of # tension, one of said springs being longer than the other. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of said first and second tension springs comprises an elastic strip that can be stretched. 5. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said slide comprises a tubular skirt portion and a crown portion, and said spring means extends through said skirt portion and is fixed to said portion. 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said spring means extends through said tubular skirt portion and is fixed to said crown portion. Claim 6, wherein said crown portion is substantially circular, and said spring means is fixed to said crown portion at a point which is displaced from the center of said crown portion. 8. Apparatus for providing an indication of the magnitude of a device air pressure present in a device relative to a differential air pressure, said apparatus comprising: (a) a tubular housing forming a cylindrical internal hole, said hole having first and second end portions, and said second end portion being open at ambient pressure; (b) connecting means fixed to said housing in said first end portion for coupling said housing to said device, said connecting means including a step for communicating said said device air pressure to said first end portion; (c) a slide movably mounted in said hole and having a rest position adjacent said first end position; and (d) spring means operably connected between said slider and said housing adjacent said first end portion for urging said slider toward said rest position, said spring means comprising at least one tension spring. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said housing is substantially transparent and said slide can be seen through said housing. 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said spring means are connected to said slide and said connector means. 1 1 .- Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said spring means comprises a relatively short spring and a relatively long spring. 12. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of said springs has a larger cross-sectional dimension than the other. 10 1 3.- A breathing circuit that can be connected to a patient and shows a patient's breathing pressure, comprising (a) a gas conduit that can be connected to a patient's breathing system; 15 (b) a housing forming an internal hole, said hole having first and second end positions; (c) said first end position can be connected to said gas conduit so that the patient's breathing pressure is present in said first portion 20, and said second extreme position being exposed to ambient air pressure; (d) a slider mounted movably in said hole and exposed to said patient breathing pressure, sliding d to be in a rest position when said patient breathing pressure is substantially equal to said ambient air pressure; and (e) spring means operably connected between said slider and said housing for driving said slider 5 to said resting position at two strength scales, said two scales including a relatively low force scale adjacent to said rest position and a relatively high force scale displaced from said rest position. 14. A breathing circuit according to claim 13, wherein said spring means comprises a relatively short spring and a relatively long spring, both of said springs being pressed while said slide is in said relatively high force scale. , and just said 15 relatively short spring being pressed while said slide is in said relatively low force scale. 15. A breathing circuit according to claim 14, wherein said spring means comprises two elastic bands. 16. A breathing circuit according to claim 13, wherein said housing comprises a relatively transparent tubular member forming said hole, and further comprising a tubular connector fixed to said housing and extending in said first extreme position. of said hole, and said spring means comprises two tension springs connected between said tubular connector and said slide. F