US125965A - Improvement in apparatus for atomizing, inhaling, and injecting liquids and gases - Google Patents

Description

WILUAM R. LEONARD. Improvement in Apparatus for Atomizing, inhaling,

and injecting Liquids and Gases.

Patented April 23, 1872..

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WILLIAM R. LEONARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR ATOMlZlNG. INHALING, AND INJECTING LIQUIDS AND GASES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,965, dated April 23, 1872.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. LEONARD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement in Steam Injecting, Inhaling, and Atomizin g Apparatus for Medicinal Purposes, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is designed to include in one apparatus devices which may be used for various medicinal purposes. It embraces devices for generating steam for inhalation, for injection, and for atomizing, the parts being so arranged that the steam-generator may operate in connection with either the atomizing-tubes or with the devices for inhalation, whether used or not in conjunction with the atomizer or with the devices for injecting.

The nature of my invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the atomizin g portion of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a like view of the apparatus arranged for the inhalation of steam or any medicament without the use of the atomizer. Fig. 3 is a like view of the apparatus arranged for use in injecting into the nose or ear steam or a medicament.

The boiler or steam-generator A, represented in all three of the figures referred to, is of any suitable shape, provided with a safety-valve, a, to prevent undue steam pressure, and with a hollow shoulder or a projecting tube, 1), intended to connect with the various tubes which may be applied to it. The boiler is also filled through this tube. The boiler is supported on a suitable case, B, made of brass, within which is put the lamp by which the boiler is heated. The case B I attach, for convenience sake, to a base plate, (3, at the other end of which is placed a standard, 1), for the purpose hereinafter stated.

The atomizin g portion of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. It consists of the tube d, of any suitable material, adapted to fit at one end into or upon the boiler-pipe b by a slip joint, and having its other end drawn down to a point so as to allow only a fine jet of steam to escape. Connected with the steam-tube, by a branch or arm, 6, is a tubular holder or socket, f, placed at about right angles with the steam-tube, and designed to receive a glass tube, f, whose lower end dips into the medicine or other liquid to be atomized, and whose upper end is drawn into a point, which should be slightly flattened in order that the steam may not blow it oh". The point of the glass tube should extend up to the point of the steam-tube, and, when thus arranged, the jet of steam, blowing directly across the top of the glass tube, will cause the liquid into which the glass tube dips to be drawn up and atomized in the usual way. I prefer to make the tubular holder f of spring metal, and to split it longitudinally to allow the glass tube to be easily inserted or withdrawn. This arrangement permits the use of a removable glass tube, which is cheaper and more desirable than a tube of other material, as acids and minerals will not attack it.

For the purpose of allowing the inhalation of the spray I employ a glass mouth-tube, g, with a flaring end next to the atomizer, to shield the face. This tube is fastened by a band of vulcanized rubber or by other suitable means to the top of standard D, and as its mouth is close to the points of the atomizing tubes, the steam does not condense on it, but blows through it, and therefore does not require a glass to receive the dripping. The mouth-tube is flattened throughout its whole length to allow it to go further back into the mouth than it could were it cylindrical without producing gagging and other unpleasant sen-- sations. This tube is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,- and 4.

In Fig. 2 the boiler is used with another portion of the apparatus, consisting of a faceshield, G, and a tube, h, connecting said shield with the boiler. This face-shield is made of hard rubber or other suitable material, and is so shaped as to cover the nose and mouth. It connects at X with the tubing, and has at the top a hole, 3 through which air may be admitted, if desired, although, if a low pressure of steam is kept up, the hole may be closed witha cork. This face-shield is for the purpose of enabling the patient to inhale steam or any medicament. By placing inside the shield, and over the steam apparatus, a sponge saturated with any medicament, the steam passing from the boiler through the tube into the faceshield will reach the mouth in the condition of a warm medicated vapor, adapted for treating the respiratory organs, and especially adapted for the treatment of croup, as steam is brought directly to the nose and mouth and air is excluded, if desired. The tubingh is connected with the boiler either by being fitted over the end of the steam tube cl of the atomizer, the glass tube having been previously withdrawn from its socket, or the steam-atomizing tube may be disconnected from the boiler and the tubing 71. fitted on the projecting pipe b.

To use the apparatus for purposes of injection, remove the inhaling devices and substitute therefor the device shown in Fig. 3. I prefer to construct this as follows: I make a branch tube, 2', preferably of glass, though other material may be use 1. To one branch of this tube is attached a flexilble tube, j, which at its other end is fitted on he end of pipe (I or on the pipe I), if d beremoved. To the other branch is attached flexible tubing 7: connected with a bag-syringe, Z. To the front of tube 1' is attached flexible tubing m, terminating in a hardrubber chamber, a, whoseconstruction is shown more clearly in Fig. 5. This chamber is composed of two parts screwing together, the one part connecting with the tubing m, and the other with a detachable screw-nozzle or tube, made preferably of hard rubber. I use two nozzles or tubes, the one 0 designed to connect with the Eustachian catheter to blow steam into the middle ear, and the other 19 to blow steam or medicated vapor through the nostrils. The hard-rubber chamber is designed to hold sponge, which may be either saturated with some medicament or not, according to the treatment required.

When the apparatus is in use, steam passes from the boiler through the tubing and medicated or plain sponge in the hard-rubber chamber into the part in which the nozzle on the chamber is inserted, the bag-syringe Z being used, if necessary, to force the vapor forward. This portion of the apparatus may be advantageously used for the treatment of chronic aural catarrh, which produces deafness. A

hard rubber Eustachian catheter, such as shown in Fig. 6, is introduced through the nose;

one of the nozzles of the hard-rubber chamber eration substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the boiler and its pipe I), of the detachable steam-atomizing tube united with pipe I) by a slip-joint, and provided with a holder or socket to receive the tube through which the liquid to be atomized is drawn up, substantially as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, and as herein described.

3. The injecting apparatus, substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, consisting of the branch tube of glass orother material provided with flexible tubing connected with a bag-syringe, and a hard-rubber sponge-chamber and nozzle, and adapted to be connected with a boiler or steam-generator, substantially as set forth.

4. The glass mouth-tube and shield, made substantially as herein shown and describedthat is to say, flattened or made oval throughout its entire length, and provided at one end with a flange forming a shield, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed myname to this specification before two subscribing wit- Witnesses:

HOW'ARD CHURCHILL, GEORGE 0. Simmons.

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