US2245696A - Oxygen therapy equipment - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1941. A. E. M KEE OXYGEN THERAPY EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 17, 1941. E, MCKEE 2,245,696

OXYGEN THERAPY EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1958 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1941 warren STATES PATENT OFFICE OXYGEN 'rniirzfir noummsnr V l I Albert E. McKee, Chicago, 111., assignor to Oxygen Equipment, & Service Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofv Illinois Application December 14, 1938,- Serial No. 245,582

LClairn.

My invention relates to oxygen therapy equip-- ment and particularly to humidifiers for use therewith.

In the therapeutic administration of oxygen,

whether by means of an oxygen tent, nasal.

catheter or face mask, it is desirable to introduce moisture into the oxygen before it is delivered to the patient. It is desirable also that the space occupied by oxygen therapy equipment he reduced to a minimum, and it is particularly desirable that no breakage or breakdown of equipment occur such as would involve even temporary shutting off of the supply of oxygen. All

these factors appear to be obivous without ex- 'eificiency.

In oxygen therapy, it has been customary to employ conventional humidifying'equipment consisting of two glass jars, one servingas a container for water through which the oxygen is passed, and the other servingas a trap for'removal of such water as may be entrained in the form of relatively large droplets or which may be condensed out because of temperature conditions before the oxygen is delivered to the patient. Those skilled in the art are thoroughly familiar with the disadvantages and shortcomings of this conventional arrangement.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of improved oxygen therapy equipment.

Another object is the provision of an improved humidifier particularly adapted for use with oxygen therapy equipment.

A further object is the provision of a humidifier of the general character and for the purpose described which will avoid the objections heretofore lodged against conventional equipment.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the improved equipment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the humidifier container such as appears by taking a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional view taken on the line 4'-'-l of Fig. 3 looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows. v

Referring now first to 1, I show an oxygen tank It with the conventional valve structure U usually furnished therewith. An automatic flow regulator is provided comprising a regulator proper l2 with adjusting handle I3, gage M for indicating the pressure of the oxygen in the tank It, and a flow meter or gage It showing the num-' ber of liters of oxygen delivered per unit of time. This automatic fiow regulator equipment is a frame structure provided with passageways leading to the various parts thereof whereby the entire apparatus may be mounted directly to the valve structure I asa support. Depending from the automatic fiow regulator mechanism is a humidifier indicated generally by the reference character IT, to the outlet of which is shown a flexible tube such as a rubber hose l8 carrying atits outer or delivery end a nasal catheter |9-. The use of a nasal catheter is illustrative, as other means of administration may beemployed with-- out departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive, and particularly to Fig. 3, the humidifier structure comprises an outer container having a tubular side wall 2|, top 22 and bottom 23. The top 22 and bottom 23 are flanged to provide for attachment to the tubular side wall 2| for the purpose of forming a substantially unitary structure. An annular flange 24 is provided at the bottom of the top wall 22 and at this point a tubular baffle member 26 is. secured in position. The baille member 26 as shown terminates short of the bottom 23 and is spaced from the tubular wall 2| to form an annular space 21 which, in the manner and as described hereinbelow, functions as a trap. A cap 28 is threaded in the top wall 22 and is provided with suitable gasket means 29 to seal it in place. A passageway is provided through the cap 28 at one side of which an inlet connection 3| communicates and at the bottom end of which a tube 32 communicates,- the tube 32 being threaded in a central threaded opening in the cap. At the bottom of the tube 32 I provide a diffusion head, here shown as a metal washer 33 suitably held in position, and a cap 34 between which felt or similar washers 36 are provided. The bottom of the tube 32 is ported to permit oxygen delivered under pressure to the tube 32 to come in contact with the inside edges of the felt washers 36 and diffuse through them into contact with water 31 occupying the lower portion of the container.

An outlet port or opening 38 is provided in the baflle 26 near the top thereof, and at 180 degrees from the port or opening 38 an outlet passageway 39 is provided. This passageway 39 communicates with the annular space 31 comprising the trap, being formed through the top wall 22 at a boss 4| equipped in the manner shown for attachment of an outlet connection 42.

Thus it will be seen that when oxygen is de livered to the container through the pipe 32, it difiuses out through the diffusion head and rises up partly in the form of a spray, at least carrying a relatively large amount of water with it mechanically. Humidified oxygen in which some water remains mechanically entrained passes through the opening 38, around the baffle 26 where the entrained water is permitted to drop out of suspension, and thence to the passageway 39 for delivery to the patient. The general movement of the oxygen is illustrated by the arrows in the drawings.

The container described is preferably formed of metal, or any non-breakable or non-friable material. Such materials are predominantly nontransparent, and to provide for ready determination of the amount of water in the humidifier I provide a sight gage 42 supported in the general manner shown between brackets 43 and 44 having passageways communicating with the! ends of the sight glass 42 and the interior of the container. A filling cock 43 is provided threaded into the bracket 43 and provided with a handle 41, a usual simple type of valve structure and a filling opening 48. By opening the valve associated with the handle 41, Water may be introduced at 48 to the level desired as shown by the sight glass. The handle'is then turned to the closed position and the device may continue to be operated in the usual way.

The functions and advantages of my invention should in general be clear, as well also as the manner in which it is used. In general, it may be said that except for introducing additional water approximately once every twenty-four hours the device requires no attention and Will continue to operate without failure substantially indefinitely. Only a single container is provided which is readily and simply mounted, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, and there is no possibility of breakage or any of the other accidents which occur with the equipment of the prior art.

I have described a specific form of my invention for the complete understanding of those skilled in the art, but the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A portable oxygen humidifier, adapted to be attached to an oxygen tank, for use in oxygen therapy, comprising an outer cylindrical container adapted to hold a body of water, said container being provided with top and bottom closure portions, an inner cylindrical section concentrically, arranged with respect to said outer container and spaced therefrom to provide an unimpeded annular passageway, the top edge of said inner cylindrical section coacting with the top closure portion to form a tight seal therewith, the bottom of said inner cylindrical section being open and terminating close to the bottom closure portion, said inner cylindrical section having a small opening near the top thereof communicating with said annular passageway, a vertically disposed oxygen inlet pipe within said inner cylindrical section and in concentric relation thereto, said pipe terminating near the bottom of said inner cylindrical section, an oxygen difiusion head attached to the bottom of said pipe whereby to subdivide the oxygen passing therethrough into a plurality of fine streams, and a discharge passageway on the top closure portion and spaced approximately degrees from the opening near the top of the inner cylindrical section, whereby the oxygen forced through said inlet pipe is humidified solely by passing through the body of water disposed within the container and the re-' sulting humidified oxygen then passes into and around said annular passageway wherein mechanicallyentrained water drops out of the oxygen prior to the discharge of the oxygen through the discharge passageway.

ALBERT McKEE.

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