US2521679A

US2521679A - Closure collar for respirators

Info

Publication number: US2521679A
Application number: US724964A
Authority: US
Inventors: John D Akerman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-01-29
Filing date: 1947-01-29
Publication date: 1950-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1967-09-12

Description

Sgpt. 12, 1950 J. D. AKERMAN 2,521,679

CLOSURE COLLAR FOR RESPIRATORS Filed Jan. 29, 1947 Patented Sept. 12, 1950 t UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE COLLAR non REsPmAT'oR's John D. Akerman, Minneapolis, Minn.- application January 29, 1947, Serial No. 724,964

, This invention relates to apparatus for effecting artificial respiration and more particularly to a device for use with respirators commonly known as iron 1ungs, the iron lung being a chamber which encloses at least the -chest portion of the patient, and which in many cases encloses the patient entirely from the neck down. It is an object of the invention to provide a respirator collar unit which will effectively seal the respirator at the point where the neck of the patient protrudes through it so that there is little or no loss of pressure about the neck of the patient, and wherein the sealing collar unit is relatively comfortable to the patient and permits him a certain degree of movement. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a respirator collar which is so constructed that it can be readily manipulated to engage the neck 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-30) of the patient with a sealing action and can be readily released to free the patient.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a respirator collar which can be used conveniently in conjunction when the patient has undergone a tracheotomy, means being provided for holding portions of the collar in forwardlyispaced relation to the patients throat so that proper functioning of the tube to the trachea is not disturbed. I

The .above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the neck receiving end of an iron lung respirator with the collar unit in one position thereof;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the collar in an alternate position;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the collar unit;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the collar unit;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the interior of the device; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view therethrough.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is shown one end of an iron lung casing I which has an end plate 8 secured to the main casing by any suitable means. The end plate 8 is provided with a central opening 9 through which the neck of the patient is adapted to extend with the head lying outside of the casing.

The collar unit includes a rigid ring in which may be of metal and which has a downwardly turned flange H thereon, the bottom edge of the flange being turned outwardly slightly as at l2. The upper and lower side surfaces of the ring 10 having a yieldable gasket element l3 secured thereto by any suitable means such as an adhesive. The ring In is adapted to be clamped about the opening 9 in the respirator or iron lung plate 8 by means of clamps 14 shown in Figures 1 and 2, said clamps preferably being removably secured as by studs [5. I

The collar unit includes a frusto-conical flexible and air resistant element It whose large end fits over the bottom of the downwardly extending flange II on the ring l0 and is secured thereto by'means of a fastening band I! which may be releasably secured by means of a suitable readily releasable catch l8 such as disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 485,318, filed May 1, 1943, now Patent No. 2,421,533, entitled Clamp-Sealed Joint Construction (Belt,Neck and Wrist) for Pressure- Applying Aviators 'Suit, although any suitable securing means for the bands ll may be used, The smaller end of the frusto-conical flexible element lfi'defines a neck opening lllwhich is adapted to snugly fit the neck of the patient. It should be noted, particularly in Figures 1 and 3, that the neck opening i9 is disposed more toward the rear portion 160. of the element '16 than toward the front portion lfib of said element.

Means is provided for admission of the head.

of the patient through the opening in the flexible element 16 in the form of a separation 20 which extends from the rearward point about the neck opening l9 outwardly toward the ring l0 and also forwardly in said flexible element. The separation 20 preferably is closed by a slide fastener unit generally indicated at 2!. Underlying the separation 20 is a flap 22 which preferably is made of the same material as the flexible element IS, the latter conveniently being of relatively thin flexible rubber. Consequently, when pressure is applied inside of the frustoconical element l6 and said element is tight around the neck of the patient to provide a seal, said pressure will force the flap 22 tightly against said element and seal the separation 20.

In Figure 1 the collar unit is shown applied to a patient under normal circumstances with the frusto-conical flexible element 16 extending outwardly from the ring member 20 and up fairly close beneath the chin of the patient. In Figure 2 the collar unit is shown applied to the patient with the flexible element l6 extending into the iron lung or respirator casing I so that a substantial portion of the neck of the patient is exposed. The position of the device in Figure 2 is useful when the patient has undergone a tracheotomy and unrestricted exposure of a tracheotomy tube 23 is desired. A tracheotomy is performed in certain cases of paralysis where the throat muscles are paralyzed and breathing is otherwise difficult or impossible. In order to hold the flexible sealing element I6 awayfrom the area of the tracheotomy tube I provide a wire positioning device 24 which may be in the form of a member having three arms 25 which are bowed in shape and branch in three directions with their spaced ends 26 bent over and inserted in suitable openings 21 in the downwardly extending collar H which extends from the flat ring I0. The device 24, as shown in Figure 2, holds the forward portion of the flexible element 16 down adjacent the base of the neck and also holds it out in front of the neck so that there is none of the structure which closely confines the tracheotomy tube 23.

Location of the neck receiving opening l9 toward the rear portion of the unit rather than in the center thereof provides a greater amount of material of the flexible element l6 toward the front of the device so that the forward portion of the neck can be freely exposed, and the arrangement of the separation 20 in the element I6 is such that the closure or slide fastener 2| can be freely operated without interfering with the patient in the event he has undergone a tracheotomy.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely effective yet relatively simply constructed closure collar for respirators of the iron lung type which effectively seals the respirator at the point where the neck of the patient extends through it and which is considerably more comfortable than a thick bulky sponge rubber collar or the like, and

further wherein the neck can be considerably exposed so that a tube can be inserted into the trachea of the patient. that the flexible element I6 is secured adjacent one edge of the collar portion or flange II on the ring [0 and at one side of said ring. By reason of this structure the collar unit can be revised It should also be noted 4 to more conveniently fit persons having longer or shorter necks. Furthermore, normally the device is applied as viewed in Figure l with the flexible element 16 extended outwardly from the end of the respirator casing 1 to its full extent. However, when used as viewed in Figure 2, the collar unit is reversed in position so that the flexible element 16 will extend into the respirator a substantial distance, thereby exposing a considerable .portion of the throat or neck.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I' claim is:

1. A closure collar for the opening of an iron lung respirator including a rim, a flexible element secured to said rim and of such size that it will cover said respirator opening, said flexible element having a neck receiving opening therein, and a positioning device for said flexible element secured to said rim and extending laterally of the plane of said rim to hold portions of said flexible element in spaced relation to said neck receiving opening.

2. A closure collar for the opening of an iron lung respirator including a rim, a flexible element secured to said rim and of such size that it will cover said respirator opening, said flexible element having a neck-receiving opening therein, and a positioning device for said flexible element secured to said rim independently of said flexible element and extending laterally of the plane of said rim adjacent the interior of said rim to hold other portions of said flexible element away from that portion of said element which defines said neck-receiving opening.

JOHN D. AKERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,263,844 Hammond Nov. 25, 1941 2,270,313 Kraft Jan. 20, 1942 2,315,955 Slater Mar. 30, 1943