WO2016203289A1

WO2016203289A1 - D-box for actuating ambu-bag

Info

Publication number: WO2016203289A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/054520
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oladayo Emmanuel OLAKULEHIN
Original assignee: Olakulehin Oladayo Emmanuel
Priority date: 2015-06-15
Filing date: 2015-06-15
Publication date: 2016-12-22

Abstract

Access to Intensive care and ventilator care in Nigeria and some other developing nations remains low due to profound poverty and poor health insurance access. Many patients in respiratory failure are left in the hands of young doctors to be continuously ambu-bagged. This invention ensures the efficiency of the process is mechanized and also in any resuscitation setting ensures that a 2-man resuscitation may be done by one rescuer. In an ideal setting, this invention should be on every emergency tray in the world, aptly replacing the manually operated Ambu-bag.

Description

D-BOX FOR ACTUATING AMBU-BAG

INTRODUCTION

The d-box idea was developed during my internship at the Lagos University Teaching

Hospital. It is a device needed in resource poor hospitals, developing countries, and rural areas in developed countries, and in every emergency tray in hospital wards, homes and clinics worldwide.

Patients who still have a heart beat but have lost spontaneous breathing ability ideally require care in an intensive care unit/cardiac care unit where they are connected to ventilators. Most hospitals, including Teaching hospitals in my country have very few ventilators, and ICU admission is extremely expensive. Even in private hospitals where they have the ventilators, most lack the manpower to provide intensive care and often have to call for a specialist. Whether in the case of a ventilator unavailable, or the absence of a professional, the D-box allows life support and 'buying time' pending the arrival of a ventilator, or a trained professional.

For patients who cannot get ventilator support, interns are required to 'Ambu-bag' these patients until some other intervention is available. This process is often daunting and largely ineffective.

TH E D-BOX

The D-box is a box that can house a ambu bag and deliver puffs by itself by a battery powered mechanism (rechargeable)

• As in the diagram above, an ambu-bag is just dropped in the box. The box's arched sides are powered by levers that cause them to compress the bag & then release the bag, since the bag is self-inflating.

• The device will have a resuscitation mode, life support mode and an additional foot switch. In 'life-support mode', the device delivers breaths to the patient and can maintain continuous ventilation of the patient via a face mask or an endo-tracheal tube connected to the ambu bag sitting in the D-box. A knob will exist for 'number ofpuffs- per-minute'.

This allows financially challenged patients- who form the majority of the population in developing nations- to have effective ventilation, while they raise funds to afford intensive care.

And for those who never get to raise the funds, it provides a more efficient way of ventilator support as against the human bagging that is the available alternative for now. ( I have personally bagged such patients for hours)

In resuscitation mode, the device allows a one-man resuscitation to be done like a two-man CPR. The D-box acts as the second man, while the rescuer is the other man. This application shows why the D-box will have use even in developed countries, as a major new component of every first-aid kit and emergency tray.

It also removes the technicality involved in lay people using the ambu bag, who often use it ineffectively.

The foot switch feature allows for a manual over-ride, especially when the d-box is in resuscitation mode, such that the same person giving chest compressions can quickly do a head-tilt, position the mask and use the foot switch to deliver a breath with the d-box.

This will help put smiles, which have been before now reserved only for the rich, help prolong lives and give the poor a deserved opportunity to live and help reduce the mortality figures from third world countries.

Claims

1. A D-Box containing a cavity for an Ambu-Bag, mechanized levers from the side to compress the bag, and a rechargeable battery unit to power the D-Box

2. The said D-box in Claim 1 shall exist in 3 forms based on size, and adult size, paediatric size, and neonatal size for the said respective Ambu-bags .

3. That the said D-box in Claim 1 currently does not exist in any form, as manually compressed Ambu bags are currently used, and Ventilator care is the current option for patients in respiratory failure, with a required level of attendant cost and expertise .