GB2196858A

GB2196858A - Respiratory apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2196858A
Application number: GB8623484A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roland Richard Gibson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-09-30
Filing date: 1986-09-30
Publication date: 1988-05-11
Also published as: GB8623484D0

Abstract

Respiratory apparatus 10 for internally massaging the lungs to loosen mucus comprises an open tube 11 with a mouthpiece 12 at one end, the tube 11 being connected intermediate its ends to a secondary tube 13 housing means such as an oscillator 14 for imparting vibrations to air drawn into the lungs through the tube 11 via the mouthpiece 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Respiratory apparatus The present invention relates to a respiratory apparatus for internally massaging the living lung so as to vibrate the walls and shake the cilia fibres to loosen mucus and other debris allowing it to be readily transferred to the trachea and discharged from the body via the throat.

The lungs act as a medium which inflate with incoming air. Oxygen is absorbed from the air while it is inside the lung and before it is expelled from the lung to be replaced with a fresh charge of incoming air. Oxygen is the vital ingredient for life and the vitality and even existence of life depends upon it.

The effectiveness of the lung depends upon the size of the surface area and the performance of the living tissue in absorbing the oxygen component of the air. The performance of the tissue depends upon internal surface layers of the lung. Healthy layers absorb more oxygen more easily than unhealthy layers.

One characteristic of the internal layers of the lung is that when the health of the lung is threatened a thick viscous semifluid substance is secreted from the mucus membranes to protect the lung surfaces. This substance protects the lung by forming a layer on the surface but it also reduces the effectiveness of the lung and can eventually cause damage.

Small hairs called cilia grow on the inner surface of the lung. These cilia are in incessant vibratile movement and act to transfer surface substances up the walls of the lung to the trachea and hence out of the lung. The undulating expansion and contraction of the lung surface during normal breathing aids a loosening of the surface substances.

It is a recognised practice in children with cystic fibrosis, a disease of the lung where the cilia are inactive, to give an external massage to the body one or two times every day to loosen and aid removal of the mucus substances from the lungs. This vibration is unidirectional and needs to be applied at numerous spots on the torso in an attempt to treat the whole lung. Of course all surfaces can not be reached by external forces because the two lungs are housed in a single, rib, cage.

1 have now found that applying a vibrating volume of air inside the lung will act in the same way and loosen mucus substances.

The vibrating volume of air provides a hydrostatic pulsating pressure to the entire, inner, surface of the lungs obviating the necessity for numerous external applications. The same physical movement can be obtained from hydrodynamic vibrations as can be produced by the external massage but with much less energy and it eliminates the external phy sical blows which can cause damage. Pulsed air massage can be self applied, can supplement conventional physiotherapy in those with severe cystic fibrosis and may be used when postural drainage is not possible.

Air contained in an open ended tube can be made to vibrate without any significant movement of air out of or into the tube. Superimposed upon this vibration, the air can be made to travel along the tube so that fresh air moves into the tube at one end and an equal amount of air is expelled from the other end.

The air expelled from the tube will then have a pulsating character.

The present invention therefore provides respiratory apparatus for providing a pulsating or vibratory character to air drawn into the lungs comprising a main tube through which air can be drawn into the lungs and means for imparting vibrations to the air as it is drawn through the tube. The means for imparting vibrations to the air may conveniently comprise an oscillator attached to one side of the tube or alternatively it may comprise a manually operated bellows, or a remote oscillating device.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of respiratory apparatus in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Respiratory apparatus is indicated generally at 10 in the drawings. The apparatus 10 comprises an open ended main tube 11 with a mouthpiece 12 at one end. The main tube 11 is connected at right angles to a secondary tube 13 which is positioned intermediate the length of the main tube 11. The secondary tube 13 houses an oscillator 14 comprising a diaphragm 15 and an electrically driven vibrator 15.

Air contained in an open ended tube can be made to vibrate without any significant movement of air either in or out of the tube. If the oscillator 14 is activated it will impart a pulsating effect to the air in the main tube 11. If the air in the main tube is then drawn into the lungs through the mouthpiece 12 it will have a pulsating effect on the surface of the lungs.

A device may be included to allow adjustment of the length of the tube and alteration of the pulsed or resonant frequency to achieve the best effect for the particular user.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention which is shown in Figure 2, the electrically driven oscillator 14 may be replaced by a hand operated bellows 16 which can be squeezed to impart the pulsating character to the column of air in the main tube 11.

In a further alternative the apparatus may be in the form of or incorporated in a face mask.

Medicinal treatment of the lungs can be carried out by injecting antibiotics into the air stream through a nozzle 18, the movement of the antibiotic into the lungs being assisted by the pulsating action of the air stream. Biased pressures can also be applied to the lungs. A variable resistance to the intake of the air and a variable resistance to the expellation of air can be generated by a system of valves and this additional work can also have beneficial effects on the lungs of the user. The characteristics of the pulsations and the wave form may be varied. Normally a sinosoidal wave form will be used but alternatives would include a saw tooth wave form to assist separation of mucus from the lung tissue.

The massaging pulsation of the air in the lungs assists the lungs in expelling mucus, and aids health in cystic fibrocous patients, smokers and inhabitants in industrial areas by exercising, medicating and generally improving lung performance.

Claims

1. Respiratory apparatus for providing a pulsating or vibratory character to air drawn into the lungs comprising a tube through which air can be drawn into the lungs and means for imparting vibrations to the air as it is drawn through the tube.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for imparting vibrations to the air comprises an oscillator attached to one side of the tube.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for imparting vibrations to the air comprises a manually operated bellows.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for imparting vibrations to the air comprises a remote oscillating device.

5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tube has a mouthpiece at one end.

6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, incorporated in a face mask.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.