WO2024236257A1

WO2024236257A1 - Breathing systems

Info

Publication number: WO2024236257A1
Application number: PCT/GB2024/000018
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy Bateman; Christopher John WOOSNAM; Andrew Thomas Jeffrey
Original assignee: Smiths Medical International Ltd
Current assignee: Smiths Medical International Ltd
Priority date: 2023-05-18
Filing date: 2024-05-02
Publication date: 2024-11-21
Anticipated expiration: 2025-11-18
Also published as: GB202307421D0

Abstract

A breathing system includes a tracheal tube (1) with an electrical sensor (10) at its patient end connected by a cable (12) to an electrical connector (15) on the outside of a coupling (13) at the machine end of the tube. The system also includes a breathing circuit (2) with a coupling (20) at its patient end having a connector (23) arranged to connect with the connector on the tracheal tube. The breathing circuit has an electrical cable (25) extending along its length and connected with the connector at its patient end. The opposite end of the cable terminates at a combined gas coupling and electrical connector (29) at the machine end of the breathing circuit, which connects to a coupling (32) on a gas supply (3). The gas supply includes a ventilator (30) and an electrical unit (31) configured to receive the output of the sensor via the cable.

Description

BREATHING SYSTEMS

This invention relates to breathing systems of the kind including a breathing device for providing a breathing interface with a patient, a breathing gas supply, and a breathing circuit arranged to connect at one end with the breathing device and at its other end with the breathing gas supply.

During or following surgery a patient is usually provided with a breathing device, such as a tracheostomy tube, endotracheal tube, laryngeal mask, or the like. The breathing device may be connected by a breathing circuit, including one or more tubes, to a ventilation or anaesthetic machine by which gas is supplied to the patient. It is also common practice for the breathing device to have an electrical device associated with it, such as for sensing, connected by an electrical cable to the ventilator or anaesthetic machine or to a separate electrical unit. It can take time to connect the breathing device to the breathing circuit and separately to connect the electrical device to its associated electrical unit. There is also a risk that the electrical device may inadvertently remain unconnected, or be incorrectly connected. The separate breathing tubes and electrical cables can lead to a cluttered surgical site, and they risk becoming tangled or snagged by other equipment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative breathing system, breathing device, and breathing circuit.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a breathing system of the above-specified kind, characterised in that the system includes an electrical device mounted with the breathing device and electrically connected with a first electrical connector mounted with the machine end of the breathing device, that the breathing circuit has at its one end a cooperating, second electrical connector arranged to make electrical connection with the first electrical connector when the breathing circuit is connected with the breathing device, and that the system also includes an electrical cable extending along and attached with the breathing circuit by which the electrical device mounted with the breathing device can be electrically connected with an electrical unit. The first and second electrical connectors are preferably mounted on respective couplings at the machine end of the breathing device and the patient end of the breathing circuit so that the electrical connectors engage one another when the couplings are engaged. The electrical connectors may be mounted externally of the couplings. The electrical device is preferably a sensor. The sensor may be is selected from any one of the following: a temperature sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor and a gas flow sensor. The breathing device may be is selected from any one of the following: an endotracheal tube, an endobronchial tube, a tracheostomy tube, a laryngeal mask, and a face mask.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a breathing device for a breathing system according to the above one aspect of the present invention.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a breathing circuit for a breathing system according to the above one aspect of the present invention.

A breathing system, breathing circuit and breathing device all according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a simplified, schematic view of the system;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the mating end of the breathing device and the circuit in one embodiment;

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the mating ends of the breathing device and circuit in a second embodiment;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the machine end of a third embodiment of breathing device;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the machine end of a fourth embodiment of breathing device; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the machine end of a fifth embodiment of breathing device; and

Figure 7 is a simplified perspective view of a connector unit for connecting the machine end of the breathing circuit with a ventilator.

With reference to Figure 1 the breathing system comprises a breathing device in the form of an endotracheal tube 1 connected with a breathing circuit 2 that extends to a breathing gas supply 3 comprising a ventilator 30 and electrical unit 31.

With reference now also to Figure 2, the endotracheal tube 1 is substantially conventional but includes an associated electrical device 10 such as a temperature sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, gas flow sensor or other sensor, and may be mounted internally or externally of the tube. Alternatively, the electrical device could be a viewing device, such as a video camera, or a light source for use in checking positioning of the tube from the outside of the patient, or some other electrical device. The device 10 is typically mounted towards the patient end 11 of the tube 1 and connected by an electrical conductor such as a cable 12 to a modified coupling 13 at the machine end of the tube 1. The cable 12 could be extruded with or moulded into the wall of the tube 1 during manufacture, or it could be attached with the inside or external wall of the tube 1, such as along a channel formed along the tube, which could also receive a sealing cuff inflation line. The coupling 13 is similar to conventional male 15mm tapered couplings used on endotracheal tubes and the like, having a circular cross section and an external tapered male surface 14 adapted to receive a mating female coupling 20 having an internal tapered surface 21. The coupling 13 is modified by the addition of an electrical connector 15 of cantilever shape attached with the outside of the coupling at its forward, patient end 16 and extending rearwardly close to the rear end of the coupling spaced above its outside surface by a distance sufficient to receive the wall of the female coupling 20. The machine, rear end face 17 of the connector 15 is flat and opens at three apertures 18 each containing an electrical contact (not visible) electrically connected with respective wires of the cable 12. The breathing circuit 2 includes a flexible, corrugated breathing tube or tubing 22 terminated at its forward, patient end by the female coupling 20. The coupling 20 supports an electrical connector 23 on its outer surface 24 and connected with an electrical conductor such as a cable 25 extending internally, externally or within the wall of the breathing tubing 22. The electrical connector 23 includes three electrical contact pins 26 connected with respective wires in the cable 25. The pins 26 extend longitudinally of the coupling 20 within an electrically-insulative housing 27, which surrounds the pins and opens at its forward, patient end to receive the connector 15 on the male coupling 13.

Although the breathing device shown is an endotracheal tube 1 it could be any different form of breathing device used to provide a breathing interface with a patient such as an endobronchial tube, tracheostomy tube, laryngeal mark or face mask applied externally around the nose and mouth.

The illustrated breathing circuit 2 is shown as a single-limb circuit or tube for simplicity. It will be appreciated that alternative breathing circuits could be used, such as a dual-limb circuit or a coaxial circuit.

At its rear or machine end the breathing tube 22 may be terminated by a coupling 29 similar to that at its forward end, incorporating both a gas coupling and an electrical connector. This is coupled with a cooperating coupling 32 on the ventilator 30 adapted to make both gas connection with the passage through the tube 22 and electrical connection to the electrical device 10 in the endotracheal tube 1 via the cables 12 and 25 in the endotracheal tube and in the breathing circuit 2. The electrical signals are supplied to the electrical unit 31 via conductors 33 for use in controlling the ventilator 30 or providing information to the user. This arrangement requires the coupling 32 on the ventilator unit 30 to be modified to receive the combined gas coupling 29 and electrical connector at the machine end of the breathing tube 2.

In order to enable the breathing circuit 2 to be used with conventional ventilators a connector block 70 of the kind illustrated in Figure 7 could be used. This has a coupling 71 adapted to receive the coupling 29 on the breathing circuit 2 and including electrical contacts 72 adapted to make electrical connection with the electrical device 10 in the endotracheal tube 1 via the cables 12 and 25 along the tube 1 and the breathing circuit 2. The connector block 70 includes a gas passage 73 between the coupling 71 and a gas tube 74 extending externally of the block and terminated by a conventional gas coupling 75 of the kind adapted for connection to a conventional ventilator. The block 70 also includes an electrical path 76 from the electrical contacts 72 on the coupling 71 to an external electrical cable 77 terminated by a conventional electrical connector 78 adapted to make electrical connection with an electrical unit 31 ’ separate from the ventilator.

Various different configurations of electrical connector could be used, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Figure 3 shows a coupling arrangement where the electrical contacts 81 on the male coupling 82 at the machine end of the breathing device 1 are flat tabs level with the external surface of the coupling and where the mating electrical contacts 83 on the female coupling 84 at the patient end of the breathing circuit 2 are flat tabs spaced around and level with the internal surface of the coupling and arranged to align with and contact the tabs 81 on the other coupling.

Figure 4 shows a different coupling 90 at the machine end of the breathing device 1 where the electrical connector 91 is positioned at the rear of the external surface 92 and is engaged by a cooperating electrical connector (not shown) at the forward end of the coupling on the breathing circuit. This arrangement enables the coupling 90 on the breathing device 1 to be engaged by a conventional female tapered coupling, such as on a breathing bag for emergency situations. This could alternatively be achieved by having an electrical connector internally of the male coupling.

Figure 5 shows part of a male coupling 100 at the machine end of a breathing device where the electrical connector is provided by electrical contact sockets 101 within the wall of the coupling and opening at its flat end face 102. This coupling 100 is engaged by corresponding electrical contact pins on the inside of the female coupling on the breathing circuit. Figure 6 shows a coupling arrangement 110 where the electrical connectors are engaged by a relative rotational movement between the two couplings. The electrical connector 111 on the male coupling 112 is close to its rear, machine end, in a similar manner to the arrangement shown in Figure 4, but the contacts 113 are aligned circumferentially rather than longitudinally. The electrical connector 114 on the female coupling 115 is located at its forward, patient end and has its contacts aligned circumferentially facing those on the male coupling 112. The two couplings 112 and 115 are engaged by pushing them together axially until the end of the female coupling engages the side of the electrical connector 111 on the male coupling 112. The two couplings 112 and 115 are then twisted rotationally to move the two connectors into electrical engagement. The engagement of the two electrical connectors 111 and 114 in this arrangement also acts to lock the two couplings 112 and 115 together against axial disconnection. To disengage the two couplings 112 and 115, they must first be twisted relative to one another to disengage the electrical connectors 111 and 114 before they can be pulled apart axially.

Claims

1. A breathing system including a breathing device (1) for providing a breathing interface with a patient, a breathing gas supply (3), and a breathing circuit (2) arranged to connect at one end with the breathing device (1) and at its other end with the breathing gas supply (3), characterised in that the system includes an electrical device (10) mounted with the breathing device (1) and electrically connected with a first electrical connector (15) mounted with the machine end of the breathing device, that the breathing circuit (2) has at its one end a cooperating, second electrical connector (23) arranged to make electrical connection with the first electrical connector (15) when the breathing tube is connected with the breathing device (1), and that the system also includes an electrical cable (25) extending along and attached with the breathing circuit (2) by which the electrical device (10) mounted with the breathing device (1) can be electrically connected with an electrical unit (31).

2. A breathing system according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first and second electrical connectors (15 and 23) are mounted on respective couplings (13 and 20) at the machine end of the breathing device (1) and the patient end of the breathing circuit (2) so that the electrical connectors engage one another when the couplings are engaged.

3. A breathing system according to Claim 2, characterised in that the electrical connectors (15 and 23) are mounted externally of the couplings (13 and 20).

4. A breathing system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the electrical device is a sensor (10).

5. A breathing system according to Claim 4, characterised in that the sensor (10) is selected from any one of the following: a temperature sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor and a gas flow sensor.

6. A breathing system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the breathing device (1) is selected from any one of the following: an endotracheal tube, an endobronchial tube, a tracheostomy tube, a laryngeal mask, and a face mask.

7. A breathing device (1) for a breathing system according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. A breathing circuit (2) for a breathing system according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.