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1. A ventilator circuit for assisting with breathing or for performing the entire breathing function for a patient consisting of:
an endotracheal tube connected to a Y-connector tube, a first branch of said Y-connector tube being connected to an exhalation tube which is in turn connected to an exhalation solenoid valve, said exhalation solenoid valve being connected to a ventilator system control unit, a second branch of said Y-connector tube being connected to a tube which is in turn connected to a metered dose inhaler (MDI)/nebulizer adapter which is in turn connected to a tube which is then connected to an inhalation solenoid valve, said inhalation solenoid valve and said exhalation solenoid valve being controlled by said ventilator system control unit which further includes a compressed air or oxygen source, said ventilator controller having control hardware capable of controlling breathing for the patient at a selected interval and selected flow rates by periodically opening and closing said solenoid valves; said MDI/nebulizer adapter comprising a one piece generally longitudinal tubular housing including a downstream female connection end and an upstream male connection end, said upstream male connection end slightly tapering to a larger outer diameter going toward said downstream connection end of said adapter, said female connection end and said male connection end capable of making a virtually air tight friction fit connection with connecting pieces of properly sized tubing; said tubular housing also including an upper port for receiving an MDI canister, said upper port including a base with a vertical nozzle receiving tube extending upward from a center of said base, said nozzle receiving tube being in fluid communication with said tubular housing, said nozzle receiving tube having an inner diameter sized for an air tight friction fit with a nozzle of said MDI canister, said upper port also including a vertical lug parallel to said vertical nozzle receiving tube, said lug including teeth on one vertical edge thereof, said teeth capable of spinning a counter operating gear within a dose counter contained in a head piece of said MDI canister and causing said counter to count down by one count when said canister is pressed down toward said base to dispense a dose of medication, said upper port also including a first cap being rotatably connected to said adapter by a first integral tether, said first cap being capable of tightly covering said nozzle receiving tube to prevent contamination when said MDI canister is not connected to said adapter; said tubular housing further including a lower port for connecting a nebulizer into said ventilator circuit, said lower port having an inner diameter sized to receive and form an air tight friction fit with an upper end of the nebulizer, said nebulizer including a bowl into which a selected amount of liquid medication is poured, a compressed air source, connecting tubing, and a misting nozzle wherein air or oxygen is blown from said compressed air source through said connecting tubing and said misting nozzle into said liquid medication contained within the bowl of said nebulizer, thus causing said liquid medication to be converted into a mist which is then sucked through said lower port and into said ventilator circuit and on into a patient's lung during use, said lower port including a check valve which comprises a valve stem, a closure plate, a valve seat, a spring and a valve operator at a base of said valve stem, said check valve also having a stem aperture and a valve aperture formed therein, said check valve being forced open by the insertion of said nebulizer into said lower port and said check valve being held closed by said spring when said nebulizer is removed from said lower port, said lower port also containing a second cap capable of tightly closing said lower port when said nebulizer is unattached, said second cap being rotatably attached to said adapter by a second tether integral with said second cap; said upper and lower ports being separated from one another so as to prevent medication from one port from being deposited on the other port said upper port positioned at a selected location other than directly above said lower port, said lower port positioned downstream of said upper port; and said tubular housing further including an integral loop providing a tie point which may be used to support or fix said adapter and attached ventilator circuit elements in a selected position relative to a patient.
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