| 摘要 |
1332382 Valves HUDSON OXYGEN THERAPY CO 6 May 1971 [10 June 1970] 13408/71 Heading F2V [Also in Divisions A5 B1 and B2] A device which may be adjusted to function as either a humidifier or an atomizer comprises a chamber 14, Fig. 4, a valve housing 25, an upper conduit 17 and a lower conduit 15 each of which communicates with a cavity (54) formed in the valve housing, the lower conduit also communicating with the chamber 14, and a valve spool 32 received in the cavity (54) to define with the housing a valve chamber 56. The valve chamber 56, Fig. 8, communicating with the chamber 14 through an orifice 22. When the device is used as a humidifier the valve spool is positioned to align passageways 36, 39 with the upper and lower conduits to allow air or oxygen to pass from the upper conduit to the lower conduit through the water in the chamber 14, and to a patient through a gas outlet tube (16). When the device is used as an atomizer a passageway 38 of the valve spool is aligned with the upper conduit 17 so that gas can pass from the upper conduit to the valve chamber through an orifice 35, and water can pass from the lower conduit to the valve chamber through a groove 34, the velocity of the gas through the orifice creating a vacuum in the valve chamber which draws the water into the chamber, and causing the water to break up into droplets to form an aerosol, which passes through the orifice 22 and outlet tube (16) to a patient. A baffle 80 may aid droplet formation and its position may be varied to achieve different particle sizes and dispersions. A diffuser 78 at the lower end of the lower conduit also acts as a filter. In other embodiments (Figs. 9 and 10, not shown) the upper and lower conduits communicate with a bore (66), and an L-shaped bore (68) provides communication between the upper conduit and the valve chamber, or the valve chamber may be formed as part of a groove (44). A relief valve (Fig. 12, not shown) incorporating a flexible disc (82) secured at its centre may be used. The liquid level should be below orifice 22 and above conduit 15. The device may be made from plastics material, and the walls of the chamber 14 may be clear. |
