Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a respiratory treatment device. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a respiratory treatment device particularly suited to treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

Background of the Invention

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Whilst the majority of cases of COVID-19 result in relatively mild symptoms, some cases are much more severe, and may result in significant respiratory distress, potentially leading to fatality. Severe cases may be treated with mechanical ventilation of a patient. The burden on health providers is currently at unforeseen levels, and there is a shortage of ventilators suitable for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved respiratory treatment device.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a respiratory treatment device comprising: an air input comprising a viral filter, an oxygen input, a pressurisation unit arranged to be supplied with air from the air input and oxygen from the oxygen input, and an output, wherein the pressurisation unit is arranged to supply the output with an air and oxygen mix at increased pressure.

Advantageously, the respiratory treatment apparatus may be used to supply oxygen enriched air at increased pressure to a patient suffering from respiratory distress, for example due to COVID-19. The respiratory treatment apparatus may be a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. The increased pressure is relative to atmospheric pressure. Treatment with the device may improve patient health, such that more intrusive ventilation is not required. The device also allows for straightforward treatment of a patient, without requiring skilled medical intervention, thereby reducing the demand on medical practitioners.

The air input may be open to the atmosphere. The respiratory treatment device may comprise a plurality of air inputs, each air input comprising a viral filter. Provision of a plurality of air inputs may improve the air flow through the device.

The respiratory treatment device may further comprise an oxygen supply, for example a cylinder of medical oxygen. The oxygen supply may be connected to the oxygen input. The respiratory treatment device may comprise one or more adaptors to allow connection of various different oxygen supplies to the oxygen input. Increasing the adaptability of the device is particularly advantageous when demand on medical supplies is high and hospitals may be restricted in the materials available to them.

The output may be connected to a hose. The respiratory treatment device may comprise one or more adaptors to allow connection of various different hoses to the output. Such an arrangement may increase the adaptability of the device.

The hose may be connected to a mask. The respiratory treatment device may comprise one or more adaptors to allow connection of different masks to different hoses. Such an arrangement may increase the adaptability of the device. The mask may be a vented mask. The mask may be a non- vented mask. The mask may comprise straps for holding the mask in place on a patient’s face. The face mask may include sealing elements around the external perimeter of the mask in order to ensure a good seal with the face of a patient.

The air input may feed cleaned air into a chamber within the respiratory treatment device. The oxygen input may feed air into the same chamber to mix with the clean air. The pressurisation unit may create a negative pressure within the chamber such that air is drawn from outside the respiratory treatment device into the chamber, prior to being expelled from the output. The chamber may comprise a UV light treatment unit. The UV light treatment unit may comprise a UVC germicidal bulb, to treat the air and/or oxygen in the chamber.

The oxygen input may comprise an oxygen injector arranged to feed oxygen directly into the pressurisation unit. The pressurisation unit may comprise a fan. Feeding the oxygen directly into the pressurisation unit, for example, a fan, may increase the efficiency of the device by providing the required oxygen/air ratio to the patient with less total oxygen consumed compared to alternative arrangements. Improving the efficiency of the device is particularly advantageous when demand on medical supplies is high, and the amount of oxygen available is limited. The oxygen input may comprise a regulator to determine the rate at which oxygen is supplied to the device, and therefore the ratio of the oxygen/air mixture supplied to the patient. The device may be arranged to supply a high inspired oxygen stream, with an oxygen fraction of greater than or equal to 50%. The regulator may be adjustable or fixed. The device may be arranged to supply greater than or equal to 5 litres of oxygen a minute to a patient.

The skilled person will appreciate that alternative pressurisation units may be provided, such as pumps, turbines, or compressors.

The respiratory treatment device may comprise a power supply arranged to power the pressurisation unit. The power supply may be arranged to be connected to mains electricity. Alternatively or additionally, the power supply may be arranged to be connected to a battery. The battery may integral to the respiratory treatment device, or may be a separate battery unit. The provision of a battery connection may be advantageous when the device is being used in non-typical hospital environments where mains power connections are limited, for example a field hospital. The respiratory treatment device may comprise a handle to further increase the portability of the device. The respiratory treatment device may comprise one or more fixing elements such as hooks, to allow the device to be securely mounted on a bed or chair.

The respiratory treatment device may comprise one or more anti-viral materials, and/or anti-viral coatings. The respiratory treatment device may be arranged for easy cleaning before, during, and/or after use. The respiratory treatment device may be arranged to be easily broken down into component parts in order to facilitate such cleaning. Such an arrangement may further reduce the chances of virus transmission when using the device.

The viral filter associated with the air input may be removable and replaceable. Example viral filters that would be suitable are HMEF viral filters as supplied by GE Healthcare <RTM>.

The respiratory treatment device may comprise a control unit. The control unit may control the pressurisation unit, so as to determine the pressure of the oxygen/air mixture being supplied to a patient. For example, there may be three control settings, a high setting for patients starting treatment, and a medium and low setting for patients whose health is improving. The setting may be determined by a medical practitioner or by the user themselves.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

Figure 1 shows an isometric view of a respiratory treatment device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the device shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a schematic system diagram of the respiratory treatment device of figure 1.

Detailed Description

Figures 1 to 3 show a respiratory treatment device 10. In this embodiment, the respiratory treatment device 10 is a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP). As such, it will be referred to as a CPAP device 10 in the following description. The CPAP device 10 comprises an air input 12, open to the atmosphere. In this embodiment a second air input 12 is also provided. As the structure of the air inputs 12 is the same, only a single air input 12 will be described. The air input 12 includes a viral filter 14. The CPAP device 10 also comprises an oxygen input 16 connected to an oxygen supply 42. The skilled person will appreciate that various suitable viral filters may be provided, for example the HMEF viral filters available from GE Healthcare <RTM>. The air input 12 and oxygen input 16 are the only inputs into the CPAP device 10. As the air input 12 includes a viral filter 14, and the oxygen input 16 is being supplied with medical oxygen, it is ensured that only clean air/oxygen enters the CPAP device 10. The air input 12 and oxygen input 16 feed air into a lower chamber 20. The air input 12 feeds directly into the lower chamber 20, and the oxygen input feeds oxygen into an oxygen injector 22 located within the chamber 20. The viral filter 14 is positioned to the outside of the lower chamber 20 in the embodiment shown, which may improve the ease with which the filter is changed. In an alternative arrangement, the viral filter 14 may be positioned internally, for example within the lower chamber 20. Such an arrangement may reduce the risk of the viral filter 14 being damaged during use. The viral filter 14 may be secured in position by a latch, the latch allowing easy replacement of filters. The lower chamber 20 includes a light unit in the form of a germicidal UVC bulb 21 arranged to treat the air present in the lower chamber 20. A fan unit 24 is located close to the outlet of the oxygen injector 22, such that oxygen is fed directly from the oxygen injector 22 into the fan unit 24. The direct injection of oxygen into the fan unit 24 may reduce the amount of oxygen required to provide a suitable oxygen concentration to a patient. Reducing the overall oxygen consumption of the CPAP device 10 is advantageous when the demand for oxygen is high. The reduced demand may also reduce the frequency with which an oxygen supply requires changing, thereby reducing the burden on healthcare professionals when demand on their time is very high. The oxygen injector 22 may regulate the flow of oxygen being supplied to the fan unit 24, or in an alternative embodiment, the oxygen input 16 may include a regulator valve. The fan unit accelerates air and oxygen from the lower chamber 22 and delivers the air and oxygen mix to an output 26. The oxygen may comprise greater than or equal to 50% of the air and oxygen mix. The skilled person will appreciate that the mix may be adjusted depending on the severity of the patient symptoms. The output 26 is connected to tubing 28 which leads to a vented mask 30, which is worn by a patient. The output 26 is shaped and sized to allow connection to many conventional breathing tubes, as will usually be found in a hospital. As such, the CPAP device may easily be adapted for use with the supplies found in a hospital, rather than being limited to very specific equipment. One or more adaptors for the output 26 may also be provided with the CPAP device 10 in order to further increase the range of equipment with which the device may be used. The vented mask 30 comprises one or more adjustable straps to allow the mask 30 to be well fitted to a patient’s face. The skilled person will appreciate that any suitable mask 30 may be provided, and again adaptors may be used to ensure that the mask 30 is compatible with the tubing 28. The provision of such an adaptable system is particularly advantageous when demand on hospital supplies is very high and it may be difficult to obtain additional supplies to those already being held by a hospital, or at least obtain very specific supplies as may be required by various other prior art devices. As the CPAP device 10 supplies a constant positive air pressure to a patient, the mask 30 is vented to allow the patient to exhale. The vented mask 30 may comprise viral filters in order to reduce or eliminate any contaminated air being exhaled by the patient. In an alternative embodiment, a non-vented mask may be provided.

In addition, the viral filter 14 removes virus particles from air in the environment local to the patient. Therefore, in addition to ensuring the air being supplied to the patient is clean, the CPAP device 10 removes virus particles which may be circulating around the patient, thus further reducing the potential transmission of the virus and may otherwise be transmitted to people close to the patient.

The CPAP device 10 further comprises an upper chamber 32, sealed from the lower chamber 20, the upper chamber 32 housing all of the electrical elements of the CPAP device 10. The electrical elements include a power supply 34 which is arranged to drive the fan unit 24, and a control unit 36 which is arranged to control the speed at which the fan unit 24 operates. The control unit 36 is arranged with three settings, with a high pressure setting, a medium pressure setting, and a low pressure setting. A user may set the CPAP device 10 at the appropriate setting for a patient, for example high pressure as treatment is initiated, and then the medium and/or low pressure settings as the patient health improves over time. The power supply may be arranged for connection to mains power 40, as shown in figure 3, or may be arranged for connection to battery power, for example a separate battery power unit.

Connection to battery power may allow the CPAP device 10 to be easily portable, which may be particularly advantageous if being used in non-traditional hospital settings. The CPAP device 10 comprises a handle 38 which also adds to the portability of the device.

All or some materials making up the CPAP device 10 may be made of COVID-19 resistant materials, for example, the housing of the CPAP device 10 may comprise copper. Additionally, the surfaces of the CPAP device 10 may be chosen to be suitable for easy cleaning and sterilisation before, during, and post use. The CPAP device 10 may also be treated with anti-viral coatings in order to make the device less hospitable to any viral particles.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.