RESPIRATORY VALVE FACE MASK STRUCTURE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION -

1. Field of the Invention. This invention relates to a valve equipped respiratory mask for restoration of re-

5 spiration in cases of respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.

2. Description of the Prior Art. Representative of the prior art known is the U.S. Patent 3,796,216 to K. H. Schwarz wherein a flap valve serves in the alternative Q to close exhalation and inhalation ports with respect to a gas supply but appears to have no provision for inhalation for ambient air under atmospheric pressure and the U.S. Patents Nos. 3,215,413 to J. A. Mota and 3,106,204 to B. Paramelle respectively disclose the use 5 of pairs of bellows and each have a plurality of valves for inhalation, exhalation and for pressure relief pur¬ poses.

The structure herein comprising a face mask coupled with a pressurized air and oxygen supply provides a simply o constructed positive acting control valve which^' provides pure oxygen mixed with an ambient air for a pressurized oxygen enriched air supply and which seals off communi¬ cation with the atmosphere with the passage of said oxy¬ gen enriched air under pressure into the air passages of 5 the subject.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION -

The invention herein comprises a respiratory valve equip* ped oxygen mask readily adapted to be positioned air tight onto the face of a subject for the injection of

oxygen enriched air to a suT5Jecf ^"suffering from respira¬ tory failure or cardiac arrest such as in connection with the apparatus described in my pending application S. N. 895,733 filed April 5, 1978 entitled Cardiac Pulmonary 5 Resuscitation Apparatus.

To have effective use of the injection of oxygen enriched air into a subject there must be the cooperative rela¬ tionship of a valve equipped mask readily positioned to be air tight, to suitably fit various sized faces and o have a valve structure which permits free passage of ambient air under atmospheric pressure and which embo¬ dies means for simultaneously sealing off the passage of ambient air during the application of oxygen enriched air to the subject.

5 More specifically stated, it is an object of this inven¬ tion to provide a flexible face mask having a elongated chin angaging structure with cheek flaps and an internal rib to provide an air tight fit about the air passeges of a subject and which will accommodate various sized o faces and integral therewith is a pressure operated switch valve which closes off ambient air when pres¬ surized oxygen or oxygen enriched air is injected into the air passages of the subject and coupled with said valve is a relief structure to relieve an excessive build 5 up of the pressure of oxygen or oxygen enriched air.

The above and like objects and advantages of the inven¬ tion will be set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to similar parts through the o several views thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS -

Fig. 1 is a broken view in side elevation

showing the structure of the invention herein in an operating position.

Figs. 2 and 3 are respective views in front and side elevation of the invention herein 5 with portions broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section taken on line ^"4-4 of Fig. 3 as indicated;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the structure in an alternate position; and o Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively top and bottom plan views with some portions broken away,

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT -

Referring to the drawings with a particular reference to Figs. 4 and 5, the valve equipped face mask structure co - 5 prising the invention herein is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The application of said mask in an operating position as indicated in Fig. 1 is with reference to my pending application S. N. 895,733 filed April 5, 1978 entitled Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation o Apparatus for the specific description of the supporting structure herein which shows the subject S in a supine position with its head resting on a head positioning mem¬ ber 7.

Said mask is designed to overlie the nose, mouth and chin 5 facial portion of a subject, the word subject as used herein being defined as a person to whom the mask is ap- . plied as in Fig. 1.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, said mask has a perimeter 12 which will conform generally to the physical contours o about the nose, mouth and chin portions of a face

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ture and has formed in the chin portion 14 thereof a plu¬ rality of spaced transverse grooves 15 to accommodate various lengths of faces and provide a sealing chin fit, see Fig. 2.

5 Said mask will be formed preferably of a suitable flex¬ ible form-retaining plastic material such as of polyvinyl chloride which plastic_.material has sufficient resilience to make a tight yielding fit about a face structure.

Formed on the inner surface of said mask 10 is a project- o ing yielding rib 16 constructed and contoured to engage and fit about the nose structure of a subject- and extend just under the lower lip portion into the transverse de¬ pression thereunder and said rib is of sufficient height to form a seal when the mask is secured as will be de- 5 scribed.

Extending or flaring outwardly of said chin portion 14 of said mask to overlie the adjacent cheek portions of the subject are flap portions 18 and 19. Said flap portions have secured thereto strap members 20 and 21 which will o be secured as to an appropriate headboard such as the headboard 7 indicated in Fig. 1.

The central body portion of said mask as indicated by the reference numeral 23 projects upwardly from about said rib portior 16 and provides a chamber 24 thereunder about 5 the nose and mouth portions or air passages of a subject.

Said rib portion 16 is arched at 16a to seat about the bridge of a nose.

Embedded in front wall 23a of said portion 23 as shown in Figs. 1-3 is an angled spring wire 26 which has a base o portion comprising wires 26a and 26b lying along each side of a nose and being angled upwardly as at 26c arched over

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the bridge of the nose to form an outwardly projecting loop 26d. A strap member 27 will suitably engage said . loop and pass over the head of the subject to be secured at its other end to said headboard 7 and thus the holding 5 action of said three straps secures said rib 16 in a sealing position onto the face of a cubject to seal from the atmosphere the pressurized oxygen or oxygen enriched air passing thourgh said chamber 24 as will be further described.

o Said upward projecting portion 23 is apertured as at 30 and 32, said apertures being aligned transversely there- across to receive therethrough and to have extend outward¬ ly thereof a cylindrical valve housing 35 which is here indicated for purpose of illustration as being formed of 5 a plastic material and secured in position by the pairs of spaced annular ribs 35a and 35b as shown.

Said valve housing has a chamber 37 therethrough and has end portions 38 and 39 extending outwardly of said mask portion 24 through said ^"apertures 30 and 3 , said extended o end portion 38 having a plurality of longitudinal slots or ports 41 extending thereabout :and the central portion 36 of said housing has a plurality of longitudinal slots or ports 45 thereabout for communication with the air passa¬ ges of the underlying nose and mouth portions of a subject.

5 Forming an end plate for the end portion 38 is a disc 47 having a central aperture 48 therethrough. Disposed into said housing as here shown is a cylindrical valve seat 50 having a recessed body portion 51 having a projecting shaft or rod portion 52 passable through said aperture 48. o The rear body portion of said valve seat is reduced in transverse dimension by here being fluted as at 53 to pro¬ vide clearance with respect to adjacent wall surface of the said valve housing and the remaining forward body por¬ tion 51 of said valve seat has a sealing engagement with 5 said adjacent wall surface of said valve housing. Formed

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within said body portion 54 is an open ended chamber 55 facing in the direction of said valve housing end portion

^• 39.

Disposed about said rod 52 and retained between the adja- 5 cent body of^'said valve seat and sait end plate member 47 is a coil compression spring 60 which urges said valve seat 50 to be adjacent- the end portion 39 of said valve housing to permit the free entry of ambient air through the ports or aperture 41 of said valve housing end portion o 38.

Seated within the end portion 39 of said valve housing is an internal ring member 63 to form a stop for said valve seat 50. Carried by said end portion 39 is a projecting orificed nipple 70 with said orifice extending through 5 said ring member 63 and providing passage into said v.alve

• housing as shown. Said nipple has secured thereto an oxy¬ gen line 72 which will run to an appropriate oxygen source 73 such as indicated in Fig. 1.

Secured to said end portion 39 by a press fit or clamp mem- o ber 81 is an air hose 83 running to a pressurized air sup¬ ply such as to the pump 84 indicated in Fig. 1 which is a conventiontinal air pump with a one way air valve to pass ambient air through the hose 83.

OPERATION -

5 The structure herein is a substantial improvement over mouth to mouth resuscitation and provides -an effective means of supplying oxygen enriched air as required as in the case of respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. The face mask herein used in conjunction with the apparatus o set forth above described is intended to place oxygen or a high level of oxygen enriched. air into the lungs of a subject. It is understood that pressurized air will be

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supplied as required by pulmonary resuscitation.

Oxygen may be fed constantly through the hose 72 and with each stroke of the pump 84 supplying air through the line 83, the valve seat 50 moves to close the ports 41 and thus 5 delivers oxygen enriched air into the air passages of the subject. The oxygen is flowing constantly such as at two liters per minute and will accumulate to approximately 150 cc's between pump strokes and the accumulation will occur within the end portion 39 of the valve housing 35 o and within the chamber 55. Said oxygen is mixed with the incoming air stroked into said valve housing through the the airline 83 to provide a mixture of oxygen enriched air and the same passes through the ports 45 into the air pas¬ sages of the subject as indicated in Fig. 5 and thence in- 5 to the lungs at the end of each air stroke, the valve seat 50 is moved directly to seat against the ring 63 and pre¬ vent suction of air from the air passage of the subject.

Said valve seat 50 has its body portion 51 os such a le'ngth that when moved against^" the compression of the o spring 60 by incoming air from the airline 83 under appro¬ priate pressure, said valve seat will move to the point of having its body portion 54 seal off the ports 41 as indi¬ cated in Fig. 5.

The rod 52 preferably will be brightly colored and will 5 project through the aperture 48 with each surge of in¬ coming air to visually indicate that the air pump is ope¬ rating and that air is passing into the subject's air pas¬ sages. The air is suitably pumped at a pressure level such as at 150 cm of water. The spring 60 is designed to permit o the closure of the ports 41 by the valve seat 50 respon¬ sive to such a pressure level of incoming air.

In the event of an excessive build up of pressure of oxy¬ gen enriched air within the chamber 24 beyond the prede¬ termined pressure limits for which purpose the spring 60

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has been calibrated, the valve seat will be moved further against the spring 60 and the rod 52 will extend substan¬ tially further outwardly of the end plate 47 which will be visually noted and at which point the fluted slots 41 per- mitting the passage of oxygen or exygen enriched air from the chamber 24 to the atmosphere to relieve the pressure within said chamber. The pressure within said chamber 24 is thus self regulating with respect to the valve seat 50 according to the predetermined- calibration of the spring 60 and the oxygen enriched air consumption of the subject.

The mask -as indicated here is made of a flecible yielding material which conforms very nice to different faces of subjects and the rib 16 under the pressure of the straps 20, 21 and 27 makes a very effective seal.

The spring wire member provides an outwardly projecting loop to secure one end of a strap member and further re¬ tains the form of the nose portion of the mask structure to conform very nicely to the nose of a subject.

The mask here described is a simple and safe structure and has proved to be very successful in practice. It will be understood that the mask will be used by one knowledge_¬ able about CPR practice.

It will of course also be understood that various changes may be made in form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of the in- vention herein which, generally stated, consists in an apparatus capable of carrying the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and de_¬ fined in the appended claims.

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