Abstract:
A protective storage capsule is disclosed for a nasal cannula. The protective storage capsule may be used in conjunction with a nasal cannula assembly. The protective storage capsule includes a housing adapted to receive the nasal cannula and a cap to cover and protect the nasal cannula from dirt and debris when not being worn by a patient. The protective storage capsule slides along one or more of the support tubes of the nasal cannula assembly. The surfaces of the protective storage capsule may be treated with an antimicrobial film or be infused with antimicrobial nanoparticles.

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention relates to nasal oxygen cannulas and, more particularly, to an apparatus for protecting and storing a nasal cannula to reduce contamination. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Nasal oxygen cannulas are used to deliver oxygen directly to the nasal airways of a patent to infuse oxygen into the inspirational air flow of the patient. A typical oxygen delivery device utilizing a nasal cannula assembly includes a nasal cannula, a pair of support tubes extending from either end of the cannula, a slide, through which the support tubes pass to tighten the tubing against the patient&#39;s neck, a Y-adaptor or manifold connector to divide gas flow between the support tubes, a main supply tubing connected to the Y-adapter or manifold connector and a connector that couples to the oxygen source. 
     Nasal cannulas are among the most common medical devices in use today, conservatively estimated at several hundred million units annually. Nasal cannulas are widely used in hospitals and surgical centers as well as by patients at home who benefit from long term oxygen therapy. When a cannula is removed from the patient for short periods of time to allow the patient to move about, blow his/her nose, or simply to provide relief from wearing the cannula, it must be hung up or stored somewhere. Often the cannula falls to the floor and becomes contaminated, thus subjecting the patient to an increased risk of respiratory infection when the cannula is reinserted in the patient&#39;s nostrils. These patients, especially patients with chronic respiratory diseases, are at an increased susceptibility of developing respiratory infections and suffering severe complications as well as death once doing so. Even a modest reduction in infection rates would correlate to billions of dollars in savings to the healthcare system annually. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides a protective storage apparatus for a nasal oxygen cannula assembly which includes a convenient protective storage capsule to limit environmental exposure when not being used. The nasal cannula may be in a folded or collapsed configuration when in the protective storage capsule. The protective storage capsule may replace the prior art slide and provide the adjustment function of the slide. Alternatively, the protective storage capsule may be slidably positioned on one of the support tubes. The surfaces of the protective storage capsule may be coated with an antimicrobial film or may be infused with antimicrobial particles. When the nasal cannula assembly is removed from the patient, while grasping the protective storage capsule, the supply line may be pulled through the protective storage capsule until the nasal cannula is inside the protective storage capsule shielding the nasal cannula from bacterial contamination and environmental exposure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a prior art nasal cannula assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged elevational view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 5  showing the nasal cannula collapsed and stored within the protective storage capsule. 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged front elevational view of alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule. 
         FIG. 13  is a side elevational view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 15  is a top view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 18  is an enlarged front elevational view of alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule. 
         FIG. 19  is a side elevational view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  is a bottom view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 21  is a top view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 22  is a bottom perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 23  is a top perspective view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula assembly. 
         FIG. 25  is an enlarged side elevational view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 26  is a bottom view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 25 . 
         FIG. 27  is a cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 25  showing the nasal cannula collapsed and stored in the protective storage capsule. 
         FIG. 28  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula assembly. 
         FIG. 29  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the protective storage capsule of  FIG. 28  showing the nasal cannula collapsed and stored in the protective storage capsule. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a prior art nasal cannula assembly is generally indicated by reference numeral  20 . Nasal cannula assembly  20  includes a nasal cannula  22  including a pair of intra-nasal ports  23 , a pair of support tubes  24  and  26  extending from each end of the nasal cannula  20 , a slide  28  through which the support tubes  24  and  26  extend, and a Y-adapter or manifold connector  30 . The Y-adapter or manifold connector  30  couples the support tubes  24  and  26  to a main supply tube  32  that is coupled to an oxygen source (not shown). The Y-adapter or manifold connector  30  divides the oxygen flow between the support tubes  24  and  26 . Slide  28  may be moved up and down along the support tubes  24  and  26  to adjust the fit of the nasal cannula assembly  20  under the chin of a patient. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-11 , a nasal cannula assembly with a protective storage capsule of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral  50 . The nasal cannula assembly  50  includes a nasal cannula  52  with a pair of intra-nasal ports  53 , a pair of support tubes  54  and  56  extending from each end of the nasal cannula  50 , a protective storage capsule  58  and a Y-adapter or manifold connector  60  coupled to a main supply tube  62 . 
     Protective storage capsule  58  includes a generally bell-shaped housing  63  with a large circular opening  64  at one end  66  and a smaller circular opening  68  at the other end  70 . Protective storage capsule  58  may be moved up and down along the support tubes  54  and  56  to adjust the nasal cannula assembly  50  under the chin of a patient. A cap  72  is attached to the rim  74  of opening  64  of the bell housing  63  by a flexible hinge  76 . 
     When a patient takes off the nasal cannula assembly  50 , the patient may grasp the Y-adapter or manifold connector  60  with one hand and the protective storage capsule  58  with the other hand and pull the two apart. This action pulls the support tubes  54  and  56  through the lower opening  68  of the protective storage capsule  58  until the cannula  52  reaches the large circular opening  64 . As the patient continues to pull the support tubes  54  and  56  through the lower opening  68  of the protective storage capsule  58 , the cannula  52  bends or folds in half and is pulled into the bell housing  63 . 
     The cannula  52  is typically made of a flexible material such as medical grade polyvinylchloride (“PVC”), high molecular weight PVC, ultra-high molecular weight PVC, PVC/silicone, or other appropriate material, for example, that may be dip molded, injection molded or extruded, for example, into the particular shape desired. The interior surfaces  65  and  73  of the capsule  58  may be treated with an antimicrobial coating. It may be advantageous for all surfaces of the capsule  58  to be treated with a nanocomposite coating of silver and/or gold nanoparticles, or silver sulfadiazine, for example, in a thin surface layer. Alternatively, the interior surfaces  65  and  73 , and/or all surfaces of the capsule  58  may be infused with antimicrobial particles such as silver or copper nanoparticles, for example, that protect the surfaces from microbes, and ultimately the patient. 
     Once the cannula  52  is pulled into the bell housing  63 , the cap  72  may be snapped over the opening  64  to seal the cannula  52  inside the protective storage capsule  58 . At this point the cannula  52 , and in particular the pair of intra-nasal ports  53 , are protected from dirt, debris, bacterial contamination and environmental exposure. 
     When the patient wants to put the nasal cannula assembly  50  back on, he/she opens the cap  72  and pulls the cannula  52  from the bell housing  63 . The patient may slide the protective storage capsule  58  down the support tubes  54  and  56  until the lower end  70  encounters the Y-adapter or manifold connector  60 . The patient may now put the nasal cannula assembly  50  back on and adjust it as desired. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12-17 , an alternative embodiment of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula is generally indicated by reference numeral  80 . The protective storage capsule  80  includes a generally trumpet-shaped housing  82  with an opening  84  at one end  86  and a smaller opening  88  at the other end  90 . A cap  92  is attached to the rim  94  of opening  84  by a flexible hinge  96 . All surfaces of the capsule  80  may be treated with a nanocomposite coating of silver and/or gold nanoparticles, or silver sulfadiazine, for example, in a thin surface layer. Alternatively, the surfaces of the capsule  80  may be infused with antimicrobial particles such as silver or copper nanoparticles, for example, that protect the surfaces from microbes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 18-23 , an alternative embodiment of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula is generally indicated by reference numeral  100 . The protective storage capsule  100  includes a generally bell-shaped housing  102 , a cap  104  shown in a closed position attached to the housing by a flexible hinge  106 , and a lower opening  108 . Protective storage capsule  100  is generally similar to protective storage capsule  58  with the exception of the lower opening. Lower opening  108  may be generally figure-eight shaped to match the shape of the side-by-side support tubes  54  and  56  to provide a better seal around the support tubes  54  and  56 . All surfaces of the capsule  100  may be treated with a nanocomposite coating of silver and/or gold nanoparticles, or silver sulfadiazine, for example, in a thin surface layer. Alternatively, the surfaces of the capsule  100  may be infused with antimicrobial particles such as silver or copper nanoparticles, for example, that protect the surfaces from microbes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 24-27 , an alternative embodiment of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula is generally indicated by reference numeral  120 . Protective storage capsule  120  includes a cylindrical housing  122  with an opening  124  at one end  126  and a smaller opening  128  at the other end  130 . A cap  132  is attached to the rim  134  of opening  124  by a flexible hinge  136 . The cap  132  includes a notch or cutout  138  sized to snuggly fit around the support tube  56 . The protective storage capsule  120  fits on only one of the support tubes  54  and thus the opening  128  has a diameter matching the outside diameter of the support tube  54 . All surfaces of the capsule  120  may be treated with a nanocomposite coating of silver and/or gold nanoparticles, or silver sulfadiazine, for example, in a thin surface layer. Alternatively, the surfaces of the capsule  120  may be infused with antimicrobial particles such as silver or copper nanoparticles, for example, that protect the surfaces from microbes. 
     To store the nasal cannula  52 , the support tube  54  is pulled while grasping the protective storage capsule  120 . As the nasal cannula  52  is pulled into the cylindrical housing  122 , the intra-nasal ports  53  may fold over in a stored configuration. Once the nasal cannula  52  and intra-nasal ports are completely within the cylindrical housing, the cap  132  is placed over the opening  126  with the notch  134  aligned with the support tube  56  sealing the protective storage capsule  120 , and thus protecting the nasal cannula  52 , and in particular the intra-nasal ports  53 , and ultimately the patient from dirt, debris, bacterial contamination, and environmental exposure. Opening  124  and cylindrical housing  122  may be sized such that the intra-nasal ports  53  need not bend or fold when pulled into the housing  122 . Additionally, the housing  122  may have an oval or other geometrical shapes. 
     To use the nasal cannula  52  again the patient pulls the support tube  56  while grasping the protective storage capsule  120 , sliding the protective storage capsule  120  down the other support tube  54 , until the nasal cannula  52  is exposed. The flexible intra-nasal ports  53  return to an unfolded normal position. When not storing the nasal cannula  52 , the cap  132  of the protective storage capsule  120  may be snapped in place over the opening  124  to seal the protective storage capsule  120  and prevent dirt, debris, and other contaminants from collecting in the protective storage capsule  120 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 28 and 29 , an alternative embodiment of a protective storage capsule for a nasal cannula is generally indicated by reference numeral  150 . Protective storage capsule  150  includes a rectangular housing  152  with an opening  154  at one end  156  and a lower opening  158  at the other end  160 . The rectangular housing  152  may include a flap  162  at the end  156  which may cover the opening  154  when the nasal cannula  52  is stored in the rectangular housing  152 . The opening  154  may include a zipper, snap, or Velcro® (not shown), for example, to close the opening  154  when the nasal cannula  52  is stored in the rectangular housing  152 . As shown in  FIGS. 28 and 29 , the protective storage capsule  150  fits on both of the support tubes  54  and  54  and thus the opening  158  may be sized to accommodate the outside diameter of the support tube  54  and  56 . Alternatively, the protective storage capsule  150  may be sized to fit on one support tube  54  similar to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 24-27 . All surfaces of the capsule  150  may be treated with a nanocomposite coating of silver and/or gold nanoparticles, or silver sulfadiazine, for example, in a thin surface layer. Alternatively, the surfaces of the capsule  150  may be infused with antimicrobial particles such as silver or copper nanoparticles, for example, to protect the surfaces from microbes. 
     When a patient takes the nasal cannula assembly  50  off, the patient may grasp the Y-adapter or manifold connector  60  with one hand and the protective storage capsule  150  with the other hand and pull the two apart. The action pulls the support tubes  54  and  56  through the lower opening  158  of the protective storage capsule  150  until the cannula  52  reaches the opening  154 . As the patient continues to pull the support tubes  54  and  56  through the lower opening  158  of the protective storage capsule  150 , the cannula  52  bends or folds in half and is pulled into the rectangular housing  152 . Once the cannula  52  is pulled into the rectangular housing  152 , the flap  162  cover the opening  154  to protect the cannula  52  in the protective storage capsule  150 . Alternatively, a zipper, snap, Velcro® or other closure (not shown) may be employed to seal the opening  154  and protect the cannula  52 . At this point the cannula  52 , and in particular the pair of intra-nasal ports  53 , are protected from dirt, debris, bacterial contamination and environmental exposure. 
     When the patient wants to put the nasal cannula assembly  50  back on, he/she opens the flap  162  and pulls the cannula  52  from the rectangular housing  152 . The patient may slide the protective storage capsule  150  down the support tubes  54  and  56  until the lower end  160  encounters the Y-adapter or manifold connector  60 . The patient may now put the nasal cannula assembly  50  back on and adjust it as desired. 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.