Metered dose inhaler and ambulatory manual breathing unit combination

The use of a large ambulatory manual breathing unit in combination with a metered dose medication inhaler for delivering medication to a patient, who is either breathing spontaneously or non-spontaneously. The large bag or reservoir of the breathing unit is used to insure minimization of size and homogeneous disbursement of the particles of medication. For non-spontaneous patient breathing, the reservoir's contents are disbursed into the patient by manually or mechanically squeezing the bag, after which the bag returns to its original shape and volume. At one or the other end of the bag, a typical metered dose inhalator is mounted in a manner to disburse the medication into the bag, and directly in line therewith, through an adaptor. The metered dose inhaler collar, into which the inhaler fits, when the inhaler is not in use, is capped.

FIELD OF THIS INVENTION 
This invention relates primarily to metered dose inhalers and ambulatory 
manual breathing devices, and more particularly to the combination thereof 
for purpose of functioning as a resuscitation device, as a manual or 
mechanical breathing device, and without alteration of the basic 
structures as a unit for dispensing medication into a patient while 
resuscitation or spontaneous or non-spontaneous breathing is taking place. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Oral delivery of drugs using an aerosol canister has been known for many 
years, but for various reasons, either the patients have failed to 
properly use these aerosol devices, or otherwise optimum use has not been 
made. Nevertheless, with respect to a non-spontaneously breathing patient, 
or with respect to a non-breathing patient, it is sometimes critical to 
induce breathing, and at the same time apply medication using such aerosol 
device. 
Likewise, for many years, the use of ambulatory manual breathing units has 
been common, but many times it is necessary to disengage such units from 
the patient in order to apply medication directly into the patient's 
mouth. 
Many attempts have been made at a combination of the manual breathing unit 
and the metered dose inhaler, but for various reasons, the designs have 
not been accepted and used. For instance, the structure shown by Sarnoff, 
et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,241 is complex and does not present a 
sufficient reservoir in which the medication can be homogeneously 
disbursed and particulated for purposes indicated herein. Likewise, 
Sackner, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,577 combines the ambulatory manual 
breathing unit and the metered dose inhaler, but in a manner which uses a 
collapsible manual breathing unit bag, which is without rigidity 
sufficient for use also as an ambulatory manual breathing unit, i.e., with 
an emergency person manually squeezing the reservoir contents into the 
patient using positive pressure, the bag returning to its original shape 
and volume after each squeeze. 
Even when a structure has been presented using positive pressure for 
disbursing the medication into the patient, the collapsibility feature of 
the ambulatory manual breathing unit bag has not been present. For 
instance, the patent to Larson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,543, is less than 
satisfactory in this respect, not having a collapsible bag. 
Also, with respect to the Kee patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,946, the 
structure of this patent does not present a reservoir for medication, and 
the structure is not intended for use with a manual breathing unit bag. 
Likewise, Walstrom, U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,138, does not present an adapter, 
defining a groove for coupling with the ambulatory manual breathing unit 
bag of the present invention; the adapter of Walstrom being distil to the 
positive pressure created by the spacer in Walstrom and the manual 
breathing unit bag of the present invention, thereby creating dead air 
space to the structure. The same comments apply as well to the Shene 
patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,210. 
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a 
combination ambulatory manual breathing unit, with a resilient, 
collapsible bag and a metered dose inhaler for simultaneously assisting 
breathing of a patient while the patient inhales medication. 
A further and more particular object is to provide a combination, as 
described, and with a sufficiently large reservoir for homogeneously 
disbursing medication in a particulate form of sufficiently small size. 
These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a 
combination structure having an ambulatory manual breathing unit with a 
stiffly resilient reservoir bag to which is connected a metered dose 
inhaler, inserted to a collar connected to either end of the reservoir bag 
of the breathing unit. The metered dose inhaler collar also includes a 
conveniently removable cap for closing the connecting collar, when the 
inhaler device is not attached. An adaptor bridges the space between the 
collar and the reservoir bag and the adaptor defines at one end of the 
adaptor, a groove for connecting the breathing unit bag or reservoir.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings, the ambulatory manual breathing unit 
(hereinafter AMBU) is provided to include reservoir bag 10, which defines 
a large reservoir 12 therein. Also provided by the present invention 
structure is an adaptor 14 which defines groove 16, into which wall 10 of 
AMBU bag mates in an air-tight seal. 
Collar 18 mates with the metered dose inhaler 20 (hereinafter MDI), and 
particularly its downspout 22 provides aerosol medication in adaptor 14 in 
a direction toward AMBU bag 10. More particularly, collar 18 defines 
therewithin a holding chamber, and extending from the outside of collar 18 
are a pair of handles 24 for purposes of the leverage necessary for 
activating the MDI. As shown in FIG. 3, which provides a more detailed 
showing of the collar, MDI and adapter, the handle cross-sectional shape 
is actually oval for ergonomic reasons. As shown in FIG. 4, a cap 26 is 
attached by loop 28 to collar 18 in order to provide a cover for the 
collar when the MDI is not in its inserted position. 
Referring to FIG. 4, directional arrows 30 indicate the connection of the 
entire combination structure to either a face mask (not shown), an 
endotracheal tube for intubation (not shown) or a tracheotomy tube (not 
shown). 
Of course, with the same effective results, the MDI unit, its collar and 
the adaptor, alternatively, are attached to the other end of the AMBU bag. 
Valves 31 and 31' assist in the operation of the present invention. For 
instance, valves 31 and 31' are one-way valves. More specifically, an 
exhale port is provided to the left of one-way valve 31', in the 
orientation of FIG. 2, which closes when valve 31' is opened. 
In order to provide a more detailed understanding of the structure of the 
present invention, a series of use and operation steps is now provided. 
Specifically, FIG. 1 shows the medication input and/or exhaling steps, 
whereby medication is provided by pushing in the direction of arrow 32, 
thereby providing medication in the direction of arrows 34 from the MDI, 
through downspout 22 within collar 18, and through adaptor 14 into the 
AMBU bag, where the medication is caused to break into smaller particles 
and disbursed homogeneously. The insertion of medication into the AMBU bag 
is, by use as intended, of the MDI 20, thereby to provide flowing of 
medication in the direction depicted by arrows 34. 
The inhaling step begins before absorption orally of the medication by the 
patient and whereby medication particles 36 are inhaled in direction 30 
(FIG. 4) through the AMBU bag by the patient, the medication having been 
previously provided to the AMBU bag. 
As may be seen with all of the foregoing, an AMBU bag accessory to assist 
breathing and the application of medication is provided in a combination 
structure as described. The limits of the present invention are not 
imposed by the foregoing description; and instead are provided only by the 
following claims: