SYSTEM ARRANGEMENT FOR THE EVACUATION OF ANAESTHESIA OR ANALGESIA GAS

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for the catching and removal of leaked out or otherwise escaped anaesthesy or analgesy gas from an anaesthesy apparatus in an operation theatre or the like and including a vacuum source (1) and an anaesthesy mask (5) adapted to be placed onto the face of the patient and connected to the anaesthesy apparatus by a at least one channel device, through which the patient is supplied with a mixture of anaesthesy or analgesy gas and air and through which air gas mixture exhaled by the patient is removed and wherein the anaesthesy mask includes means for catching and removing of escaped gas via a suction tube or the like, to the vacuum source. New is means (10) arranged at the suction tube or hose (4) and connected to the removing portion of the channel device for removing also exhaled gas-air mixture via the vacuum source. New is also a noise damping or reducing device arranged at the removal or evacuation channel, such device intended to reduce disturbing noise as far as possible. It is furthermore new to arrange a device for controlling the evacuation capacity according to the demand in order to reduce both noise and cooling effect.

Description: SYSTEM ARRANGEMENT FOR THE EVACUATION OF ANAESTgHESIA OR ANALGESIA GAS This invention relates to an arrangement of the kind indicated in the claims and more in detail to an arrange¬ ment for safeguarding of the necessary suction or evacua- tion effect and function at plants or systems where there is a demand for evacuation simultaneously with utilizing so called double masks or the like. General background On arranging evacuation plants or systems for the evacua¬ tion of leaked out or otherwise free anaestesia or analgesia gases it is naturally very important to design and dimension the suction devices in an appropriate way. At the same time it is urgent and important to adjust the capacity of the suction sources in such a way that the suction force remains at the desired value. The Swedish patent No 8008962-6 and European patent No. 0 067 196 disclose a known anaestesia mask, equipped with means for evacuation of leaked out gas and the mask is so designed that it catches or collects and evacuates gas leaking out between the mask edge and the face of the patient, but is also so arranged that it is able to catch and evacuate all gas streaming out from the mask as the mask is removed from the face of the patient and is held free. For this purpose the mask proper is equipped with a circumferential slot or opening connected to a suction source. Behind the invention lies a number of problem which now have found a solution, viz. - evacuation also of gases exhaled by the patient - noise generation at the device - adaption of the capacity to different sizes of anaestesia masks. With modern anaestesia arrangements there are besides the means for supplying of anaestesia gas also an evacuation system, which is adapted to remove the exhaled gas mixed air directly from the mask. Thus, to the mask there are connected both a gas supply main and an evacuation main and furthermore the suction pipe or tube connected to the slot evacuation arrangement of the mask according to said patents. It is of utmost importance that the vacuum inside the evacuation main is maintained at such a level that the respiratory system of the patient in no way will be affected and this is the reason why there are built in safety devices preventing the vacuum from adversely affecting the patient. The capacity of the evacuation system is normally of a range 20 - 30 liters per hour. With systems of the type described and including so called double mask devices principally no gas at all or very little gas will leak out in the operation theater. A known apparatus discloses a control valve having a input opening for so called fresh gas, i.e. the intended mixture of anaestesia gas and oxygen/air and to this input opening a compensation ballon is connected to an open branch pipe, which ballon in sequence with the breathing of the patient will be emptied and filled again. The evacuation line for exhaled air is also arranged at the control valve and via an open branch line connected with a so called reservoir, i.e. a flexible tank or container open towards the atmoshpere, also serving as a balancing or compensation means but having as its main purpose to prevent a vacuum build up beyond the allowed limits in the evacuation main if the pipe or tube to the mask would be partially is blocked. Many hospitals and clinics, however, have no permanent systems for the supply of anaestesy gas and the evacuation of exhaled air, but utilize portable anaestesy apparatuses and gas bottles. With such apparatuses the exhalation normally is done directly into the operation theatre via a check valve arranged at the mask, which naturally results in a severe contamination of the air in the operating theatre and necessiatates a powerful general ventilation thereof. The use of masks of the type mentioned earlier herein and securing an evacuation of leaked out gas along the edge of the mask and catching up of gas from the mask when lifted, naturally partially improves the situation, but is in no way sufficient as the exhaled air with its high anaestesy gas contents escapes freely into the operation theatre atmosphere. " Even if systems and plants arranged for the use of so called double masks work highly satisfactorily both technically and functionally there is an irritating thing which is regarded as disturbing, viz. the sound or rather noise generated by the evacuation. There even exist a certain although small risk for that the staff - in order to get rid of the noise - under certain circumstances will reduce the suction capacity alternatively turn off the apparatus alltogether. Another possible point of irritation is the cooling effect occuring when an airstream passes say the hands of a person staying close to the place of evacuation and also the cooling effect occuring when you hold a hose or a pipe, through which air or gas streams. It is furthermore desirable to keep both free gas and air streams and streams inside pipes and tubes at the lowest possible velocity level. Decisive for a proper function at the system according to the system according to the European and Swedish patents is, as already mentioned, the ability of suction, but for the overall performance not only the suction ability is of importance . If that was the case you could restrict the the system to just as large a ventilator or fan device as possible. The suction ability may be too low. Then it is unable to attract the streams of gas which just pass by. The suction ability also can be to powerful, and bias the intended flow of anaestesy gases and in difficult cases also have an inpact on the respiration of the patient. To this may be added the cooling effect created when an air stream passes the facial skin or the like and such draught caused by the suction means is felt highly unpleasant. The velocity or the volume of the sucked in air also is of significance with regard to the sound generation. On low velocity the sound will be hardly noticeable, but as soon as the velocity increases, the sound will increase. The volume of supplied fresh gas and volume of exhaled air respectively naturally varies with the the patients. A small child does not need as large volume of fresh gas and does not either exhale as large volumes as a grown up person. It would be desirable if not only the supply of fresh gas to but also the evacuation and removing of gas from the patient in question in the same way as different types and sizes of masks are used depending the patients. Purpose of the invention One object of this invention is to bring about an arrange- ment adaptable to different needs, making it possible to remove in the most efficient way all, gas both exhaled and leaked out at the mask or otherwise escaped with a minimum of noise, cooling effect and other gas movement disturbing effects. An additional object to the above mentioned is to bring about a device enabling evacuation of the exhaled air without the need for specific evacuation systems. Still another object is to bring about an arrangement which in an effective way reduces the noise unavoidably created at evacuation systems, by operators and personell regarded as disturbing for their concentration. In order to enable an adaption of the suction force to the type of mask, e.g. masks for children and masks for grown- ups, there exists a need for controlling the suction force. The alternative would be - in order to have the required suction force available all the time - utilize maximum suction force, which both from technical point of view and with consideration to the creation of noise is undesired. A further object, thus, is to make such controlling and adaption possible. Description of the invention The invention will - in the following - be more closely described with references to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the build up of an evacuation system according to the invention, Figure 2, is a larger scale and perspective view showing one connecting unit with attached tube nipple, Figure 3 is a sectional view of the same connecting unit, Figure 4 is a larger scale and perspective view illustra- tiong the connectioning at a control valve, and Figure 5 schematically illustrates the build up of an alternative embodiment of the system for reduction of the noise created by the evacuations device. In the system, to which the arrangement according to this invention is adapted to be connected, is included a vacuum source in the form of a fan unit l, which via an exhaust hose 2 is connectable to a permanent evacuation duct means 3 of a building alternatively in a room, e.g. an evacua¬ tion flue or valve for the general ventilation. To the fan unit there is also connected a tube arrangement or suction channel 4, connected to an anaestetic mask 5 via an intermediary section varying according to the type of anaestetic system. The suction channel normally has a safety valve and flow meter 6 and also a resonance or damping chamber to be described later. The mask 5 is supplied anaestetic gas via a control and dosage unit generally designated 7 connected to an anaestetic gas source and by a pressure and volume controller connected to the mask. There are two main types of such control and dosage units, viz. the so called D system and the Circle system. In order to clarify there is shown in Figure 4 an anaes¬ tetic apparatus, i.e. a control and dosage unit 7 equipped with a so called breathing bubble or balloon 8 portioning out the fresh gas and also indicating if the breathing takes place in a normal way, and a so called reservoir 9 formed by a downwardly open pleated hose . The reservoir serves as a compensating vessel on the evacuation and secures that the pulsing exhalation may take place in the intended way in spite of the fact that the evacuation is essentially continous. The reservoir is downwardly open also in order to be able to serve as a safety valve if a fault occurs between same and the mask so that no vacuum build up can take place. When - via a tube connected to the evacuation joint 11 - all exhaled air is removed, no vacuum build up can occur in the mask or within the resporatory system of the patient - the latter certainly resulting in grave danger - and pressure compensation will occur by air entering the reservoir 9 from below. The control of the evacuation may also take place by means of a valve sensing the breathing sequence or the like menas opening and closing the evacuation in pace with the inhalation and exhalation respectively. The known masks 5 with evacuation of excess and leaked out gas have the ability to prevent anaestetic gas from streaming out into the environment both when the mask is kept applied towards the face of the patient and when held free, but they are not adapted or intended to take care of all exhaled air. Such air or part thereof will be removed and evacuated' at so called Circle systems in the way earlier mentioned. And this in the case there is arranged for such evacuation in the operation theathre. In order to enable removal and evacuation of exhaled air also in places devoid of means for evacuation there is, according to this invention arranged at the suction tube 4 between the mask 5 and the fan unit 1, a suction connection 10, which - as shown in Fig. 4 - via a branch pipe or hose 11 is connectable to an evacuation joint lla at a conven¬ tional control valve 7. The connection proper 10 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, includes a T-pipe to the aligned connections 12 of which the suction tube between the mask 5 and the fan unit 1 is connected.At the third connection 14 there is a washer means 15 through which extends a nipple or nozzle means 16, the inner end of which is obliquely cut and extends essentially to the centre axis of the straight passage through the T-pipe. The size or area of the nipple 16 is adapted to the existing or expected vacuum inside the suction line 4.This vacuum is controlled, besides by the fan unit 1 by a counter pressure or resistance means, normally constituted by the catching and removing parts of the mask 5 for leaked out or otherwise escaped gas, but may also be a separate adapted resistance body as an ende plug inseratable ito the end of the tube. By size adaption of the nipple 16 and adjusting the vacuum inside the pipe 4, the desired evacuation or suction capacity may be created inside the evacuation tube 11. By changing the nipple and/or adjusting for a change in vacuum inside the channel 4, different evacuation capacities may be had if necessary. Through the tube lla, connected to the connetor means 11 adapted thereto at the control and dosage unit 7, anaes¬ tesia gas mixed exhaled air may be removed also with systems devoid of per se known pressurized air driven ejector means or the like means. This results in an improvement of the environments and situation inside also spartan surgical rooms so that it will be fully comparble with operation theatres having central evacua- tion and this to costs considerably lower than before. It should here be noted that the noise production caused by the extra suction connection is neglectable especially when compared with pressurized air driven ejectors which can have a very high noise level. The evacuation capacity of the suction line 4 from the anaestetic mask 5 to the fan unit 1 in a high-flow-low- pressure system of the kind herein described is or ought to be in the range of 250 - 650 1/min preferebly 580 1/min at large masks and from 280 to 440 1/min at medium to small masks. The capacity with the extra evacuation connection may be definitely lower and be of the range of 20 - 40 1/min, preferebly below 30 1/min. The heavy reduction of capacity in the evacuation or bransch lines lla, is possible due to the pressure drop arising at the connector device 10 and due to resisting pressure caused at the input end of the channel, i.e. the gas collecting means of the mask 5 and the reduced area at the nipple menas 16. The reduction of suction capacity of course is biassed also by the difference between the areas of the suction pipe 4 and the nipple 15. Concerning the suction velocity applies generally that for the intended purposes you ought to keep within the limits given above, i.e. at about 250 - 650 1/min for the anaestetic mask suction. The capacity at the extra connection serving for the eevacuation of the exhaled air may - as can be seen - be considerably lower and be of the range of 20 - 40 1/min. Concerning the noise created inside the system it has been established that it is not only within the mask itself nor in its slot system, connections and the like where noise is created even if sharp corners and edges passed by high velocity air streams may result in so called standing waves. A considerable portion of thwe noise is created by the fan means 1. Even if the fan per se is manufactured and designed to give a minimum of noise and has carefully ground surfaces and edges and polished channels, there occurs among other things because of purely mechanical sounds from the motor, sounds from bearings, other sounds as alternating current hum and sounds within the control electronics and the oscillation or air columns a buzzing sound, which appears arise from the mask, but in reality arises from the fan unit and the channel system. This sound or noise is surprisingly able to travel against the direction of the sucked in air. According to the invention it is suggested to arrange in the suction tube or channel, at least between the fan unit 1 and the mask 5 means which may be regarded and functions as a resonanse or damping chamber 18, and which includes a closed vessel with couplings for the tube 4 and perhaps an inside covering by sound or resonance damping material. In the preferred embodiment the two ends of the suction tube are coupled to the same end of the damping chamber so that the gas/air strem is forced to turn about inside the vessel. By the resonance or damping chamber 18, the tendency for creation of noise producing standing waves within the tube system most of the fan, motor and control system sounds damped or absorbed are reduced. Figure 5 illustrates how within the tube 4 between the fan unit 1 and the mask 5 a resonance chamber or box 18 has been connected, said chamber or box having much larger cross section area than the tube 3 and which will force the air/gas stream to change its direction of movement. By dividing the suction tube or hose 4 into two parts separated by the resonance damping box 18' a major part of the sound from the fan area towards the mask area will be eliminated. The resonance damping chamber forming box may besides inside covering be completely empty and will- unlike other known silencer means having baffles and the like - in no detectable way influence or retard the gas/air streaming therethrough.The said damper box, however, ought to be tight so that no leaking in air can enter and disturbe the evacuation function at the mask. A reduction of sound of more than 50% is fully possible by the arrangments mentioned above. The basic idea behind the sound damping means is to establish a widening along the tubes or hoses resulting in the breaking of standing waves occuring in channels, wherein also the length relation ratio between the tube parts being on either side of the box and also the length of the chamber or box has influence and that inside the chamber sound damping material such as mineral wool may be applied, such material functioning so that the sound waves will be estinguished. In order to keep the suction capacity within pre set limits and adapt it to the mask size utilized, there is at the fan unit creating the necessary vacuum arranged a speed control device. The speed of the fan motor is controlled by means of an electronic control unit 19, preferably built as an integrated circuit and with an automatically electroni¬ cally controlled setable and vacuum sensing check or speed control device 20 and a manually operated switch device 21 for the setting of different effect steps and rotational speed areas. In the preferred embodiment the control and setting device 20, 21 is arranged for more than two, preferably six steps, one for each mask size or mask size group, wherein the mask size, i.e. indirectly the size of the patient is determin- ing. As the suction velocity and capacity will influence the creation of noise and also the cooling effect, it is of importance that on each instance only the air velocity necessary for the intended function is utilized and not an unnecessary high velocity.

Claims: Claims 1. A system for collecting and removing anaesthesy or analgesy gases escaping from an anaesthesia device in operation theatres or the like, comprising a vacuum source (I) a mask device (5) adapted to be applied to the face of a patient and communicating with anaesthesia means through at least one supply and removing means through which the patient is supplied with a mixture of anaesthesy or analgesy gas and air and through which gas and air mixture expired by the patient is removed respectively, the mask device having collecting means which are connected to the vacuum source through a suction line to remove anaesthesy or analgesy gas leaking out or otherwise escaping during operation, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that means (10) are arranged in the suction line and connected to the expired gas-air mixture removing means by a branch line (II) to remove and forward the expired gas-air mixture to the vacuum source. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means of the suction line are defined by a T-shaped joint (10) connected to the suction line (4) and to the branch line (11). 3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the means of the suction line is an ejector device (10) and causes a vacuum i the branch line (11) differing from the vacuum line in the suction line (4) . 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the ejector means (10) include throttling means (15, 16) in the joint branch connected with the branch line (11). 5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the T-shaped joint includes a nipple means (16) affixed to the branch line and projecting into the through flow path of the joint, the end (17) of such nipple means being obliquely cut. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum in the suction line is determined by a throttling means (5) attached to th upstream end of the suction line (5). 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the volume capacity of th branch line (11), is limited to a given value by a control device such as a by-pass device or the like. 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the collecting means of the mask device (5) serves as throttling means when the mas device is attacked to the upstream end of the suction line (4). 9. The system of claim 6, wherein a separate throttling device (5) is provided attachable to the upstream end of the suction line (4) . 10. The system, particularly according to claim 1, wherein a box-like air-tight casing (18) is arranged in the suction line (4) between the mask (5) collecting means and the vacuu source (1) , the effective flow area of the casing being sig¬ nificantly larger than that of the suction line. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the inlet and the outlet of the casing (18) are offset. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein inlet and outlet are located at the same side of the casing (18). 13. The system, particularly of claim 1, wherein a volume flow regulator (19, 20, 21) is provided for the vacuum sourc (1) by which the volume flow in the suction line (4) can be controlled, and wherein a set of masks (15) is provided, eac mask having a different size in order to obtain an adaptatio to the sizes of the respective patient, the regulator having switch means (21) adapted to be switched to different positions, the number of positions corresponding to the number of mask sizes or number of groups of mask sizes, with each position corresponding to a predetermined flow volume and to a specific mask size or mask size group to adapt the flow volume to a specific size or to specific sizes. 14. The system of claim 1 and 13, wherein the regulator (21) has a minimum value and a maximum value for the volume flow in the suction line (14) and the different positions of the switch means are selected such that the one extreme position corresponds to the minimum and the other extreme position to the maximum volume flow while intermediary positions selecte between the minimum and maximum positions correspond to intermediary volume flows.

Inventors: LINDKVIST ALLAN, LINDKVIST, ALLAN
Applicants: BERNER INT GMBH, MEDICVENT AB, BERNER INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Application year: 1991
Main classification: A61M16
IPC codes: A61M16