Improvements in or relating to Devices for Medicating and Ejecting Air or other Gas.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Devices for Medicating and Ejecting
Air or other Gas.
I, JOSEPH HILLIARD MOORE, of 16, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:―
This invention relates to apparatus of the kind in which air or other gas is forced
through or mingled with a medicinal liquid in its passage so as to create a vapour
with which it becomes charged or medicated and which is conveyed through a
suitable nozzle to the internal ear, throat, nose, or other part of the respiratory
organs.
The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the air or other gas
may be caused to pass through a dense spray or vapour so as to be more quickly
and thoroughly medicated or moistened with the liquid than is possible with
existing apparatus.
A containing vessel is provided the lower part of which serves as a reservoir
for the medicinal liquid while the upper portion acts as a chamber to receive the
air or other gas to be medicated.
Inlet and outlet tubes are fitted to this vessel and the upper end of the inlet
pipe communicates with a rubber ball or equivalent device which is capable of
forcing air through the apparatus. The inlet pipe is contracted at its lower end
and provided with one or more small openings or perforations in its sides, above
the normal level of the medicinal liquid in the reservoir. When the rubber ball
is released after having been compressed some liquid is drawn up inside the tube
to a point above these openings. Upon compressing the ball again a portion of
this liquid is forced out into the air chamber through the above mentioned small
openings or perforations, in the form of a fine spray and some it is at once taken
up by the air.
The remainder of the air or gas expelled from the ball passes
out at the contracted lower end of the tube and up through the medicinal liquid
in the reservoir to aid in the production of medicated vapour in the space above
that liquid and passes on more or less charged with the vapour or medicinal
properties of the liquid through the outlet tube which by a nozzle or the like is
in communication with the internal ear respiratory tract and all the cavities, tubes,
ducts and sinuses communicating therewith. The extent to which the air is
charged with moisture or acquires the medicinal properties of the liquid is de-
pendent upon the number, size and location of the openings or perforations in the
inlet tube and upon the size of the bottom opening of that tube.
Both the inlet and outlet tubes are preferably made with bulbs in their upper
portions in order to intercept any liquid which may enter from the containing
vessel.
The outlet pipe may have a U shaped bend in it which may be immersed in a
liquid that can be heated or cooled to any desired amount, in order to regulate
the temperature of the medicated air or other gas on its way to the affected

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view partly in section of one construction of apparatus according
to this invention,
Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section of the special construction of inlet
tube herein referred to.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings,
A is a containing vessel of which the lower part A¹ forms a reservoir for the
medicinal liquid and the upper part A² a chamber for the air or other gas. The
mouth of this vessel is closed by a perforated plug B having an inlet tube C and
outlet tube D passing through it. The inlet tube passes down nearly to the bottom
of the liquid reservoir A¹, but the outlet tube D extends only a short distance
into the air chamber after passing through the plug. C are small openings in
the inlet tube through which the liquid is forced as hereinafter described. These
openings are at points in the tube between the surface of the liquid in the reser-
voir and the bottom of the plug B. The inlet tube C is provided with a bulb C²
at its upper end and terminates above the bulb in a nipple over which a piece of
rubber tube may be slipped. The lower end of the inlet tube may be contracted
as at C. The outlet tube D is provided with a bulb D₁ similar to the bulb C³
on the inlet tube. E is a rubber ball having non-return valves at E1 and E2 and an
outlet through a nipple E³. A piece of rubber tubing connects this ball with the
inlet tube C.
In the construction of apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 a nipple is formed on
the outlet tube D just above the bulb D' and a rubber tube G connects this with
a nozzle H by means of which the medicated air or gas is applied as may be
desired.
The various parts of the apparatus are preferably supported by a stand such as J
and a frame J. The upper part of the frame J¹ may conveniently be bent as at J2
and J³ to form a support and cover for the nozzle H when not in use, a piece of
rubber J being stretched over the frame at the latter point to form a cover.
The operation of this improved apparatus is as follows:-
Liquid is poured into the containing vessel A until the reservoir A¹ is full. If
now, the ball E is compressed air will be driven down the inlet tube C, some of
it passing into the air chamber A2 through the small openings C¹, the rest passing
out into the liquid through the contracted lower end C3 and thence through the
outlet tube D and nozzle H to the part affected. On releasing the ball E a fresh
charge of air is drawn in through the valve E¹, but a small amount will be drawn
back through the valvo E3 before it closes and the liquid will consequently rise
inside the tube C above the level of the openings C₁. By again pressing the ball
the liquid above the openings is first expelled from them in the form of fine spray
into the air in the chamber A2; some air from the ball E passes down the tube C
as before, bubbles up through the liquid into the chamber A³ and goes out charged
or medicated as aforesaid from the tube D and nozzle H.
It will be readily seen that in working the air in the reservoir A² very soon
becomes impregnated, and that this result is obtained very much more quickly
and entirely by means of the spraying action of the openings C¹ at which the air
and liquid in a fine state of subdivision are mingled, than it would be by merely
passing the air through the liquid from the lower end of the tube.
If desired the base on which the apparatus stands, may be made of glass in one
piece with the bottom of the containing vessel, in which case the frame J¹ is
fastened to the bottom portion of the containing vessel by suitable clips.
It is obvious that many alterations may be made in the form of this apparatus
without departing from the spirit of this invention, for example: -a small pump
or equivalent having a reciprocating plunger may be substituted in place of the
rubber ball E, or again, the inlet valve El may be made to communicate with a
vessel containing a gas which it is desired to use, so that this gas is passed through
the apparatus instead of air.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In air-medicating and ejecting apparatus, an inlet tube such as C with or
without a contracted lower end C³ having openings such as C¹ in it substantially
as and for the purpose described.
2. In air-medicating and ejecting apparatus an inlet tube having a bulb near
its upper end its lower end dipping into liquid and provided with openings which
communicate above the liquid with the interior of a containing vessel in the
manner and for the purpose described.
3. In air-medicating and ejecting apparatus, the combination with an air-
pumping device, containing vessel and outlet pipe, of an inlet pipe such as C,
having openings C₁ arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose
described.
4. The complete air-medicating and ejecting apparatus, substantially as described
and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of February 1898.
J. H. MOORE.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant.