Patent ID: 7448376

Claim:
An aerosol delivery device for delivering an aerosol to a CPAP-treated patient in an emergency vehicle in a substantially continuous flow of oxygen-enriched air in a CPAP apparatus continuously maintained at a pressure greater than atmospheric, comprising: an emergency CPAP apparatus for establishing and maintaining an open airway in a patient; a nebulizer having upper and lower ends, comprising: a container for liquid; a nebulizer inlet for introducing a pressurized gas for aerosolizing said liquid; a nebulizer outlet at said upper end of said nebulizer for discharging said aerosol at an elevated pressure; a flexible aerosol delivery tube with an inlet end connected to said nebulizer outlet for receiving said aerosol, and an outlet end; a three-port tubular Tee fitting having a first port connectable to said outlet end of said flexible aerosol delivery tube for receiving said aerosol therefrom, and second and third ports; an elongate gas supply tube connectable to said second port of said tubular Tee fitting for supplying a continuous flow of oxygen-containing gas thereto to mix with said aerosol at a desired controllable elevated pressure; a face mask for delivery of said mixture of oxygen-containing gas and aerosol to a patient's mouth and nose at a continuously maintained positive pressure, said mask having an inlet connectable to said third port of said tubular three port Tee fitting for receiving said continuously pressurized mixture of oxygen-containing gas and aerosol in a substantially continuous stream; and a face mask outlet for controllable discharge of mask contents, with settable pressure control means for setting and continuously maintaining said desired elevated pressure at a value within a range of between about 1 and about 100 cm. water in said mask; wherein said aerosol delivery tube has a length whereby said nebulizer is suspended downwardly therefrom and maintained in a generally vertical attitude to maintain said aerosol delivery during CPAP operation.