TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to artificial respiration systems which generate a gas stream, such as oxygen, air, etc. which is supplied to one or more individuals. More specifically, a control valve for such an artificial respiration system.

PRIOR ART

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a worldwide shortage of ventilators. A quick solution to increase the capacity of the existing ventilators is to connect several patients to a single ventilator in case of emergency, as described and tested after the shooting in Las Vegas. Such a solution is demonstrated, for example in https://voutu.be/NER2h9STy7Q. The artificial respiration system comprises an artificial respiration apparatus to which several patients can be connected via a circuit comprising flexible lines, T-pieces or Y-couplings, the necessary non-return valves, etc. However, this arrangement leads to a problem if it is used by different patients, for example patients with different lung capacity and/or lung compliance. For example, lungs with a large capacity will then not receive a sufficiently high volume or pressure of air and lungs with a small capacity will receive too much pressure or too great a volume. The same applies to lungs with a high compliance which will then, for example, receive an excessive volume of air and pressure and lungs with a low compliance, for example as a result of a pulmonary disease, which will then receive too little air.

Doctors Margueay M and Janssen L proposed a solution using an in-line control valve which is arranged between two flexible lines in order to solve this problem and to make it possible to adjust the pressure and the flow rate of the gas stream between different patients. Such a solution is demonstrated, for example, on https://voutu.be/eSVbwWANqRI. The drawbacks of this arrangement are the fact that the weight of such valves forms a load on the tubes and the fact that such standard control valves, for non-medical use, come into contact with the gas stream for the patient.

There is therefore a need for an improved control valve which offers a solution for the abovementioned drawbacks and which makes it possible to adjust the flow rate and/or the pressure of the generated air stream of an artificial respiration apparatus in a simple manner and which can be used quickly and easily in an existing artificial respiration system. SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, this object is achieved by providing a control valve for an artificial respiration system, wherein the control valve is configured to form a variable restriction for the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT the control valve is configured to be at least partly fitted around a flexible line and comprises one or more controllers, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to act on an outer periphery of the flexible line and to control the passage opening of the flexible line in the process by deforming the outer periphery of the flexible line, so that, when in use, a variable restriction is formed for the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system through this flexible line.

This makes it possible to add a control valve in a simple manner without the need to disconnect the line.

According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein the control valve, when in use, does not come into contact with the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system.

In this way, the risk of contagion and contamination for the patient and the treating staff is reduced.

According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein the control valve is designed as a clamp with an adjustable opening which is adjustable between:

- a maximum opening, in which a flexible line of an artificial respiration system can be inserted in the clamp; and

- a minimum opening, in which the passage opening of a flexible line which has been inserted in the clamp is reduced due to the outer periphery of the flexible line being squeezed by the clamp.

This makes it possible to make the control valve of a simple design.

According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein the minimum opening of the clamp of the control valve is configured in such a way that the passage opening of a flexible line of an artificial respiration system which is inserted in the clamp is reduced by at least 10%, preferably at least 25%.

This permits a usable and safe control range. According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein one or more of the controllers are self-clamping.

This permits quick, simple and safe adjustment.

According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein the control valve comprises several controllers with a different adjustment range.

This permits quick and accurate adjustment.

According to one embodiment, a control valve is provided, wherein the control valve comprises a position indicator for the amount of deformation of the outer periphery of a flexible line inserted in the control valve.

This permits reliable and reproducible adjustment.

According to a second aspect, an assembly is provided, comprising the control valve according to the first aspect, wherein the assembly furthermore comprises a flexible line for an artificial respiration system around which the control valve is fitted.

According to a third aspect, an artificial respiration system is provided, comprising an assembly according to the second aspect consisting of:

- a source for generating a gas stream;

- at least one aforementioned flexible line for the generated gas stream around which flexible line said control valve is fitted.

This makes it possible to modify an existing artificial respiration system quickly, efficiently and safely.

According to one embodiment, an artificial respiration system is provided, wherein the artificial respiration system comprises several flexible lines for conveying the generated gas stream to several patients, and wherein said control valve is fitted around at least one of the flexible lines for at least one patient. This makes it possible to extend an artificial respiration system in an efficient manner.

According to one embodiment, an artificial respiration system is provided, wherein the artificial respiration system comprises at least one aforementioned flexible line for every patient around which flexible line said control valve is fitted.

This makes it possible to extend an artificial respiration system in a flexible manner.

DESCRIPTION

By way of example, some exemplary embodiments will be explained by means of the following figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a control valve before the control valve is fitted around a flexible line;

Fig. 2 shows the embodiment of the control valve from Fig. 1 after the control valve has been fitted around a flexible line; and

Fig. 3 shows the embodiment of the control valve from Fig. 1 in which the passage opening of the flexible line was reduced.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a control valve 1 for use in an artificial respiration system similar to that mentioned above, in which it is desired, for example, to control the pressure and the flow rate of the generated gas stream for different patients which are connected to one and the same artificial respiration apparatus via a circuit of lines. In this case, it is clear that such a control valve 1 can vary the flow rate and/or the pressure by forming a variable restriction for the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system. In other words, the control valve 1 provides a passage opening of a variable size by means of which the flow rate and/or the pressure of the gas stream can be controlled. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the control valve 1 is formed as a controllable clamp which, in its open position, can be fitted around a flexible line 4 of an artificial respiration system. As will become clear below, the flexibility of a flexible line, such as for example a standard flexible breathing tube for an artificial respiration system, is used to modify the passage opening 44 of the section of the flexible line 4 and thus to modify the flow rate of the gas stream therein and to modify the pressure accordingly. It will be clear that this is the result of the clamping action of the control valve 1 on the outer periphery 42 of the flexible line 4 or, in other words, without the control valve 1 coming into contact with the generated gas stream.

The embodiment of the control valve 1 as illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises three parts. A support base 11, a linear control slide 12 which cooperates with the support base 11 in order to function as a first controller 2 with a first adjustment range. The control valve furthermore also comprises a fine- adjustment knob 13 which also cooperates with the support base 1 and the control slide 12 in order to function as a second controller 3 with a second adjustment range which is less coarse or finer or, in other words, comprises a more precise but less wide adjustment range than the first controller 2.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the control valve 1 can be fitted around the flexible line 4 or, in other words, the flexible line 4 can be fitted in the control valve 1, as is indicated by the arrow. In this case, it is clear that, according to the illustrated embodiment, the control valve 1 is designed as a clamp which, in the position in Fig. 2, is set to a maximum opening, in which the flexible line can be inserted in the clamp. This makes it possible to add the control valve to a working arrangement of an artificial respiration system without disconnecting, for example, the patient's hose and without coming into contact with the respiratory air.

Subsequently, in the position as illustrated in Fig. 3, it is possible to modify - first by means of the control slide 12 which functions as a controller 2 - the opening of the clamp whose first clamping face is formed by the support base 11 and whose second clamping face is formed by the linear control slide 12 which is displaceably arranged with respect to this support base 11. As can be seen in Fig. 3, in this position, first the opening of the clamp 1 was reduced by controller 2. When this clamp acts on the outer periphery 42 of the flexible line 4, the outer periphery 42 of the flexible line 4 is deformed and, as can be seen, this also reduces the passage opening 44 of the flexible line 4 at the location of this clamp. It will be clear that the control valve 1 with an adjustable opening configured as a clamp is in this way able, by means of controller 2, to vary the passage opening 44 of the flexible line 4 between a maximum opening, as illustrated in Fig. 1, via a reduced opening, as illustrated in Fig. 3, up to a minimum opening which is reduced still further. In this case, it is clear that, with this minimum opening, the passage opening 44 of a flexible line 4 of an artificial respiration system fitted in the clamp is reduced by at least 10%, preferably at least 25%, for example at least 50% or at least 75%. The illustrated exemplary embodiment allows a reduction by 95% and up to 100%, for example. In the illustrated embodiment, a reduction in the range from 96% up to 100% has the greatest effect on a variation in the flow rate and/or the pressure. As is described below, it is advantageous in this case to be able to control the reduction in this range sufficiently accurately, for example by means of an adjusting screw 13.

According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, it is possible, after the passage opening 44 has been reduced by means of the controller 2 using the control slide 12, to carry out a fine adjustment by means of the adjusting screw 13 which forms a second controller 3, which makes it possible to modify the opening of the clamp over a smaller control range, but with greater precision, so that the passage opening 44 is also finely adjusted at the location of the clamp. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the extreme end of the adjusting screw which is rotatably secured in the support base to this end pushes against the extreme end of the control slide 12, as a result of which the latter is bent downwards and the opening between the clamping face of the control slide 12 and the clamping face of the support base 11 is reduced. According to the illustrated embodiment of the control valve 1, the control valve is preferably made of a lightweight plastic in order to ensure a low load on the breathing hoses and to prevent breathing hoses which are in use in an artificial respiration system from having to be disconnected. Furthermore, it will be clear that, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, this controller 2 is self-clamping. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, this is achieved by means of a saw-tooth structure which is provided on one side of the control slide 12 which cooperates with a cam which is resiliently or elastically arranged on the support base 11 and which is configured to engage between two teeth after a displacement of the control slide 12 in order to keep the control slide 12 in the attained position. It will be clear that variant embodiments are possible in which such a self-clamping action is achieved. Furthermore, it will be clear that it is advantageous, as is illustrated, if the control valve 1 comprises a position indicator for the amount of deformation of the outer periphery of a flexible line 4 inserted in the control valve.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, this embodiment furthermore comprises an optional limit mechanism, also known as a one-way mechanism, which ensures that the control slide 12 cannot drop out of the support base 11 after installation in the corresponding slot in the support base 11, thus preventing pieces being lost, for example in stressful situations during emergencies.

It will be clear that further embodiments and combinations thereof are possible, wherein the control valve 1 is generally configured to be fitted at least partly around a flexible line 4 and comprises one or more controllers 2, 3. In a way similar to that described above, one or more controllers 2, 3 are in this case configured to act on an outer periphery 42 of the flexible line 4 and to thereby control the passage opening 44 of the flexible line by deforming the outer periphery 42 of the flexible line 4, so that, when in use, a variable restriction for the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system and flowing through this flexible line 4 is formed. It will be clear in this case that the control valve 1, when in use, does not come into contact with the gas stream generated by the artificial respiration system.

It will be clear that the above-described control valve 1 as well as the assembly comprising such a control valve 1 and a flexible line 4 can be used quickly and easily with embodiments of known artificial respiration systems as mentioned above. Such an embodiment of an artificial respiration system then comprises a source for generating a gas stream and at least one flexible line 4 for the generated gas stream. In this case, a control valve 1 is fitted around at least one flexible line 4 as described above. This is particularly advantageous for an abovementioned artificial respiration system which comprises several flexible lines 4 for conveying the generated gas stream to several patients. In such a case, the flow rate and/or the pressure of the gas stream to at least one patient may be controlled by fitting such a control valve 1 around at least one of the flexible lines 4. An advantageous arrangement which makes individual control for every patient possible, irrespective of their number, in particular in case a large number of patients is coupled to the same artificial respiration apparatus, consists in providing for every patient at least one flexible line 4 around which said control valve 1 is fitted. It will be clear that numerous combinations and variant embodiments are possible, such as for example defined in the dependent claims, without departing from the scope of protection as defined in the claims.