Exhaled air collection device

Abstract

An exhaled air collection device (10) comprising: - A mouthpiece (3) having a mouthpiece spout (31), the mouthpiece (3) extending substantially along a longitudinal mouthpiece axis along which the exhaled air is directed; - A device body (2) delimiting an internal device body volume (21), the device body (2) being arranged to allow mounting of the mouthpiece (3) on the device body (2), the device body (2) comprising a first device body opening (23); - An air filter (4); The exhaled air collection device (10) being configured such that mounting of the mouthpiece (3) on the device body (2) makes it possible to exert pressure in a substantially radial direction on at least a portion of the air filter (4) and to hold the air filter (4) in position. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Device for collecting exhaled air Technical field

[0001] The invention, which belongs to the field of medical and paramedical devices, relates in particular to a device for collecting air exhaled by a user, for example with a view to carrying out an analysis of the composition of the exhaled air and / or detecting the presence of a particular gas. Preamble

[0002] In the field of health, respiratory analysis is an important tool for making diagnoses and / or prognoses concerning the state of health of a patient. Indeed, the analysis of the composition of the air exhaled by a person makes it possible to identify certain pathologies, for example revealed by the detection of the presence of a gas that is normally absent, and / or by abnormally high levels of certain other gases that are usually present in smaller quantities.

[0003] For example, certain digestive diseases or certain food allergies can be diagnosed from a detailed respiratory analysis, notably involving a possible detection of the presence of hydrogen, which will then allow medical personnel to determine the appropriate treatment.

[0004] Regular respiratory analysis is even essential in order to ensure rigorous monitoring of the health of people suffering from certain respiratory diseases, such as asthma, in order to prevent the occurrence of possible attacks or complications linked to the disease.

[0005] Thus, a device capable of measuring the concentration of nitric oxide in the air exhaled by an asthmatic will be of great use. In addition, it is particularly interesting to be able to regularly monitor the carbon monoxide content in the air exhaled by a smoker.

[0006] In the field of sport, respiratory analysis is a useful tool for regularly monitoring the progress and performances achieved by high-level athletes in particular, who are always eager for information allowing them to pace their training sessions, adapt their diet or modify certain aspects of their lifestyle.

[0007] Various devices already allow respiratory analysis to be carried out, and improvements are constantly being made to the sensors carrying out the various measurements, which offer increasingly reliable and rapid detection of target gases, and increasingly precise measurements.

[0008] At the same time, the industry has apparently paid less attention to the practicality and ease of use of respiratory analysis devices, which are nevertheless now required to be used independently and regularly by a certain number of users without any particular technical knowledge, without any assistance and outside of any medical environment.

[0009] There is therefore a need to provide a respiratory analysis device that is both reliable and simple to use.

[0010] Among the constituent elements of respiratory analysis devices, exhaled air collection devices play an important role. Indeed, these devices, also referred to as air traps, not only allow the air exhaled by a user to be collected, but also allow a certain quantity of exhaled air to be kept in contact with the sensor(s) of the respiratory analysis device for a sufficiently long time, in order to allow the implementation of the measurement(s) and / or detection(s) necessary for establishing the desired diagnosis.

[0011] Here again, little interest seems to have been shown in these exhaled air collection devices, which comprise a large number of elements, generally assembled together permanently, for example by welding, which complicates their structure, their manufacturing process and makes it difficult or even impossible to dismantle them or replace certain elements.

[0012] Finally, given the democratization of respiratory analysis devices, it is necessary to continually seek to reduce their cost without impacting their reliability, which may in particular involve a reduction in the manufacturing cost of exhaled air collection devices. Summary of the invention

[0013] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0014] To this end, the present invention provides a device for collecting exhaled air at a time more reliable and simpler than existing solutions, and whose assembly process is more practical.

[0015] According to a first aspect, the present invention relates to a device for collecting exhaled air comprising:

[0016] - A mouthpiece having a mouthpiece spout configured to allow a user to exhale air through the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece extending substantially along a longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece along which the exhaled air is directed;

[0017] - A device body delimiting an internal device body volume intended receiving air exhaled by the user through the mouthpiece, the device body being arranged to allow mounting of the mouthpiece on the device body, the device body comprising a first device body opening for allowing air exhaled by the user to enter the internal volume of the device body;

[0018] - An air filter configured to filter the air exhaled by the user;

[0019] The device being configured so that the mounting of the end piece on the device body makes it possible to exert pressure in a substantially radial direction on at least a portion of the air filter and to hold the air filter in position.

[0020] The structure of the device of the invention is simplified compared to known devices, and the number of parts that constitute it remains limited. The assembly of such a device is particularly easy, which should allow any user to be able to carry it out without major efforts.

[0021] The collaboration between the tip and the device body allowing the air filter to be held in position within the assembled device is advantageous insofar as it is no longer necessary to glue or weld the air filter to the device body or the tip.

[0022] Thus, it is by mounting the tip on the device body that the filter, previously positioned adequately, will be held in position permanently.

[0023] Furthermore, exerting radial pressure on at least part of the filter, and in particular on the edges of the filter, ensures good sealing of the filter, and allows it to filter all of the exhaled air. Indeed, the entire flow of air circulating through the mouthpiece will be filtered.

[0024] Thus, the simplification of the mounting of the filter and its maintenance in position is not at the expense of its reliability or its effectiveness.

[0025] By radial pressure is meant a pressure which is exerted in a direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the tip, as opposed to an axial pressure which would be exerted parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tip.

[0026] According to one possibility, the air filter is an antibacterial and antiviral filter intended to filter bacteria and viruses present in the exhaled air in order to reduce the risk of contamination of the constituent elements of the device and / or the ambient air, and / or the respiratory analysis apparatus located downstream of the air filter and / or the ambient air (since the excess air exiting to the outside of the device has also been filtered).

[0027] According to one embodiment, the device body has a tip attachment interface, the mounting of the tip on the device body involving an attachment of the tip on said tip attachment interface.

[0028] According to one possibility, the mouthpiece attachment interface comprises at least one wall delimiting a space within which the air exhaled by the user can penetrate, and extends substantially along a longitudinal axis parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece when the mouthpiece is attached to the mouthpiece attachment interface.

[0029] According to one possibility, the longitudinal axis of the tip attachment interface coincides with the tip longitudinal axis when the tip is attached to the tip attachment interface.

[0030] According to one possibility, the tip attachment interface has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0031] According to one possibility, the mouthpiece, which has a substantially cylindrical shape, comprises a wall delimiting a space through which the air exhaled by the user via the mouthpiece spout is directed towards the device body.

[0032] According to one possibility, when the tip is fixed on the tip fixing interface, at least a portion of the wall of the tip is arranged in contact with at least a portion of the wall of the tip fixing interface.

[0033] According to one possibility, the tip has a tip base, the mounting of the tip on the device body involving an attachment of the tip base on said tip attachment interface.

[0034] According to one possibility, the tip base extends along a longitudinal axis coincident with the tip longitudinal axis when the tip base is fixed on the tip fixing interface.

[0035] According to one possibility, the tip base has a substantially cylindrical shape, which is complementary to the substantially cylindrical shape of the tip attachment interface.

[0036] According to one possibility, the tip base comprises at least two walls. According to this possibility, at the tip base, the tip wall is divided into two walls: an outer tip base wall and an inner tip base wall, which delimit a space between them.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the attachment of the tip to the tip attachment interface allows blocking of the air filter between at least a portion of the device body and at least a portion of the tip.

[0038] According to this configuration, when the mouthpiece is mounted on the device body, the air filter is blocked, i.e. wedged, between a part of the device body on the one hand, and a part of the mouthpiece on the other hand. Thus, the air filter is firmly held in position when the exhaled air collection device is assembled.

[0039] According to a non-limiting possibility, the attachment of the tip to the tip attachment interface is irreversible. In other words, once the tip is attached to the tip attachment interface, the assembly can no longer be disassembled. In particular, it is then no longer possible, for example for a user, to access the air filter or to manipulate it.

[0040] According to one possibility, the attachment of the tip to the tip attachment interface is carried out by clipping. According to this possibility, the mounting of the tip on the device body is done simply and quickly, such clipping also making it possible to wedge at least one part of the air filter between at least one part of the tip and at least one part of the device body.

[0041] According to one possibility, the attachment of the tip to the tip attachment interface comprises clipping the tip base to the tip attachment interface.

[0042] According to one possibility, when the tip base and the tip attachment interface are clipped, at least a portion of the wall of the tip attachment interface is disposed between the tip base outer wall and the tip base inner wall.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the blocking of the air filter comprises a disposition of at least a portion of the air filter between at least a portion of the wall of the tip attachment interface and at least a portion of one of said tip base outer wall and tip base inner wall.

[0044] According to one possibility, the air filter has a substantially circular shape.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the air filter comprises at least one wall extending parallel to the wall of the tip attachment interface and to at least one of said tip base outer wall and tip base inner wall when the air filter is blocked.

[0046] In this embodiment, the air filter takes the form of a disc having, along its entire circumference, a wall extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle when the air filter is held in position by the attachment of the nozzle to the nozzle attachment interface.

[0047] According to this arrangement, at least a portion of the wall of the air filter is wedged between at least a portion of the wall of the tip attachment interface and at least a portion of one of said tip base outer wall and tip base inner wall. This arrangement makes it possible to ensure the radial sealing of the filter.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the air filter is arranged so as to allow filtering of the exhaled air before the latter enters the internal volume of the device body.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the air filter makes it possible to prevent any bacteria and / or viruses present in the exhaled air from penetrating into the internal volume of the device body.

[0050] Thanks to this arrangement, the exhaled air coming into contact with the sensors of the respiratory analysis device comprises a bacterial and / or viral load sufficiently reduced to limit the risk of contamination of the device.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the device comprises a first blocking element arranged so as to allow air exhaled through the mouthpiece to enter the internal volume of the device body, and to prevent air included in the internal volume of the device body from exiting through the mouthpiece spout.

[0052] According to one possibility, the air filter is arranged upstream of the first blocking element, that is to say that the exhaled air first passes through the filter before coming into contact with the first blocking element. Thanks to this configuration, the air filter makes it possible to greatly limit the contamination of most of the constituent elements of the device, since the filtering carried out will make it possible to prevent almost all of the bacteria and viruses contained in the exhaled air from coming into contact with the first blocking element and the device body.

[0053] According to one possibility, the first blocking element is a first non-return valve.

[0054] According to this possibility, the first blocking element, produced in a simple manner, makes it possible to effectively prevent any return of exhaled air to the mouthpiece spout, the user not being able to inhale the air that he has previously exhaled through the mouthpiece.

[0055] This configuration increases the reliability of the device, and that of the breathing apparatus since an untimely inspiration by the user of all or part of the previously exhaled air would necessarily disrupt the measurements or detections to be carried out.

[0056] In addition to the filter, this configuration helps to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between two patients, since the inspiration of residual air in the device cannot be inspired by a third patient.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the first blocking element is movable between a first first blocking element position in which the first blocking element obstructs said first device body opening so as to prevent air included in the internal volume of the device body from exiting through the mouthpiece spout, and at least one second first blocking element position allowing the passage of exhaled air through the first device body opening in order to enter the internal volume of the device body.

[0058] According to this embodiment, the transition from the first position to the at least one second position of the first blocking element is caused by an arrival of air exhaled by the user at the first blocking element. Thus, as long as the user exhales air via the mouthpiece, the first blocking element occupies the at least one second position and the exhaled air enters the internal volume of the device body.

[0059] When the user stops exhaling air, the first blocking element moves from the at least one second position to the first position, and occupies this last as long as the user does not exhale air through the device's mouthpiece.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the device comprises a second blocking element arranged to allow exhaled air entering the internal volume of the device body to be maintained in the internal volume of the device body as long as the volume of exhaled air is not greater than the internal volume of the device body, and to allow a gradual evacuation of exhaled air to the outside of the device body when the volume of exhaled air becomes greater than the internal volume of the device body.

[0061] According to this embodiment, the user can exhale air naturally through the mouthpiece, the device being responsible for collecting the air and permanently maintaining sufficient air inside the internal volume of the device body without blocking the user's breathing, which would be the case if the device did not have this second blocking element, the internal volume of the device body being limited.

[0062] According to one embodiment, the device body comprises a second device body opening, the second blocking element being movable between a first second blocking element position in which the second blocking element obstructs said second device body opening so as to prevent exhaled air included in the internal device body volume from evacuating to the outside of the device body by passing through the second device body opening, and at least one second second blocking element position in which the second blocking element allows exhaled air included in the internal device body volume to pass through the second device body opening in order to gradually evacuate to the outside.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the transition of the second blocking element from the first second blocking element position to the at least one second blocking element position takes place when the volume of exhaled air present in the internal volume of the device body becomes greater than the internal volume of the device body. Thus, the excess exhaled air then flows progressively towards the outside, while the user continues to exhale air through the mouthpiece. This mode is all the more relevant for regulating the volume of air in the body of the device in the event of excessive exhalation.

[0064] From the moment when the volume of exhaled air becomes lower than the internal volume of the device body, the second blocking element returns to the first position of the second blocking element, thus preventing the passage of exhaled air to the outside.

[0065] According to one possibility, the second blocking element is a second non-return valve.

[0066] According to this possibility, the second blocking element, produced in a simple manner, not only allows the maintenance of a volume of exhaled air, corresponding to the internal volume of the device body, inside the device body, while preventing any penetration of ambient air inside the device body. In other words, the second non-return valve allows the exhaled air to flow out of the device body when the volume of exhaled air is greater than the internal volume of the device body, without allowing ambient air to penetrate from the outside into the device through the opening that it protects.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the first locking element and the second locking element are made from a single piece.

[0068] Thanks to this embodiment, the structure of the exhaled air collection device of the invention is simplified, and the number of separate elements constituting it is reduced. This also makes it easier to assemble the device, by reducing the number of steps required to assemble the different parts.

[0069] According to one possibility, the device comprises an interface for connection to a respiratory analysis device, making it possible in particular to mechanically connect the device for collecting exhaled air to such a device so that the exhaled air collected by the device is in contact with the sensor(s) of this device. Brief description of the figures

[0070] The invention will be better understood upon reading the detailed description, which is given below in relation to the figures, among which:

[0071] [Fig.2] represents, in a perspective view, a device for collecting exhaled air according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention

[0072] [Fig.2] represents, in an exploded and perspective view, the different elements constituting the exhaled air collection device of [Fig.l].

[0073] [Fig.3] represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, the collection device of exhaled air from [Fig.l] with both check valves in the closed position.

[0074] [Fig.4] represents, in a longitudinal sectional view, the collection device of exhaled air from [Fig.l] with both check valves in the open position.

[0075] [Fig.5] is a detail view illustrating in particular the arrangement of the air filter at within the exhaled air collection device of [Fig.l]. Detailed description

[0076] The exhaled air collection device 10 comprises a mouthpiece 3 having a mouthpiece spout 31 on which a user can place his lips in order to exhale air through the mouthpiece 3. The mouthpiece 3, which extends substantially along a longitudinal axis mouthpiece along which the air exhaled by the user is directed, has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0077] The exhaled air collection device 10 also comprising a device body 2 delimiting an internal device body volume 21 (visible in [Fig.2]) and comprising a first device body opening 23 intended to allow the air exhaled by the user to enter the internal device body volume, and a second device body opening 24 intended to allow evacuation of excess exhaled air present in the internal device body volume 2.

[0078] The exhaled air collection device 10 also comprises an air filter 4 (visible in [Fig. 2]) capable of filtering the air exhaled by the user when the exhaled air collection device 10 is assembled, as in [Fig. 1]. The air filter 4 has the shape of a disc having, along its entire circumference, a wall 41 extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece when the air filter 4 is held in position by the attachment of the mouthpiece to the mouthpiece attachment interface.

[0079] The device body 2 has a tip attachment interface 22 of substantially cylindrical shape and having a wall 25.

[0080] The end piece 3 comprises a end piece base 32 extending along a longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the end piece.

[0081] The tip base 32 allows the tip to be mounted on the device body 2. More precisely, the tip base 32 is intended to be fixed to the tip fixing interface 22, as shown in [Fig.l], by means of clipping.

[0082] As shown more precisely in Figures 3 to 5, the tip base 32 has two parallel circular walls: an inner tip base wall 33 and an outer tip base wall 34.

[0083] When the tip base 32 and the tip attachment interface 22 are clipped together, at least a portion of the wall 25 of the tip attachment interface 22 is disposed between the tip base inner wall 33 and the tip base outer wall 34.

[0084] Advantageously and as particularly visible in [Fig. 5], the clipping of the end piece base 32 to the end piece fixing interface 22 makes it possible to exert pressure in a substantially radial direction on at least a portion of the wall 41 of the air filter 4, thus making it possible to hold the air filter 4 in position.

[0085] When the exhaled air collection device 10 is assembled, at least a portion of the wall 41 of the air filter 4 is disposed between a portion of the wall 25 of the mouthpiece attachment interface and a portion of the mouthpiece base inner wall 33.

[0086] In this way, the air filter 4 is blocked, and its radial sealing ensured, when the exhaled air collection device 10 is assembled, i.e. when the tip base 32 and the tip attachment interface 22 are clipped together.

[0087] The exhaled air collection device 10 also comprises a first blocking element 5 which is movable and arranged so as to allow, in at least a first position (for example that visible in [Fig.4]), the air exhaled through the mouthpiece 3 to penetrate through the first device body opening 23 into the internal volume of the device body 21, and to prevent, in a second position (visible in [Fig.3] or [Fig.5]), the air included in the internal volume of the device body 21 from exiting through the first device body opening 23 and towards the mouthpiece spout 31.

[0088] In its second position, the first blocking element 5 completely obstructs the first device body opening 23.

[0089] The exhaled air collection device 10 comprises a second blocking element 6 movable and arranged, in at least a first position (for example that visible in [Fig. 4]), so as to allow the exhaled air entering the internal volume of the device body 21 to be maintained in the internal volume of the device body 21 as long as the volume of exhaled air is not greater than the internal volume of the device body 21, and to allow, in a second position (visible in [Fig. 3]), a progressive evacuation of the exhaled air through the second device body opening 24 towards the outside of the device body 2 when the volume of exhaled air becomes greater than the internal volume of the device body 21.

[0090] In its second position, the second blocking element 6 completely obstructs the second device body opening 24.

[0091] As can be seen in [Fig.2], the first blocking element 5 and the second blocking element 6 are made in one piece, while the air filter 4 is arranged so as to allow filtering of the exhaled air before the latter enters the internal volume of the device body 21.

[0092] The exhaled air collection device 10 comprises a connection interface 27 to a respiratory analysis device 7 (a part of which is visible in FIGS. 3 and 4), making it possible in particular to mechanically connect the exhaled air collection device to the respiratory analysis device 7 so that the exhaled air collected by the device is in contact with the sensor(s) of the respiratory analysis device 7.

Claims

Claims

1. An exhaled air collection device (10) comprising: • A mouthpiece (3) having a mouthpiece spout (31) configured to allow a user to exhale air through the mouthpiece (3), the mouthpiece (3) extending substantially along a mouthpiece longitudinal axis along which the exhaled air is directed; • A device body (2) defining an internal device body volume (21) for receiving air exhaled by the user through the mouthpiece (3), the device body (2) being arranged to allow mounting of the mouthpiece (3) on the device body (2), the device body (2) comprising a first device body opening (23) for allowing air exhaled by the user to enter the internal device body volume (21); • An air filter (4) configured to filter air exhaled by the user;The exhaled air collection device (10) being configured such that the mounting of the nozzle (3) on the device body (2) makes it possible to exert pressure in a substantially radial direction on at least a portion of the air filter (4) and to hold the air filter (4) in position.;

2. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the device body (2) has a mouthpiece attachment interface (22), mounting the mouthpiece (3) on the device body (2) involving attachment of the mouthpiece (3) to said mouthpiece attachment interface (22).

3. The exhaled air collection device (10) of claim 2, wherein the mouthpiece (3) and the mouthpiece attachment interface (22) are configured to cause the air filter (4) to be blocked between at least a portion of the device body (2) and at least a portion of the mouthpiece (3) when the mouthpiece (3) is attached to the mouthpiece attachment interface (22).

4. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 3, wherein the mouthpiece (3) comprises a mouthpiece base (32) having a tip base inner wall (33) and a tip base outer wall (34), wherein locking the air filter (4) involves disposing at least a portion of the air filter between at least a portion of one wall (25) of the tip attachment interface (22) and at least a portion of one of said tip base outer wall (34) and tip base inner wall (33).

5. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the air filter (4) comprises at least one wall (41) extending parallel to the wall (25) of the mouthpiece attachment interface (22) and to at least one of said mouthpiece base outer wall (34) and mouthpiece base inner wall (33) when the air filter (4) is blocked.

6. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to any preceding claim, wherein the air filter (4) is arranged to allow filtering of the exhaled air before the latter enters the internal volume of the device body (21).

7. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a first blocking element (5) arranged to allow air exhaled through the mouthpiece (3) to enter the internal volume of the device body (21), and to prevent air included in the internal volume of the device body (21) from exiting through the mouthpiece spout (31).

8. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 7, wherein the first blocking element (5) is movable between a first first blocking element position in which the first blocking element obstructs said first device body opening (23) so as to prevent air comprised in the internal device body volume (21) from exiting through the mouthpiece spout, and at least one second first blocking element position allowing passage of exhaled air through the first device body opening (23) in order to enter the internal device body volume (21).

9. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a second blocking element (6) arranged to allow exhaled air entering the internal volume of the device body (21) to be maintained in the internal volume of the device body (21) as long as the volume of exhaled air is not greater than the internal volume of the device body (21), and to allow a progressive evacuation of exhaled air towards the outside of the device body (2) when the volume of exhaled air becomes greater than the internal volume of the device body (21).

10. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 9, wherein the device body (2) comprises a second device body opening (24), the second blocking element (6) being movable between a first second blocking element position in which the second blocking element (6) obstructs said second device body opening (24) so ​​as to prevent exhaled air included in the internal device body volume (21) from evacuating to the outside of the device body (2) by passing through the second device body opening (24), and at least one second second blocking element position in which the second blocking element (6) allows exhaled air included in the internal device body volume (21) to pass through the second device body opening (24) in order to gradually evacuate to the outside.

11. An exhaled air collection device (10) according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the first locking element (5) and the second locking element (6) are made in one piece.

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