Nasal cannula

Abstract

To provide a nasal cannula that does not cause discomfort to the user and is highly convenient. [Solution] A nasal cannula used by a user to inhale gas through the nostrils, comprising: a main body portion 2 located at the philtrum or base of the columella of the user; an insertion portion 3 extending in one direction from the main body portion 2 and for non-invasive insertion into the user's nostrils; and a tube portion 6 extending from the main body portion 2, wherein the insertion portion 3 has a flat wall surface 31 and an arched wall surface 32, and the flat wall surface 31 and the arched wall surface 32 are opposite each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a nasal cannula, and although not limited thereto, for example, it is for communicating gas for a user to aspirate gas from the nostrils, or relates to a nasal cannula, also referred to as a patient interface or a breathing assist device.

Background Art

[0002] A nasal cannula is a device used when a user has difficulty breathing spontaneously or without equipment, and is connected to a gas supply device that supplies positive-pressure gas (generally oxygen) and is being used. For the structure of the nasal cannula, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 6 below can also be referred to. It includes a main body portion of the nasal cannula, an insertion portion inserted into the user's nostrils, a fixing structure for fixing on the user's body surface, and a tube portion connected to the main body portion. As the material of the tube portion, flexible rubber tubes, vinyl chloride (PVC), olefin-based elastomers, etc. are used as known materials. Also, in Patent Document 2 below, a structure in which the tube portion is hung on the user's left and right auricles is disclosed as a general body surface fixing structure of a nasal cannula.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional nasal cannulas have a cylindrical shape at the insertion end, and when the nasal cannula is fixed in place, the insertion end makes linear contact with the inside of the nostril, which can result in strong contact pressure. When strong contact pressure is applied, This can cause discomfort to the user. Furthermore, a cylindrical shape could completely block the nasal cannula if it is crushed, making it inconvenient. Patent documents 3 and 4 prevent blockage by providing slits or holes at the tip of the insertion part, but such a structure does not prevent the tube portion of the insertion part from becoming blocked. As these prior patent documents show, there has been a need for a structure in the insertion part of a nasal cannula that does not cause discomfort to the user and is also highly convenient.

[0005] The present invention satisfies these conventional requirements, and its objective is to provide a nasal cannula that does not cause discomfort to the user and is highly convenient. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the nasal cannula according to the present invention is a nasal cannula used by a user to aspirate gas through the nostrils, comprising: a main body located at the philtrum or base of the columella of the user; an insertion portion extending in one direction from the main body and for non-invasive insertion into the user's nostrils; and a tube portion extending from the main body, wherein the insertion portion has a flat wall surface and an arched wall surface, and the flat wall surface and the arched wall surface are opposite to each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the insertion portion of the nasal cannula has both a flat wall surface and an arched wall surface, so that it does not come into contact with the inside of the nostril along a line, thus not causing discomfort to the user. Furthermore, by having a structure in which the flat wall surface and the arched wall surface face each other, it is less likely to become completely blocked even when pressure is applied, resulting in a nasal cannula with superior convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the nasal cannula according to this embodiment placed on the user's body surface, with the attachment of the linear body to the auricle detached. [Figure 2] This is a top view showing a nasal cannula according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing a nasal cannula according to this embodiment. [Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0009] The following description will explain embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The nasal cannula described below is used by being fixed on the user's body surface. The upper side of the nasal cannula is the side that faces the top of the user's head when in use, and the lower side of the nasal cannula is the side that faces the user's feet when in use. The right side of the nasal cannula is the side that faces the user's left hand when in use, and the left side of the nasal cannula is the side that faces the user's right hand when in use. The posterior side of the nasal cannula is the side that is in surface contact with the user's body surface when in use, and the anterior side of the nasal cannula is the side that is separated from the user's body surface when in use. Furthermore, the same premises apply to the main body, insertion part, and anchoring part that constitute the nasal cannula.

[0010] Figure 1 shows the nasal cannula positioned on the user's body surface with the linear body detached from the auricle. The position of the nasal cannula is slightly lower than its actual fixed position during use. This is to illustrate the overall structure of the nasal cannula; in actual use, the form of nasal cannula use is not limited to that shown in Figure 1.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the nasal cannula 1 according to this embodiment consists of a main body 2, an insertion part 3, a fastening part 4, a linear body 5, and a tube part 6. The main body 2, the insertion part 3, and the tube part 6 are connected to allow gas to pass through, and the tube part 6 is connected to an external gas supply device (not shown). Fastening parts 4 for fastening the linear body 5 are formed in the left-right direction of the main body 2, and the fastening parts 4 have through holes for fastening the expandable linear body 5. The linear body 5 is detachably fastened and attached to the through hole of the fastening part 4 and the user's auricle, fixing the nasal cannula 1 on the user's body surface. During use by the user, the insertion part 3 is non-invasively inserted into the user's nostril. The insertion part 3 has a flat wall surface 31 and an arched wall surface 32, and the flat wall surface 31 and the arched wall surface 32 face each other. The flat wall surface 31 is located away from the user's nasal tip during use, while the arched wall surface 32 is located closer to the user's nasal tip during use. In actual use, positive-pressure gas (generally oxygen) supplied by an external gas supply device is passed through the tube 6, main body 2, and insertion part 3 in that order, supplying gas to the back of the user's nostrils. In this embodiment, the nasal cannula 1 has the main body 2, insertion part 3, and connecting part 4 integrally molded, the linear body 5 is attached and connected after molding, and the tube part 6 is inserted after molding.

[0012] The main body 2 may be formed using, for example, a styrene-based elastomer, but it may also be made of other elastomers, rubber, or resin. The weight of the main body 2 contributes significantly to the overall weight of the nasal cannula 1, so it is required to be as lightweight, compact, and thin as possible, and antibacterial properties, gas barrier properties, rigidity, water resistance, and smoothness are also required as appropriate. Styrene-based elastomers are preferable because they can satisfy these requirements to a high degree. The lighter the main body 2 and the nasal cannula 1 are, the less load is placed on fixing the nasal cannula 1 to the user's body surface, and the less force the linear body 5 exerts on the user's auricle, which is preferable. When the main body 2 is designed to be thin, rigidity tends to be insufficient, so when designing the wall thickness to be 0.8 mm, it is preferable to select a styrene-based elastomer with a hardness of 35A to 75A. The method for forming the main body 2 can be appropriately selected from known forming methods such as casting, vacuum casting, resin casting, compression molding, 3D printing, injection molding, and machining.

[0013] The insertion portion 3 is formed above the main body portion 2 and may have a shape that is continuous with the main body portion 2, or it may be attached after the main body portion 2 has been formed. In this embodiment, it is molded integrally with the main body portion 2. However, the insertion portion 3 does not have to be integrally molded. If a more flexible material than the main body portion 2 is selected to reduce irritation to the inside of the nostril, the insertion portion 3 may be attached after the main body portion 2 has been formed. In the case of attachment afterwards, it is preferable that the insertion portion 3 is fixed to the main body portion 2 by mechanical fixing using a claw structure, screw structure, or fitting structure to prevent the insertion portion 3 from falling out into the depths of the nostril. Alternatively, the insertion portion 3 may be fixed to the main body portion 2 by applying adhesive or heat sealing. The insertion portion 3 has a flat wall surface 31 and an arched wall surface 32, and it is preferable that the flat wall surface 31 and the arched wall surface 32 face each other. In this embodiment, the external shape of the insertion portion 3 is roughly semi-circular. The flat wall surface 31 is located on the side away from the user's nasal tip when the nasal cannula 1 is in use, while the arched wall surface 32 is located on the side closer to the user's nasal tip when the nasal cannula 1 is in use. The presence of the flat wall surface 31 is preferable because it makes contact with the inside of the user's nostrils over a surface rather than a line, reducing discomfort during wear. The presence of the arched wall surface 32 is preferable because it improves the load-bearing capacity of the insertion part 3, making it less likely to collapse and allowing for a stable supply of gas. The insertion part 3 combines the flat wall surface 31 and the arched wall surface 32, and because they are opposite each other, a gap for ventilation is maintained even when external pressure is applied to the insertion part 3, making it convenient and preferable.

[0014] Furthermore, the insertion section 3 may be composed of two parallel, roughly semi-circular sections, but is not limited to this. Depending on the user's requirements, it may be composed of a single, roughly semi-circular section. Moreover, it may also be composed of two or more roughly semi-circular sections and one or more roughly cylindrical sections, with the cylindrical sections supplying gas through the oral cavity.

[0015] Furthermore, the insertion portion 3 may have a flat wall surface 31 that is continuous with the main body portion 2 on the same plane. Being continuous on the same plane allows it to be fixed in close contact with the user's philtrum and inside the nostril. This close contact and fixation is preferable because it prevents the nasal cannula 1 from rolling forward during actual use and ensures that the insertion portion 3 does not come out of the nostril. Also, continuous on the same plane refers to a shape without steps, and this may be curved. Since the insertion portion 3 and main body portion 2 in this invention are preferably made of a flexible material, they may be slightly curved in actual use.

[0016] The flat wall surface 31 does not have to be perfectly flat; it may be slightly curved to conform to the shape of the user's nostril, but it is preferable that its curvature is greater than that of the arched wall surface 32. The difference in curvature between the two wall surfaces allows for ventilation to be maintained inside the insertion part 3 even when external pressure is applied to it. The arch shape of the arched wall surface 32 can be any known arch shape, such as a semicircular arch, a fan arch, a parabolic arch, a Moore arch, or a pointed arch. The flat wall surface 31 and the arched wall surface 32 may have protrusions, through holes, grooves, slits, etc., to prevent obstruction of the insertion part 3 or the inside of the nostril, and the structure may be modified as needed. It is also preferable to avoid sharp structures, and the tip of the insertion part 3 may be chamfered, such as a C-chamfer, R-chamfer, or thread chamfer, or cushioning material may be attached.

[0017] The insertion part 3 may have a part or all of its tip colored. By having a part or all of the tip colored and having a different color from the main body part 2 and the rear end of the insertion part 3, it becomes easier to visually confirm the detachment of the insertion part 3 from the nostril, contributing to an improvement in convenience. As an example of coloring, by coloring the tip side of the insertion part 3 dark and the rear end side of the insertion part 3 light in a gradient, it is possible to grasp how much detachment has occurred. Regarding the color of the coloring, any color can be adopted, but it is preferably different from the color of the main body part 2 and the skin color of the user's face. The coloring method can be freely selected from known methods, and methods such as mixing a coloring agent during the molding of the insertion part 3 or coloring using paint after the molding of the insertion part 3 can be considered. Also, the coloring agent is required to be one that the human body does not absorb from the mucous membrane or, even if absorbed, does not harm health.

[0018] The locking part 4 is formed in both the left and right directions of the main body part 2 and can be considered to have a shape continuous with the main body part 2 or to be attached later after the main body part 2 is formed. In the present embodiment, it is integrally molded with the main body part 2. When the nostril cannula 1 is viewed from the front, the shape of the locking part 4 may protrude like a wing from both the left and right directions of the main body part 2. The locking part 4 has a structure for locking the linear body 5 and may have a through-hole or a hook shape. Also, the locking structure of the locking part 4 is not limited to a through-hole or a hook shape and may be provided with a planar fastener, a clip, etc., and a structure for detaching and attaching the linear body 5 can be appropriately adopted. In the present embodiment, the locking structure is constituted by a through-hole.

[0019] In the present embodiment, two linear bodies 5 are provided, and each linear body 5 is closed in an annular shape. As a method of closing in an annular shape, fastening by tying may be used, or a known method such as fusion by heat pressing or adhesion by an adhesive can be adopted. In the case of fastening by tying, it is preferable to fasten by a basic knot (a clove hitch, a leaf knot, a square knot) because it is possible to suppress the annular shape from coming undone. The two annular shapes formed by the linear bodies 5 are respectively hung on the locking portions 4 formed in the left and right directions of the main body portion 2, and the other ends of the respective annular shapes are hung on the auricles of the user, thereby fixing the main body portion 2 on the body surface of the user. In addition, instead of hanging the annular shape on the auricle of the user, the annular shape may be hung on an ornament or the like other than the auricle of the user, or the main body portion 2 may be fixed by attaching a double-sided adhesive tape to the user side (behind the nostril cannula) of the locking portion 4. Furthermore, the linear body 5 may be expanded and contracted to the back of the head side rather than the auricle, and the two annular shapes may be fastened by an S-shaped hook or a fastening tool equivalent thereto located on the back of the head side. It is preferable to fix it on the body surface by an appropriate and preferable method according to the condition of the user.

[0020] The method for attaching the linear body 5 to the through-hole of the fastening part 4 can be any known method, such as a lark's head knot (cow hitch), a screw knot, or a flexible knot, but it is preferable to use a method with less unevenness in the knot, and a lark's head knot (cow hitch) or a square knot is most preferable. In addition, it is preferable that the linear body 5 can be attached to and detached from the fastening part 4 as needed. Being able to attach and detach as needed means that if only the linear body 5 of the nasal cannula 1 is damaged or lost, only the linear body 5 can be replaced, and the main body 2 etc. can be used continuously, which is economical. From the viewpoint of being able to attach and detach as needed, a lark's head knot (cow hitch), which is easy to untie, is preferred for attaching the linear body 5 to the fastening part 4. Alternatively, a method is also available in which a single linear body 5 that is not closed in a ring shape is passed through, for example, the through-hole of the fastening part 4, and then the linear body 5 is fastened with a square knot. Even with this method, the linear body 5 can be cut and re-fastened, or a new linear body 5 can be prepared, allowing for attachment and detachment as needed, which is preferable. Alternatively, after inserting both ends of the linear body 5 into the fastening part 4, it is also possible to make knots larger than the holes in the fastening part 4 at both ends of the linear body 5. From the standpoint of productivity, a lark's head knot is preferable as it is easier to attach the linear body 5, while from the standpoint of applicability, a square knot is preferable as it is easier to adjust the length of the linear body 5. Therefore, the attachment method can be appropriately selected depending on the situation.

[0021] The linear body 5 can be made of any material that is stretchable. Its stretchability allows the nasal cannula 1 to be fixed to the user's body surface with appropriate pressure, improving convenience and preventing discomfort. The stretchability can be achieved by known materials such as rubber threads, interwoven filaments, or stretchable nonwoven fabrics. Furthermore, the linear body 5 preferably has voids. Possible materials with voids include fabrics such as woven or nonwoven fabrics, and porous materials such as foamed resin sheets or foamed rubber sheets. Having voids is preferable because it suppresses stuffiness caused by sweat between the linear body 5 and the body surface. Moreover, a linear body 5 made of fabric is preferable because it has lower thermal conductivity than conventional tubes used to fix nasal cannulas, such as rubber, PVC, or olefin-based elastomer tubes, thus mitigating the cold sensation when in cold weather. The elasticity, voids, and relatively low thermal conductivity do not necessarily have to be provided by only one material; the core material of the linear body 5 may be elastic, and the sheath material of the linear body 5 may have voids and relatively low thermal conductivity. In this embodiment, a rubber cord with a nonwoven fabric sheath, which is commonly used for the ear loops of disposable nonwoven masks, is used.

[0022] Furthermore, the lighter the linear body 5, the less weight burden it places on the user's auricle, which is preferable. As a criterion for lightness, for example, it could be compared to the PVC tube that fixed conventional nasal cannulas, or the weight per unit length could be compared to the tube portion 6 of this embodiment. In addition, a structure could be considered in which the linear body 5 ruptures or the fastening portion 4 breaks when a load exceeding a certain amount is applied to the nasal cannula 1, thereby suppressing laceration of the auricle by the linear body 5.

[0023] The tube portion 6 of the nasal cannula 1 can be freely selected from known tube structures as appropriate. For example, a structure with irregularities on the inner surface of the tube is preferable because it can suppress tube blockage, and a structure in which a metal wire is embedded in the tube wall is preferable because it can maintain the shape of the tube. Such structures can also be used for the wall surface of the insertion portion 3. In this embodiment, the tube portion 6 is a structure that extends from the main body portion 2 in one direction, either left or right. The connection structure between the tube portion 6 and the main body portion 2 may be integrally molded, or it may be connected by post-molding insertion. Post-molding insertion is preferable because, when a strong load is applied to the tube portion 6, the tube portion 6 will detach from the main body portion 2 before the insertion portion 3 puts a burden on the user's nostril. Furthermore, since the nasal cannula 1 in this embodiment is fixed to the user's body surface by the linear body 5, there is no need to hook the tube portion 6 onto the user's auricle and fix it to the user's body surface. Therefore, in order to also serve as an ear hook, it is not necessary to extend the tube section 6 in both directions from the main body section 2. Even if the structure extends in only one direction, it can still be used as a nasal cannula 1. This structure is particularly preferable because it reduces the inconvenience caused by the tube section 6 on the user's body surface by half, eases the constraints on the routing of the tube section 6, and improves the handling of the tube section 6. In addition, the tube section 6 may be a single tube or multiple parallel tubes. Furthermore, the conventional structure in which the tube extends in both left and right directions from the main body has the effect of fixing the nasal cannula on the body surface, as well as preventing obstruction of one of the tubes when lying on one's side. By extending the tube in both left and right directions, even when lying on one's side, neither tube will be on the underside of the body, thus preventing obstruction of all tubes. Even with a structure in which the tube section 6 extends in only one direction, tube blockage can be prevented by considering the direction in which the tube section 6 is routed. However, considering the advantages of such conventional structures, it is also acceptable to have a structure in which the tube section 6 extends in both directions, rather than just one direction (left or right).

[0024] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0025] As detailed above, the insertion portion of the nasal cannula of the present invention has a flat wall surface and an arched wall surface, and the structure in which the two wall surfaces face each other does not cause discomfort to the user and is highly convenient. It can be suitably used to assist the breathing of users who have difficulty breathing spontaneously. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 1. Nasal cannula 2 Main body 3 Insertion part 31 Flat wall surface 32 Arch-shaped wall 4. Fastening part 5 linear body 6. Tube section

Claims

1. A nasal cannula used by the user to inhale gas through the nostrils, The main body is located at the philtrum or base of the nasal bridge of the user, An insertion portion extends in one direction from the main body and is inserted non-invasively into the user's nostril, It has a tube portion extending from the main body portion, The above insertion portion has a flat wall surface and an arch-shaped wall surface. A nasal cannula characterized in that the flat wall surface and the arch-shaped wall surface are facing each other.

2. The nasal cannula according to claim 1, characterized in that the flat wall surface and the main body are continuous on the same plane.

3. A nasal cannula according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that part or all of the insertion portion is colored in a different color from the main body portion.

Images