The present invention pertains generally to a
monitoring system for a
resuscitator which detects operation of the
resuscitator and a controller unit for a supply of therapeutic gas to a
resuscitator, and more specifically, a flow controller for a supply a therapeutic gas to an automatic resuscitator which is triggered by a
single point pressure
signal provided by the
cycling of the automatic resuscitator from a controlled
inhalation phase to a controlled
exhalation phase. The monitoring aspect of the
system detects
single point low pressure signals which are sequentially compared against a time
clock. Failure of the resuscitator
system itself to generate a low pressure
signal against the integrated time
clock causes an alarm condition. Further,
gas management is effected by a flow controller integrated into the monitor, a
gas management system which responds to the
single point low pressure
signal and operate a primary gas control valve attached between a
gas supply and an automatic resuscitator such that gas is allowed to flow to the resuscitator when the resuscitator is in an
inhalation mode and gas flow is interrupted when the resuscitator is in an
exhalation mode. A secondary gas control valve is integrated into the
gas management system in parallel to the primary gas control valve. The flow controller includes a low threshold
pressure sensor which is actuated by means of a recurrent low pressure pulse generated by the automatic resuscitator itself through the
cycling of the resuscitator and remains essentially unaffected by the respiratory
cycling of the patient, thus preventing false triggers and greatly simplifying the flow controller operation and format. The low threshold
pressure sensor is coupled to a processor wherein the processor reads the occurrence of a pressure event at the
pressure sensor and which then closes the primary gas control valve and starts a
clock. As the pressure is decreased in the gas
management system resulting from the primary gas control being moved to a closed position, the secondary gas control valve moves to open state, thus allowing the gas
management system to vent to
atmosphere during
exhalation, reducing the pressure of the system to an operator defined positive level. Once the clock reaches a pre-defined duration, the primary gas control valve is reopened, the pressure in the gas
management system increases thus closing the secondary gas control valve, the automatic resuscitator continues into an
inhalation mode, and the process repeats.