Environment Contaminent Control Console

Abstract

A console for the collection and containment of airborne contaminants within a given environmental region, particularly as related to the induction of coughing for diagnostic procedures and the control of resultant microbial scatter. This compact and mobile console contains a fan for forcibly drawing air from the environs of the console, through a hood, a pre-filter and an absolute filter. Doors are hinged upon one side of the cabinet for nesting during storage and to form an air-collecting hood during operational procedures. Means are also provided for dispensing aerosol to a patient through the hood via a disposable tube, to induce coughing in the patient.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

The technique of inducing coughing by aerosol inhalation has been found to be particularly useful in the diagnosis of diseases. Sputum resulting from the coughing is collected to provide specimen of great value in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory infections.

The ability to efficiently collect the specimen while protecting other persons in the vicinity, particularly other patients and those medical personnel responsible for collection of the specimen, is a primary concern of researchers and diagnosticians.

The structure of this invention is directed to means for inducing coughing by medical patients through aerosol inhalation and for the controlled collection of sputum in the diagnosis of respiratory infections, while preventing the dissemination of infectious droplet nuclei which would otherwise be dispersed during coughing.

The console is most desirably of a compact construction. Since floor space is normally at a premium in hospitals, diagnostic facilities and doctor's offices, the ability to stow the console in a minimum of space is highly significant. Similarly, ease of mobility to facilitate storage, retrieval and movement to and from patients is important in enhancing ultimate utility of the console.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

Usually of a relatively slender, upright configuration, the console of this invention is provided with a plurality of hinged doors which, while the console is out of use, are folded inward to nest within the basic contour of the console and are so retained. This obviates the necessity for protrusions upon the console which would make stowage difficult. For utilization, the doors are folded outward and retained with their edges mutually abutting, the doors forming an outwardly opening hood, the opening of which leads to a cavity within the console.

A pre-filter is mounted in the console cavity to catch primary portions of airborne particles. An absolute filter positioned below the pre-filter receives and contains the balance of any micro-organisms or other foreign substances desirable for separation from the environment of the console.

An electric fan, positioned within the console downstream of the absolute filter, evacuates air from the hood and its immediate environs. The air with any contaminants, i.e., any materials tending to be contaminative, contained therein, is drawn through the filters, the contaminants being deposited in the filters. The air is then exhausted from the rear, bottom or side of the console, as found most convenient.

A tube or hose leads to the hood from an aerosol dispenser or nebulizer used in conjunction with the console for delivery of aerosol to the mouth of the patient, thereby inducing the coughing reaction sought after.

An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a compact, conveniently mobile, hooded console for the induction of patient coughing and for the simultaneous protection of personnel in the vicinity from exposure to contaminants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the console of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the console, partially cutaway, showing the doors in the closed position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view sectioned to show each of the components of the invention, the doors being open; and

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a typical fitting for the passage of aerosol through the hood.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The console of this invention is generally identified throughout the specification by the numeral 10. Usually fabricated primarily from stainless steel sheet metal or other similar material, the console comprises a cabinet 12 conventionally mounted upon suitable casters 14 to facilitate its full mobility. A lower section 16 supports an upper section 18.

The shape of the lower portion 16, in the configuration illustrated, is substantially square. A door 20 is attached to a rearward part of the cabinet 12 by conventional hinges, or is removably retained by screws or other suitable fastener means. It provides ready access to the interior of the lower section 16.

Positioned internally of the section 16 upon a plurality of vibration-isolating mounts 22 is a fan 24. The fan is usually of a squirrel-cage type, receiving its air input from its ends 26 and discharging at its opposite end 28. Secured above the fan 24 upon a bracket 30 and covering substantially the entirety of a specific horizontally oriented region of the section 16 is an absolute filter 32 of any configuration suitable to remove substantially the total of any micro-organisms or the like, engaging its upper surface. Filtration of particles of 0.3 microns size with an efficiency of 99.95 percent can be accomplished with commercial filters available for this purpose. This filter must be capable of retaining such contaminants while readily permitting the passage of air therethrough. High efficiency particulate air filters fabricated, for example, from continuous sheets of fire-retardant, water repellant, glass, microfiber media over corrugated separators, have been found to be suitable for this purpose.

Supported within an intermediate wall 34 is a pre-filter 36. This pre-filter is positioned within a hood, described in detail below, to receive and retain the major portion of any large dropplets or other contaminants secreted by the patient using the apparatus, or otherwise present in the environs surrounding the console. One of its functions is to prolong the life of the absolute filter. It also must be capable of permitting the air to pass readily therethrough while efficiently performing its contaminant separating function.

A drip pan 37, supported by brackets 38 upon the underside of the wall 34 hangs beneath the pre-filter 36. Its ends are open to permit free air passage, but include lip portions to prevent disinfectants used during cleaning procedures from traversing the pre-filter 36 and contacting the absolute filter 32.

The upper section 18 includes a storage or container portion 39 at a rearward region and a hood 40 at the front side. The storage portion 39 sometimes includes doors (not shown) closing the rearwardmost side, but is usually left open for convenience of storage for nebulizers and other treatment-related equipment. A pair of handles 42 is attached to the back of the storage portion 39 for moving the console.

The hood 40 includes a fixed portion made up of two side walls 44, an inclined upper wall 46 converging downward to connect with an upper forward corner of the storage portion 39. A lower or inner door 48, hinged along one of its edges 52 to the intermediate wall 34, is adapted to be swung upward to the dotted line position 48' for storage purposes. The door, when closed, is preferably positioned within the interior of the fixed portion of the hood. During use of the console the door is moved to the down or open position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 to define a forward portion of the lower wall of the hood 40.

A pair of doors 50 are hinged vertically, as along the hinge line 58, slightly forward of the external surface of the lower door 48 when the latter door is in its stowed position. This assures the ability of the doors 50 to close to a flat position, as shown in FIG. 3. The doors 50 are of a width such that, when closed, their edges remote from the hinges 52 meet to form a fully closed side with an appearance of neatness.

Each of the doors 50 has a stop member 54 at its lower internal edge near the outer extremity upon which the lower door 48 rests when in its downward or open position. The door 48 or the stop member 54 may contain a suitable conventional detent to engage the other such part and thereby secure the doors 48 and 50 in their respective open positions. Similarly, a stop member 56 is fixed to the inside of each of the side walls 44 to be engaged by the lower door 48 when it is closed, preventing that door from excessive inward movement.

Although it is not usually required, it is sometimes found desirable to provide an upper door, hinged horizontally along the line 58 for folding downward when closed and upward, parallel to lower door 48, when open.

The inclined upper wall 46 is provided with a simple fitting 60 therethrough. One embodiment of such fitting has a first tubular portion 62 with a flange 64 for engagement with the wall 46 and a second partially threaded tubular portion 66 positioned through the hole 68 in a wall 46. A nut 70 is threaded over the second tubular portion 66 to retain the fitting in its installed position.

The two tubular portions 62 and 66 preferably have smooth outer surfaces to permit the easy acceptance of other tubes thereover in slip fits. The fitting 60 is usually installed near one of the side walls 44.

A flexible aerosol supply hose 72, which may be selected from a wide variety of hose configurations, has one of its ends connected in an airtight fit over the second tubular portion 66 of the fitting 60. The hose leads to an aerosol production or nebulizer unit 74 suitable for the induction of coughing by the patient. Reactive to the use of nebulizers, it has been found that ultrasonic nebulizers or gas-operated mainstream nebulizers produce a large volume nebulization for humidification of air for inhalation and liquefaction of bronchial secretions in chronic lung deseases, as well as for the stimulation of cough and sputum induction for diagnostic purposes. The specific output and the materials dispensed by the nebulizer, however, may vary with the specific treatment prescribed. Such units may be conveniently contained within or upon the storage portion 30 of the console, but, in any event, it is always located in a position not subject to contamination by effluents from coughing during diagnostic procedures.

The humidifier does not form a part of this invention. It does, however, perform a primary function relative to the purpose of the control cabinet of the invention. Its use also results in this technique of cough induction and sputum sampling being simple to perform with little discomfort to the patient.

A hole of appropriate size is provided in the top of the storage portion for passage of the hose 72 in the event of storage interiorly of this portion.

An aerosol dispensing tube 76 of a diameter suitable for one of its ends to be received into the mouth of a patient (usually about 1 inch in diameter) is located within the hood 40, its opposite end being received in a slip fit over the first tubular portion 62 of the fitting 60. The aerosol dispensing tube is preferably disposable, usually being made from a relatively inexpensive material such as plastic or cardboard. After each use by a patient it is removed and replaced by a new tube preparatory for use by a different patient.

The location of this tube 76 near one of the side walls 44 results in its being movable into usable position essentially centrally of the hood, or to one side, so as to be out of the way of the patient when coughing begins. This feature is sometimes enhanced by providing the tube with convolutions 77 (FIG. 4), joints or similar bend-facilitating features. The fitting 60 also sometimes includes a movable joint 63 constructed conventially to accommodate singular changes when one of its parts is rotated relative to the other.

Preparatory to operation, the console is rolled from its storage area to the use location. The doors 50 are opened outward from the position indicated in FIG. 2 and the inner door 48 is swung downward until it engages against and fastens with respect to the stops 54 upon the doors 50, into the condition illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The patient is also provided with an appropriate sputum collection receptacle. It is placed near him on the convenient shelf defined by the surface of the door 48, the patient being seated in front of the console, facing into the hood.

The fan 24 and the humidifier 74 are turned on and the free end of the tube 76 is received into the mouth of the patient. Cough-inducing aerosol produced by the nebulizer 74 is transmitted through the tube 72, the fitting 60 and the tube 76 to the mouth of the patient. Sputum resulting from the coughing induced by this procedure is collected in a receptacle provided for that purpose, the coughing of the patient being directed into the hood 40.

Air exhausted from the lower cabinet section 16 by the fan 24 results in a steady stream of air being drawn through the absolute filter 32, around the edges of the drip pan 37, through the pre-filter 36, evacuating any bacteria-ladden air from the hood region and its immediately surrounding environs. Air is also pulled away from the attendant working with the patient and from around the head and shoulders of the patient.

The major portion of any microbial substances not otherwise captured in the sputum receptacle is caught by the pre-filter 36, any residual bacteria or other material being received and captured by the absolute filter 32. It has been found that an air evacuation rate of about 400 cubic feet per minute results in a highly efficient removal of air from both the hood and the region immediately surrounding the patient. Tests have also indicated that when concentrated microbial aerosols (2,000,000 per minute) are released at various points around the hood intake, all airborne particles generated in front of the hood are pulled into the hood by the air stream and are trapped by the filters. When coughing is induced and directed into the hood none of the aerosolized micro-organisms are found to be either dispersed into the environment surrounding the hood or exhausted with the air from the fan.

Because of the nature of this invention and the various manners in which it can be utilized, it is to be considered as being limited solely by the appended claims forming a part of this disclosure.

Claims

I claim:

1. An environmental contaminant control console comprising:

a cabinet;

a fan means in said cabinet for drawing through and exhausting air from said cabinet;

an absolute filter means in said cabinet upstream of said fan for catching and retaining substantially all contaminants drawn thereinto by said fan;

a pre-filter means in said cabinet upstream of said absolute filter to catch major portions of any contaminants entering said cabinet;

a hood defining an upper portion of said cabinet and wherein said pre-filter means is mounted;

said hood including a plurality of doors foldable into a compact unit for storage and hinged to swing outward and provide an open sided portion of said hood; and

said fan means positioned in said cabinet in a manner such as to draw air into said hood, through said filters and exhaust it therefrom below said absolute filter;

aerosol dispensing means adapted for connection to a separate aerosol nebulizer, said aerosol dispensing means leading into said hood, whereby aerosol may be introduced into the mouths of patients to thereby induce coughing, sputum samples may be collected and microbial scatter effectively controlled and trapped in said filters following coughing by the patient.

2. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 1 wherein said cabinet console is mounted upon rollers for mobility, said fan exhausts in one direction and said doors open in an opposite direction.

3. The environmental control console of claim 1 wherein said control console includes; a lower cabinet portion;

an upper cabinet portion being mounted upon said lower cabinet portion, said plurality of doors including:

a pair of outer doors hinged vertically to the sides of said upper cabinet portion for closing said hood and for opening outward to define a portion thereof, and an inner door is hinged horizontally to open downward and to cooperatively define said hood with said pair of outer doors.

4. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 3 wherein stops are provided upon said upper cabinet portion of said hood to limit inward movement of said doors, and upon inner sides of said pair of doors for stopping downward movement of said inner door and securing said plurality of doors against movement beyond a predetermined position.

5. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 3 wherein a drip pan is mounted in said lower cabinet portion beneath said pre-filter and is shaped to permit the passage of air around its sides.

6. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 1 wherein said aerosol dispensing means includes a fitting through said hood and replaceable tube attached to said fitting internally of said hood.

7. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 6 wherein said replaceable tube includes means between its ends to facilitate flexing and is adapted to be received in the mouth of a patient using said console.

8. The environmental contaminant console of Claim 6 wherein said fitting includes swivel means for swiveling, thereby reorienting the direction of said flexible tube.

9. The environmental contaminant control console of claim 6 wherein a storage section is provided in said cabinet adjacent said hood for containment of treatment-related equipment.