Claims for Patent: 5,732,693

Summary for Patent: 5,732,693

Title:	Pause control of nitric oxide therapy
Abstract:	A system for the delivery of nitric oxide therapy to a patient that allows interventions by a user by activating a pause mode through a user input. A CPU in the system recognizes the activation of the pause mode and sends a signal to close a valve in order to discontinue the supply of nitric oxide to the patient. The activation of the pause mode also deactivates the normal alarm systems. A timer is activated when the system enters the pause mode and the timer allows a predetermined amount of time to pass while the pause mode is in effect. After that predetermined period of time has elapsed, the timer causes the CPU to reopen the valve to reestablish the flow of nitric oxide for the continued therapy and reestablish the alarm systems. The pause mode can be thus carried out without changing any alarm settings, established flows and the like so that the therapy is again recommenced at the same conditions as were in effect prior to the initiation of the pause mode.
Inventor(s):	Bathe; Duncan P. L. (Madison, WI), Kohlmann; Thomas S. (McFarland, WI), Tham; Robert Q. (Madison, WI)
Assignee:	Ohmeda Inc. (Liberty Corner, NJ)
Application Number:	08/766,833
Patent Claims:	1. A system for the delivery of nitric oxide for therapy to a patient by providing a flow of nitric oxide (NO) to a patient, said system having a supply of a NO containing gas, a central processing unit (CPU), and a user input for establishing the desired therapy to the patient, said system further having a pause control system comprising a shut-off valve having an open position where the flow of NO is provided to the patient at a predetermined concentration and a closed position where the flow of NO is stopped, said shut-off valve being operable between said closed and said open positions by a signal from said CPU, means on said user input operable by a user to initiate a pause in the delivery of NO to the patient, said user input providing a signal to said CPU to change said shut-off valve to the closed position, said CPU further having a timing means effective to turn said shut-off valve back to the open position after the passage of a predetermined period of time whereby the predetermined concentration of NO is reestablished to the patient, said system further having a monitoring system to determine the concentration of certain gases flowing to the patient, and an alarm system to cause an alarm when the monitored concentrations exceed limits established by the user, and wherein said CPU further disables said alarm system during the time said shut-off valve is in said closed position and reestablishes said same alarm limits established by the user when said shut-off valve is turned back to said open position. 2. A system for the delivery of nitric oxide for therapy to a patient as defined in claim 1 wherein said shut-off valve also provides a control of the mixture of NO introduced to the patient. 3. A system for the delivery of nitric oxide for therapy to a patient as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined amount of time is set by the user. 4. A method of delivering nitric oxide for therapy to a patient, said method comprising: (a) providing a supply of a NO containing gas, (b) providing a central processing unit (CPU), (c) providing an alarm system having predetermined alarm limits to alert the user of certain conditions, (d) providing a user input for establishing the desired therapy to the patient, (e) providing a shut-off valve having an open position where the flow of NO is provided to the patient at a desired concentration and a closed position where the flow of NO is stopped, (f) controlling the position of said shut-of valve between said closed and open positions by a signal from said CPU, (g) initiating a pause in the delivery of NO to the patient by manually operating the user input to provide a signal to said CPU to change said shut-off valve to the closed position, (h) disabling the alarm system when said pause is initiated in step (g), and (i) timing the initiation of the pause in step (g) and returning the shut-off valve to the open position to reestablish the NO therapy at said desired concentration and reactivating the alarm system with the same predetermined alarm limits after the passage of a predetermined period of time. 5. A method of delivering nitric oxide for therapy to a patient as defined in claim 4 further including the step of: (j) manually operating the user input to provide a signal to said CPU to change said shut-off valve to the open position to terminate the pause to reestablish the NO therapy at said desired concentration and reactivating the alarm system with the same predetermined alarm limits prior to the end of the predetermined time of step (i).