Importance

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Abstract

An airway valve, method of operation and ventilator circuit including the valve. The airway valve includes an outer housing defining a primary passage including first and second coaxial primary passage portions mutually directly communicating within the housing, and first and second diversion passages extending transversely to the primary passage, each diversion passage being integral with the housing and opening onto a primary passage portion. The airway valve controls diversion of air flow between the first primary passage portion and the second primary passage portion into and through an enlarged volume defined by a re-breathing loop external to the housing via the first and second diversion passages. To selectively effect such diversion, an elliptical valve element is oriented within the housing at a 45.degree. angle to both the first primary passage portion and the first diversion passage and disposed on the end of an actuation shaft aligned with the first diversion passage. The actuation shaft is adapted to selectively move between a normal operating mode position wherein the valve element occludes the mouth of the first diversion passage and a re-breathing mode position occluding communication between the first primary passage portion and second primary passage portion and diverting air flow through the first diversion passage into the re-breathing loop and back into the airway valve through the second diversion passage, which opens onto the second primary passage portion.

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First Claim