Arrangement for guiding expired respiratory gas flow

Abstract

An arrangement and method for guiding expired gas flow in a breathing circuit through a housing assembly for removing an undesired gas component is disclosed herein. The housing assembly includes a first port and a second port, one of the ports receiving the flow and another discharging the flow. The arrangement includes a gas routing device in flow communication with the breathing circuit and the housing assembly. The routing device is provided with at least two different route options. According to a first option the gas is guided to the first port and through the housing assembly to the second port and to the gas routing device for guiding for the inspiration. According to a second option the gas is guided to the second port and through the housing assembly to the first port and to the gas routing device for guiding for the inspiration.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for guiding expired respiratory gas flow in a breathing circuit, the system comprising:
 a plurality of housings in serial flow communication; and   a gas routing device coupled to a first of the plurality of housings and a last of the plurality of housings, the gas routing device configurable between at least two route options;   wherein for a first of the at least two route options, the gas routing device is configured to guide the expired respiratory gas flow through the plurality of housings from the first of the plurality of housings to the last of the plurality of housings, and   wherein for a second of the at least two route options, the gas routing device is configured to guide the expired respiratory gas flow through the plurality of housings from the last of the plurality of housings to the first of the plurality of housings.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors corresponding to the plurality of housings, the plurality of sensors configured to signal a respective presence of the corresponding plurality of housings. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of sensors are configured to indicate a respective capacity of the plurality of housings to remove expired gas component from the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising a controller configured to electrically operate the gas routing device based on signals from the plurality of sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a change controller configured to control an availability of the plurality of housings to be replaced. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the availability to be replaced is based on a housing of the plurality of housings that is upstream to the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas routing device comprises a first sector corresponding to the first of the at least two route options and a second sector corresponding to the second of the at least two route options. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first limb for receiving the expired respiratory gas flow and a second limb for discharging the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein for the first of the at least two route options, the first limb is in flow communication with the first of the plurality of housings and the second limb is in flow communication with the last of the plurality of housings. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein for the second of the at least two route options, the first limb is in flow communication with the last of the plurality of housings and the second limb is in flow communication with the first of the plurality of housings. 
     
     
         11 . A system for guiding expired respiratory gas flow in a breathing circuit, the system comprising:
 a first housing having a first port and a first intermediate port;   a second housing having a second port and a second intermediate port, the first intermediate port coupled to the second intermediate port; and   a gas routing device coupled to the first port and the second port,   wherein the gas routing device is configurable between a first route option from the first port to the second port, and a second route option from the second port to the first port.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a first sensor configured to signal a presence of the first housing and a second sensor configured to signal a presence of the second housing. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first sensor is configured to indicate a capacity of the first housing to remove expired gas component from the expired respiratory gas flow and the second sensor is configured to indicate a capacity of the second housing to remove the expired gas component from the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a controller configured to electrically operate the gas routing device based on signals from the first and second sensors. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a change controller configured to control an availability of the first and second housings to be replaced. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the availability to be replaced is based on a housing of the first and second housings that is upstream to the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         17 . A system for guiding expired respiratory gas flow in a breathing circuit, the system comprising:
 a first housing having a first port and a first intermediate port;   a second housing having a second port and a second intermediate port, the first intermediate port coupled to the second intermediate port; and   a gas routing device comprising:
 a first sector comprising a first routing channel and a second routing channel; 
 a second sector comprising a third routing channel and a fourth routing channel, 
   wherein the gas routing device is configurable between a first route option corresponding to the first sector and a second route option corresponding to the second sector,   wherein for the first route option the first routing channel is coupled to the first port and the second routing channel is coupled to the second port, and   wherein for the second route option the third routing channel is coupled to the second port and the fourth routing channel is coupled to the first port.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a first sensor configured to indicate a capacity of the first housing to remove expired gas component from the expired respiratory gas flow and a second sensor configured to indicate a capacity of the second housing to remove the expired gas component from the expired respiratory gas flow. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising a controller configured to electrically operate selection of the first route option or the second route option based on signals from the first and second sensors. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a change controller configured to control an availability of the first and second housings to be replaced based on a housing of the first and second housings that is upstream to the expired respiratory gas flow.