METHOD OF MIXING GASES INCLUDING NITRIC OXIDE
A method of delivering nitric oxide can include mixing a first gas including oxygen and a second gas including a nitric oxide-releasing agent within a receptacle to form a gas mixture, where the receptacle includes an inlet, an outlet and a reducing agent, contacting the nitric oxide-releasing agent in the gas mixture with the reducing agent to generate nitric oxide, and delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to a mammal.
1 . A method of delivering nitric oxide, comprising:
mixing a first gas including oxygen and a second gas including a nitric oxide-releasing agent within a receptacle to form a gas mixture, wherein the receptacle includes an inlet, an outlet and a reducing agent;
contacting the nitric oxide-releasing agent in the gas mixture with the reducing agent to generate nitric oxide; and
delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to a mammal.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nitric oxide-releasing agent is nitrogen dioxide.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is air.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gas is oxygen-enriched air.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gas includes an inert gas.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gas includes oxygen.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gas includes air.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nitric oxide in the gas mixture delivered is at least 0.01 ppm and at most 40 ppm.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nitric oxide in the gas mixture delivered is at least 0.01 ppm and at most 2 ppm.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mammal is a human.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to the mammal includes passing the gas mixture through a delivery conduit located between the receptacle and a patient interface.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the volume of the receptacle is greater than the volume of the delivery conduit.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the volume of the receptacle is at least two times the volume of the delivery conduit.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to the mammal includes intermittently providing the gas mixture to the mammal.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to the mammal includes pulsing the gas mixture.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein pulsing includes providing the gas mixture for one or more pulses of 1 to 6 seconds.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein delivering the gas mixture including nitric oxide from the receptacle to the mammal includes providing the gas mixture to the mammal in a pre-determined delivery sequence of one or more pulses.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the volume of the receptacle is greater than the volume of the gas mixture in a pulse.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the volume of the receptacle is at least twice the volume of the gas mixture in a pulse.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the gas mixture is stored in the receptacle between pulses.
21 . The method of claim 1 , comprising storing the gas mixture in the receptacle for a predetermined period of time.
22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein the predetermined period is at least 1 second.
23 . The method of claim 15 , wherein pulsing includes providing the gas mixture for two or more pulses and the concentration of nitric oxide in each pulse varies by less than 10%.
24 . The method of claim 15 , wherein pulsing includes providing the gas mixture for two or more pulses and the concentration of nitric oxide in each pulse varies by less than 10 ppm.
25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the gas mixture delivered to the mammal is less than 0.5 ppm.
26 . The method of claim 1 , comprising communicating the first gas through a gas conduit to the receptacle.
27 . The method of claim 26 , comprising supplying the second gas into the gas conduit immediately prior to the receptacle.
28 . The method of claim 26 , comprising supplying the second gas at the receptacle.