Active exhalation valve

1. An active exhalation valve for use with a patient connection and a ventilator having a pressure source usable to control operation of the valve, comprising:

a valve body having an internal body chamber with gasses therein having a body chamber pressure;

a first body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the patient connection;

a second body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the ventilator;

a passageway in fluid communication with the body chamber and with ambient air exterior of the valve body; and

a valve seal movable between a closed position sealing the passageway and an open position opening the passageway, the valve seal having:

(a) an outer member,

(b) an inner member positioned within the outer member,

(c) an internal seal chamber located between the outer and inner members and in fluid communication with the pressure source, and

(d) a seal member extending between the inner and outer members and movable therewith, the seal member having a first surface portion inside the seal chamber configured for movement of the valve seal toward the closed position in response to pressure applied thereto by the pressure source and a second surface portion outside the seal chamber configured for movement of the valve seal toward the open position in response to pressure applied thereto by the body chamber pressure, with amount and direction of movement of the valve seal being responsive to a resultant force generated by the pressure source and the body chamber pressure on the first and second surface portions.

2. The exhalation valve of claim 1 , wherein the inner member has an inner member fluid passageway extending therethrough in fluid communication with the body chamber and having a first end in fluid communication with the first body port and a second end in fluid communication with the second body port.

3. The exhalation valve of claim 2 , wherein the inner member fluid passageway is in continuous fluid communication with the first and second body ports during operation of the exhalation valve, and out of fluid communication with the seal chamber between the inner and outer members.

4. The exhalation valve of claim 1 , wherein the inner member has an inner member fluid passageway extending therethrough with a first opening in continuous fluid communication with the first body port and a second opening in continuous fluid communication with the second body port.

5. The exhalation valve of claim 1 , wherein the body has a wall portion positioned outward of the valve seal and defining another chamber positioned outward of the valve seal with the passageway being in the wall portion.

6. The exhalation valve of claim 1 , wherein the body has a perimeter wall portion extending circumferentially about the body chamber and positioned outward of the valve seal, and defining an elongated perimeter chamber extending at least partially about the body chamber, with the passageway being in the perimeter wall portion.

7. The exhalation valve of claim 1 , wherein the passageway comprises a plurality of apertures in an external wall of the body in fluid communication with the body chamber and with ambient air exterior of the valve body.

8. An active exhalation valve for use with a patient connection and a ventilator having a pressure source usable to control operation of the valve, comprising:

a valve body having an internal body chamber with gasses therein having a body chamber pressure and a body wall portion with a channel therein for fluid communication with the pressure source and an aperture in fluid communication with the channel;

a first body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the patient connection;

a second body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the ventilator;

a passageway in fluid communication with the body chamber and with ambient air exterior of the valve body; and

a valve seal movable between a closed position sealing the passageway and an open position opening the passageway, the valve seal having:

(a) an outer longitudinally extending and longitudinally compressible wall,

(b) an inner longitudinally extending and longitudinally compressible wall positioned within the outer wall, each of the outer and inner walls having a first end and a second end,

(c) a seal end wall closing a space between the first ends of the outer and inner walls and being longitudinally movable with the first ends of the outer and inner walls,

(d) the body wall portion closing a space between the second ends of the outer and inner walls, and

(e) an internal seal chamber located between the outer and inner walls and extending between the seal end wall and the body wall portion, the aperture of the body wall portion being in fluid communication with the seal chamber to provide fluid communication with the pressure source, the seal end wall being longitudinally movable within the valve body between the closed position with the outer and inner walls being in an extended configuration and the open position with the outer and inner walls being compressed into at least a partially longitudinally compressed position, the seal end wall having a first surface portion inside the seal chamber configured for movement of the valve seal toward the closed position in response to pressure applied thereto by the pressure source and a second surface portion outside the seal chamber configured for movement of the valve seal toward the open position in response to pressure applied thereto by the body chamber pressure, with amount and direction of movement of the valve seal being responsive to a resultant force generated by the pressure source and the body chamber pressure on the first and second surface portions of the seal end wall.

9. The exhalation valve of claim 8 , wherein the inner wall has an inner wall fluid passageway extending therethrough in fluid communication with the body chamber and having a first end in fluid communication with the first body port and a second end in fluid communication with the second body port.

10. The exhalation valve of claim 9 , wherein the inner wall fluid passageway is in continuous fluid communication with the first and second body ports during operation of the exhalation valve, and out of fluid communication with the seal chamber between the inner and outer walls.

11. The exhalation valve of claim 8 , wherein the inner wall has an inner wall fluid passageway extending therethrough with a first opening in continuous fluid communication with the first body port and a second opening in continuous fluid communication with the second body port.

12. The exhalation valve of claim 8 , wherein the longitudinally compressible outer and inner walls are corrugated with a plurality of corrugations, and when in the at least partially longitudinally compressed position more than one of the corrugations is longitudinally compressed.

13. An active exhalation valve for use with a patient connection and a ventilator having a pressure source usable to control operation of the valve, comprising:

a valve body having an internal body chamber with gasses therein having a body chamber pressure and a channel therein for fluid communication with the pressure source and an aperture in fluid communication with the channel;

a first body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the patient connection;

a second body port in fluid communication with the body chamber and configured for fluid communication with the ventilator;

a passageway in fluid communication with the body chamber and with ambient air exterior of the valve body; and

a valve seal movable between a closed position sealing the passageway and an open position opening the passageway, the valve seal having a seal chamber defined by first and second longitudinally spaced apart ends, and by an outer longitudinally extendable wall and an inner longitudinally extendable wall positioned within the outer wall, the aperture of the valve body being in fluid communication with the seal chamber to provide fluid communication with the pressure source, the first end of the seal chamber being longitudinally movable within the valve body between the closed position of the valve seal whereat the outer and inner walls are in a longitudinally extended configuration and the open position of the valve seal whereat the outer and inner walls are in a longitudinally retracted configuration, the valve seal being moved toward the closed position in response to pressure applied by the pressure source and toward the open position in response to pressure applied by the body chamber pressure, with amount and direction of movement of the valve seal being responsive to a resultant force generated by the pressure source and the body chamber pressure.

14. The exhalation valve of claim 13 , wherein the inner wall has an inner wall fluid passageway extending therethrough in fluid communication with the body chamber and having a first end in fluid communication with the first body port and a second end in fluid communication with the second body port.

15. The exhalation valve of claim 14 , wherein the inner wall fluid passageway is in continuous fluid communication with the first and second body ports during operation of the exhalation valve, and out of fluid communication with the seal chamber between the inner and outer walls.

16. The exhalation valve of claim 13 , wherein the inner wall has an inner wall fluid passageway extending therethrough with a first opening in continuous fluid communication with the first body port and a second opening in continuous fluid communication with the second body port.