Tracheostomy/neck breather, speaking valve, speak easy device

thingiverse

This is a project I worked on about two or three years ago as a designer. It's an addition or upgrade to what's known as a Tracheostomy Breather or Neck Breather. The silicon air filter disks used in tracheostomy breathers often got clogged by dust and particles in the air when they needed to be replaced. Plus, they were very vulnerable to physical damage from being hit by something. These are very thin and fragile sheets of silicone that can be quite expensive. In the worst cases, some people needed to replace the filters multiple times a day. So, the concept was drawn up and revised upon a few times. If I remember correctly, this was version five or six. It was designed with injection molding in mind; however, a good precise 3D printer can manage it. SLS and SLA printers work just as well as injection molding. For an FDM 3D printer, the center retaining pin inside the connection tube is meant to hold the silicone filter. Make sure that piece is sturdy and very clean. A rough surface could damage the silicone filter. On to the actual file and how it's used: The file is made into two parts so that it can be 3D printed and also for injection molding. Part one is easy enough to 3D print. For part two, I suggest lowering the curved side down under the bed to give you a flat surface. Just a millimeter or two is fine. You'll notice that part two has a curved lip on either side. This is for when the two parts are joined together by welding or glue. The lips help keep in a piece of filtering foam/sponge. The foam/sponge should be dense enough to catch most dust but be easy to breathe in and out through. As the foam gets dirty, it can be replaced. This is very cost-efficient. Tests showed that the foam could remain in place for one week to one month. Mainly for hygienic reasons, as you're dealing with human breathing and everything that comes with it. The foam can be washed with disinfectant for re-use; however, at the price you buy it, it's not necessary. Note: This doesn't stop mucus from clogging the silicone filter. However, it does move it further away from the opening and thereby reduces mucus clogging. As mentioned before, the silicone filter should be pressed down into the attachment piece and up against the spokes at the end of the tube. This is a push fit onto standard-sized tracheotomy tubes (15mm). For visual description, you can look here: http://www.ccapg.org/tracheotomy. For hospital situations, this unit is easy to remove by holding the base and pulling the unit off. Can be used when taking a patient off a breather, allowing the patient to breathe normally and then be put back on the breather in seconds if necessary. This unit also enables the user to speak. This isn't new, and you can buy speaking valves. This may be cheaper and is certainly better as it filters. That was the whole point of the design. If you're wondering why this design, which could be worth a lot of money, is here: Simple answer - I was screwed out of being paid for my work, which I own the sole rights to, as I am the designer, and I never signed a contract handing over design rights. I personally don't need the money; it's just the principle of not paying someone for weeks of design and months of medical testing and approval. Feel free to print this thing for personal use and for free to people that need it. The cost of plastic or resin is insignificant. Do not sell this commercially. If you wish to sell it commercially, please contact me, and we can figure something out. If you make this thing, please post a print of it. Hope it helps someone out in your life. If you want to modify this thing, please go ahead; I ask that you mark it as a remix. Unfortunately, I won't be sharing the original design files for these.