A pump hose customer in the USA asked if I could find a way he could enjoy aromas through a nasal cannula, he said he liked swapping gags. I realised that aromas without a mask and controlled with a pump bulb is a really good idea, nothing covers the mouth and you have perfect control of the aromas.
I took it as a challenge and started to examine the problem. Soon realising there is no good way to use a nasal cannula with a pump hose, I started thinking about ways to get aromas into a nasal cannula. After some thought, I settled on a design which gives control of the aromas and matches the way a nasal cannula feels, when used for oxygen therapy – I had the perfect answer.
I acquired the parts I didn’t already have and made a prototype – When I tested it, it worked like a dream.
I sent the prototype to the customer in the USA and received the comment, ‘It’s amazing, thanks.’ So I posted a couple of pictures of the kit on social media and immediately had an order for a second one. The second one was well received also, so I set about streamlining the design to produce this commercial version.
How it works
The mixer box is the heart of the system, it lets you add aromas to the small flow of air which flows continuously from the powered pump through the cannula. The flow of air, is very much the same as the flow of oxygen you receive through a cannula, when you are given oxygen as a patient, in a hospital recovery room.
A powered pump, a bottle with aromas and a pump bulb, are connected to the mixer box. Every time you squeeze the bulb, aromas are mixed with the air flowing through the cannula. If you don’t squeeze the bulb, you don’t add aromas to the flow – you only get aromas when you want, never when you don’t.
A small, powered air pump, pushes a constant flow of air through the mixer box to the cannula. Mains pumps for the UK, Europe and the USA, or a battery pump for use worldwide, indoors, or out.
The hook-up
The tubes with the bottle cap attached, push onto the pair of connectors at the right, on the front of the box. The tubes must hang down in free space over the edge from the connectors, so the bottle can hang down vertically, as shown above.
The pump bulb is connected to the single connector at the left, on the front of the mixer box, using a one and a half metre tube.
The left hand connector on the back of the box is the air input, it is connected to the outlet of the powered air pump using a three metre long silicone tube.
Three metres of tubing lets you put the air pump far enough away from the mixer box and the user, so any humming sound made by the pump is inaudible, or at least, quiet enough to be ignored.
The electrically powered air pump should be switched off until set-up is complete. Once switched on, the pump will maintain a constant flow of air through the mixer and cannula. This airflow will never contain aromas unless the rubber bulb is squeezed. When the bulb is squeezed, aromas are added to the flow. After manual pumping has stopped, the constant airflow will push the last of the pumped aromas through to the cannula.
The airflow adjuster at the centre of the back of the mixer box must be free to move easily. If it is turned clockwise and screwed completely in, no air will flow through the box from the powered pump to the cannula. Turning the adjuster anti-clockwise opens the valve and allows air to flow through to the cannula. The adjuster can be set at a position which gives a small airflow, similar to the flow when a nasal cannula is used to provide oxygen. The airflow adjuster knob can be unscrewed completely but must be in place for the system to work correctly.
The plastic Luer connector on the end of the cannula should be pushed firmly onto the Luer connector at the back of the box. Twisting the plastic connector slightly left and right as you push, may help it settle more fully.
Once all components are connected, some aromas can be added to one of the bottles and the bottle screwed onto its cap on the tubes.
Using the system
The cannula pump system is very efficient and should be used with great care until its potency is fully understood. Only a few squeezes of the pump bulb are needed to give a dose of aromas if the pumping is in time with breathing. It only takes moments for aromas to be expelled from the cannula when the pump bulb is squeezed.
With the bottle loaded and in place, the powered air pump switched on and the cannula settled in a comfortable position, set the airflow adjuster so that there is a barely perceptible air flow through the cannula. If you have ever had oxygen through a nasal cannula in a hospital, you will probably recognise the small flow.
Breath out and stop breathing for a moment. Then, as you slowly breathe in, squeeze and release the pump bulb three or four times. Hold your breath for a moment and then breathe normally. You will soon realise how much aromas you have received and how effective the system is.
As you become familiar with the system, you will learn how often you need to use the pump bulb and how many squeezes you want each time.
The package
When you buy a system you will receive:
- A black anodised, extruded aluminium mixer box with black ABS end panels and non-slip feet. The end panels carry two types of custom made stainless steel connector and an airflow adjuster. The connectors and airflow adjuster can be easily identified during setup from the label on the bottom of the box.
- One of three country specific mains powered air pumps or a battery powered air pump to give a constant flow of air through the cannula. The pump connects to the mixer box with a three metre length of silicone tubing. The length of the tube allows the pump to be sited away from the mixer box and the user. The distance is more important with the battery pump option as the mains powered pumps are remarkably quiet. The battery pump makes the sound you may expect from an aquarium air pump and requires two D cells (U2, LR20, MN1300) which are not supplied, in order to operate.
- A moulded silicone pump bulb with a flow restricting connector, just like pump hoses have. It is supplied with one and a half metres of silicone tubing.
- Three nasal cannulas with Luer fittings are included. The main tube is clear with soft over-ear sections and curved prong nasal tubes. Additional cannulas are readily available online from many sources.
- A bottle cap with two captive silicone tubes which connect to the front of the mixer box.
- Two 30ml glass bottles – one is a spare just in case of a breakage.
- A spare airflow control knob is included – for use if the pre-fitted one is lost.
- Printed instructions with guidance on both use and care.
To find the pump system on the eBay UK site use: ‘Nasal Cannula Aromas Pump System’.
The printed instructions included with each cannula pump system are available to download as a pdf file by clicking on the image to the left. Some computers need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF files. Free downloads of Acrobat Reader are available here: |
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