Connections for humidification system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10245407-B2
Application number	US-201415021673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2014
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

A humidification system can include a heater base, a humidification chamber, and a breathing circuit. A cartridge can be removably coupled to the heater base. The cartridge can include various sensors, probes, sensor wire connectors, heater wire connectors, and/or other features. The cartridge can include features configured to mate with corresponding features on the humidification chamber and the heater base. The cartridge includes a memory, such as an EEPROM, or other suitable storage device. When the cartridge is installed on the heater base, the memory is electrically connected to a processor and/or memory of the heater base. Various models of cartridges can be produced for use with different humidification chambers, breathing circuits, and/or therapies. A connector can couple an inspiratory conduit to an outlet port of the humidification chamber. The connector can provide a pneumatic connection to the outlet port and an electrical connection to the cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge for use with a respiratory humidifier, the cartridge comprising:
a housing comprising a rear perimeter and at least one securing member extending upwardly beyond an upper extreme of the rear perimeter of the housing;
a compartment defined by the housing and a printed circuit board positioned within the compartment, an electrical connector connected to the printed circuit board and extending rearwardly of the compartment; and
a first rearwardly protruding member and a second rearwardly protruding member extending outward beyond the rear perimeter of the housing, the first rearwardly protruding member comprising a first recess and the second rearwardly protruding member comprising a second recess, a first bolt extending from the first recess and a second bolt extending from the second recess,
the electrical connector being interposed between the first rearwardly protruding member and the second rearwardly protruding member.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 , the housing comprising an upper surface and a rear surface, the upper surface extending forward a first distance from the rear surface and an upper portion of the securing member extending forward a second distance from the rear surface, the first distance being larger than the second distance.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 , the housing including at least two securing members separated from each other by a valley.

4. The cartridge of claim 1 , the first recess and the second recess extending laterally relative to a rear surface of the housing.

5. The cartridge of claim 4 , the first recess and the second recess defining openings into the first rearwardly protruding member and the second rearwardly protruding member.

6. The cartridge of claim 5 , the first rearwardly protruding member having a first side surface and the second rearwardly protruding member having a second side surface, the first recess defining an opening in the first side surface and the second recess defining an opening in the second side surface.

7. The cartridge of claim 6 , the first recess and the second recess being generally vertically aligned relative to the rear surface of the housing.

8. The cartridge of claim 1 , a first spring positioned within the first recess and contacting the first bolt, a second spring positioned within the second recess and contacting the second bolt, a first lever connected with the first bolt and a second lever connected with the second bolt.

9. A cartridge for use with a respiratory humidifier, the cartridge comprising:
a housing comprising a rear surface and at least one securing member extending upwardly beyond an upper extreme of the rear surface of the housing;
a compartment defined by the housing, an electrical component positioned within the compartment, an electrical connector connected to the electrical component, the rear surface of the housing defining an opening through which the electrical connector is exposed; and
a first outwardly extending pin extending laterally outward beyond an immediately adjacent portion of the housing and a second outwardly extending pin extending laterally outward beyond an immediately adjacent portion of the housing, the first outwardly extending pin and the second outwardly extending pin being deflectable inwardly toward each other,
the electrical connector being laterally generally interposed between the first outwardly extending pin and the second outwardly extending pin and vertically generally interposed between the first and second outwardly extending pins and the at least one securing member.

10. The cartridge of claim 9 , the electrical connector comprising a ridge and a pin array, the opening in the rear surface being circumscribed on three sides by the ridge.

11. The cartridge of claim 9 , the housing comprising an upper laterally extending surface and the at least one securing member extending upward beyond the upper laterally extending surface.

12. The cartridge of claim 9 , comprising a gasket disposed on the rear surface around the electrical connector, and with the exception of the electrical connector, the compartment being watertight.

13. The cartridge of claim 9 , a first biasing member biasing the first outwardly extending pin outward and a second biasing member biasing the second outwardly extending pin outward such that inwardly directed movement of the first outwardly extending pin is opposed by the first biasing member and such that inwardly directed movement of the second outwardly extending pin is opposed by the second biasing member.

14. A cartridge for use with a respiratory humidifier, the cartridge comprising:
a housing comprising an upper laterally extending surface, at least one securing member extending upwardly beyond the upper laterally extending surface of the housing,
the housing comprising a rear surface extending downward from the upper laterally extending surface; and
a first rearwardly protruding element extending rearwardly beyond an immediately adjacent portion of the housing and a second rearwardly protruding element extending rearwardly beyond an immediately adjacent portion of the housing, the first rearwardly protruding element and the second rearwardly protruding element being generally vertically aligned, the first rearward protruding element and the second rearwardly protruding element being positioned vertically lower than the upper laterally extending surface,
the first rearwardly protruding element comprising a first deflectable portion and the second rearwardly protruding element comprising a second deflectable portion such that the first deflectable portion and the second deflectable portion are deflectable laterally inward toward each other.

15. The cartridge of claim 14 , the housing comprising a first generally vertically extending sidewall and a second generally vertically extending sidewall, the first deflectable portion extending laterally outward beyond the first generally vertically extending sidewall and the second deflectable portion extending laterally outward beyond the second generally vertically extending sidewall.

16. The cartridge of claim 14 , the first deflectable portion comprising a first spring biased sliding bolt member, and the first spring biased sliding bolt member being coupled to a lever that is exposed on a bottom portion of the cartridge.

17. The cartridge of claim 14 , an electrical connector extending rearwardly and being positioned vertically lower than the at least one securing member and being positioned vertically higher than the first and second deflectable portions.

18. The cartridge of claim 17 , the electrical connector comprising a pin array, at least a portion of the first deflectable portion and at least a portion of the second deflectable portion being positioned between the rear surface of the housing and an imaginary plane generally parallel with the rear surface positioned at the end of the pin array such that the tips of the pins contact the imaginary plane.

19. The cartridge of claim 14 , the housing comprising a lower wall, the first deflectable portion and the second deflectable portion being positioned vertically higher than the lower wall.

20. The cartridge of claim 19 , the lower wall configured to contact a portion of a humidifier chamber in use.

Assignees

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Osborne Hamish Adrian
• Millar Gavin Walsh
• Evans Stephen David
• Holyoake Bruce Gordon
• Stanton James William
• Mccauley David Leon
• Mcdermott Gareth Thomas
• Mckenna Nicholas James Michael
• Norton Myfanwy Jane Antica
• Elsworth Adrian John
• Andresen Michael John
• Lambert Jonathan Andrew George
• Gurm Sandeep Singh
• Paris Tessa Hazel
• Griffiths Joseph Nathaniel
• Si Ping
• Sims Christopher Gareth
• Stoks Elmo Benson
• Cheung Dexter Chi Lun
• Seekup Peter Alan
• Liu Po-Yen
• Lang Richard Edward
• Tonkin Paul James
• Kwan Ian Lee Wai

Classifications

• A61M16/0833

  T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece · CPC title

• A61M2205/3368

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61M16/108

  before being humidified or mixed with a beneficial agent · CPC title

• A61M16/1095

  in the connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M16/109

  the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent · CPC title