Humidification system connections

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828482-B2
Application number	US-201415105531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A circuit connector for a humidification system, the system comprising a base unit configured to be engaged by a humidification chamber. The circuit connector comprises an inlet to fluidly connect to an outlet of the humidification chamber to receive humidified gases therefrom, an outlet to sealably connect to or integral with a conduit for directing the humidified gases to a user, and an electrical terminal for electrically coupling the circuit connector to an electrical terminal associated with the base unit. The circuit connector may be releasably and lockably connectable to the outlet of the humidification chamber and/or orientation features may control orientation of component parts of the system as they are assembled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit connector for a humidification system, the humidification system comprising a base unit and a humidification chamber, the humidification chamber being configured to be engageable with the base unit, the circuit connector comprising:
an inlet configured to provide a fluid connection to an outlet of the humidification chamber to receive heated and/or humidified gases therefrom;
an outlet configured to provide a fluid connection to a conduit for directing the heated and/or humidified gases to or from a patient or other person; and
an electrical terminal configured to provide an electrical connection to a base unit electrical terminal, the electrical terminal comprising exposed contact pads that are sized, positioned and configured to be brought into contact with the base unit electrical terminal along a single plane,
wherein the exposed contact pads are not all uniformly spaced apart;
wherein a longitudinal dimension of each of the exposed contact pads extends along a same direction as a centerline of the outlet.

2. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the contact pads comprise contact pads for sensor wires, contact pads for identification, and contact pads for heater wires.

3. The circuit connector of claim 2 , wherein the contact pads for the heater wires are longer than the contact pads for the sensor wires and the contact pads for identification.

4. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the contact pads all have the same length.

5. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical terminal comprises six contact pads.

6. The circuit connector of claim 5 , wherein the six contact pads comprise two contact pads for sensor wires, two contact pads for identification, and two contact pads for heater wires.

7. The circuit connector of claim 6 , wherein the two contact pads for the heater wires are longer than the two contact pads for the sensor wires and the two contact pads for identification.

8. The circuit connector of claim 7 , wherein the two contact pads for the heater wires are adjacent each other.

9. The circuit connector of claim 6 , wherein the two contact pads for the sensor wires and the two contact pads for identification are uniformly spaced and the two contact pads for the heater wires are spaced apart from each other by the same spacing as between the two contact pads for the sensor wires but the two contact pads for the heater wires are spaced apart from the closest of the two contact pads for the sensor wires and the two contact pads for identification by a distance greater than the distance separating the two contact pads for the heater wires from each other.

10. The circuit connector of claim 9 , wherein the two contact pads for the heater wires are longer than the two contact pads for the sensor wires and the two contact pads for identification.

11. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the contact pads are formed on a printed circuit board and the printed circuit board is supported by an outer support surface.

12. The circuit connector of claim 11 , wherein the outer support surface is wider at a distal end than at a proximal end.

13. The circuit connector of claim 1 , comprising an orientator configured to orientate the circuit connector relative to the outlet of the humidification chamber and/or to orientate the electrical terminal of the circuit connector relative to the electrical terminal associated with the base unit.

14. The circuit connector of claim 13 , wherein the orientator comprises a recess configured to slidably engage a projection on the outlet of the humidification chamber such that the circuit connector may only be slid onto the outlet of the humidification chamber in a predetermined orientation.

15. The circuit connector of claim 13 , wherein the orientator comprises a projection configured to slidably engage a recess in the outlet of the humidification chamber such that the circuit connector may only be slid onto the outlet of the humidification chamber in a predetermined orientation.

16. The circuit connector of claim 1 , further comprising a cutout configured to accommodate a protrusion of the outlet of the humidification chamber, the cutout inhibiting or limiting engagement of the circuit connector to the outlet of the humidification chamber when not correctly orientated to accommodate the protrusion received in the cutout.

17. The circuit connector of claim 16 , wherein the cutout is contoured to have a wider opening and a narrower termination, thereby providing tolerance as to the orientation of the circuit connector on initial engagement and correcting the orientation on continued engagement as the circuit connector is pushed towards the outlet of the humidification chamber.

18. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical terminal of the circuit connector comprises:
one or more pins configured to, in use, make contact with one or more tracks of a printed circuit board, the electrical terminal associated with the base unit comprising said printed circuit board, or
a printed circuit board comprising one or more tracks configured to, in use, make contact with one or more pins, the electrical terminal associated with the base unit comprising said one or more pins.

19. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical terminal of the circuit connector comprises:
an edge card configured to, in use, be received in an edge card receptacle, the electrical terminal associated with the base unit comprising said edge card receptacle, or
an edge card receptacle configured to, in use, receive an edge card, the electrical terminal associated with the base unit comprising said edge card.

20. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein the electrical terminal of the circuit connector is electrically connected to one or more heater wires and/or one or more sensor wires, the conduit comprising said one or more heater wires and/or said one or more sensor wires.

21. The circuit connector of claim 1 , comprising a recess or projection configured to be engaged by a latch on a wall of the outlet of the humidification chamber, thereby providing said releasable and lockable connection of the circuit connector to the outlet of the humidification chamber.

22. The circuit connector of claim 1 , comprising a latch configured to engage a recess or projection of a wall of the outlet of the humidification chamber, thereby providing said releasable and lockable connection of the circuit connector to the outlet of the humidification chamber.

23. The circuit connector of claim 22 , comprising an activator configured for disengaging the latch from the recess or projection to allow removal of the circuit connector from the outlet of the humidification chamber.

24. The circuit connector of claim 23 , wherein the activator comprises at least one manually depressible button or switch.

25. The circuit connector of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the circuit connector is receivable inside the outlet of the humidification chamber.

Assignees

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Osborne Hamish Adrian
• Stanton James William
• Holyoake Bruce Gordon
• Evans Stephen David
• Mccauley David Leon
• Mckenna Nicholas James Michael
• Mcdermott Gareth Thomas
• Norton Myfanwy Jane Antica
• Millar Gavin Walsh
• Maeckelberghe Thomas Jacques Fernand

Classifications

• A61M16/021 Primary

  operated by electrical means (A61M16/202 – A61M16/205 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M16/16 Primary

  Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A61M16/0833

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

• A61M16/06

  Respiratory or anaesthetic masks · CPC title

• A61M2205/6045

  having complementary physical shapes for indexing or registration purposes · CPC title