Technologies for sanitizing reservoirs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10851001-B2
Application number	US-202016782892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

Technologies (e.g., devices, systems and methods) for sanitizing reservoirs are described. In some embodiments, the technologies include a sanitization gas system and a connector unit or a hole in the reservoir wall, configured to connect a supply line to the reservoir. The connector unit may include an inlet passageway for supplying sanitizing gas (e.g., ozone) into the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for sanitizing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, comprising:
a gas supply system configured to supply a sanitizing gas;
a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device part comprising a connector unit comprising an inlet passageway, the inlet passageway comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein:
the CPAP device part is a wall, top, or cover of a reservoir of said CPAP device; and
the connector unit spans a thickness of a portion of said wall, top or cover and the CPAP device part is configured such that when the CPAP device part is installed in said reservoir, the distal end of the inlet passageway is above a liquid level of the reservoir and faces an interior of the reservoir; and

a first supply line having a proximal and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the first supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the gas supply system and the distal end of the first supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the proximal end of the inlet passageway.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second supply line comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the second supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the distal end of the inlet passageway.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the inlet passageway is disposed outside said reservoir and the distal end of said inlet passageway is disposed inside the reservoir.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the proximal end of the inlet passageway is disposed outside said reservoir and the distal end of said inlet passageway is disposed inside the reservoir.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an exhaust system configured to remove the sanitizing gas.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the exhaust system comprises a removable activated carbon filter.

7. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a check valve coupled to the second supply line.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sanitizing gas is ozone gas.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in the CPAP device part.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in the CPAP device part.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the CPAP device part is a cover of said reservoir.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in said cover.

13. A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device part comprising:
a connector unit comprising an inlet passageway, the inlet passageway comprising a proximal end and a distal end;

wherein:
the CPAP device part is a wall, top, or cover of a reservoir of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device;
the connector unit spans a thickness of a portion of said wall, top, or cover and the CPAP device part is configured such that when the CPAP device part is installed in said reservoir, the distal end of the inlet passageway is above a liquid level of the reservoir and faces an interior of the reservoir; and
the proximal end of the inlet passageway is configured to fluidly couple to a first supply line to receive a flow of sanitizing gas.

14. The CPAP device part of claim 13 , wherein said CPAP device part comprises said first supply line and further comprises a second supply line, wherein the distal end of the inlet passageway is configured to fluidly couple to said second supply line.

15. The CPAP device part of claim 13 , wherein the CPAP device part is a cover for said reservoir.

16. The CPAP device part of claim 15 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in said cover.

17. The CPAP device part of claim 13 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in said CPAP device part.

18. The CPAP device part of claim 13 , wherein the CPAP device part is a wall of said reservoir.

19. The CPAP device part of claim 18 , wherein the connect unit is pre-formed in said wall.

20. A method for sanitizing a reservoir of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, comprising:
fluidly coupling a gas supply system to a proximal end of an inlet passageway of a connector unit of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device part of said CPAP device, the inlet passageway further comprising a distal end, wherein:
the CPAP device part is a wall, top, or cover of the reservoir of said CPAP device;
the connector unit spans a thickness of a portion of said wall, top or cover and the CPAP device part with the distal end of the inlet passageway above a liquid level of the reservoir and facing an interior of the reservoir;

causing a sanitizing gas supplied by said gas supply system to flow into the reservoir via the inlet passageway and above said liquid level; and
exhausting the sanitizing gas from the reservoir.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein fluidly coupling the gas supply system to the proximal end of the inlet passageway comprises fluidly coupling a first end of a first gas supply line to the proximal end of the inlet passageway, the first gas supply line comprising a second end fluidly coupled to the gas supply system.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising fluidly coupling a second gas supply line to the distal end of the inlet passageway.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in the CPAP device part.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in the CPAP device part.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the CPAP device part is a cover of said reservoir.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in said cover.

27. A system for sanitizing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, comprising:
a gas supply system configured to supply a sanitizing gas;
a CPAP device part comprising a connector unit comprising an inlet passageway, the inlet passageway comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein:
the CPAP device part is a wall, bottom, top, or cover of said CPAP device; and
the connector unit spans a thickness of a portion of said wall, bottom, top or cover such that the distal end of the inlet passageway faces an interior of the CPAP device when the wall, bottom, top, or cover is installed in the CPAP device; and

a first supply line having a proximal and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the first supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the gas supply system and the distal end of the first supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the proximal end of the inlet passageway; and
a second supply line comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end of the second supply line is configured to fluidly couple to the distal end of the inlet passageway.

28. The system of claim 27 , further comprising a check valve coupled to the second supply line.

29. The system of claim 27 , wherein the connector unit is pre-formed in the CPAP device part.

30. The system of claim 27 , wherein said CPAP device part is a wall, bottom, top, or cover of a reservoir of said CPAP device, and the CPAP device part is configured such that the proximal end of the inlet passageway is disposed outside said reservoir and the distal end of said inlet passageway is disposed inside the reservoir when the CPAP device part is installed.

Assignees

• Soclean Inc

Inventors

• Leyva Timothy
• Olszta William E

Classifications

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• A61L2/202 Primary

  Ozone · CPC title

• A61M16/16

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

• A61L2202/14

  Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs · CPC title

• A61L2/183

  Ozone dissolved in a liquid · CPC title