Humidifier for breathing gas heating and humidification system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10918822-B2
Application number	US-202017001324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2020
Priority date	Jul 18, 2007
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A humidification canister for humidifying a breathing gas, the humidification canister includes a fluid supply configured to supply a fluid and a first gas flow path in fluid communication with the fluid supply. A first gas flow path is configured to humidify the breathing gas with the fluid. A second gas flow path at least partially surrounds the first gas flow path. A method of insulating a breathing gas in a humidification canister using a gas is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A humidification system for increasing residence time of a breathing gas within a humidification chamber so as to provide heated and humidified breathing gas to a patient through a nasal cannula, the system comprising:
a humidification canister having:
a heat conducting base,
a liquid reservoir configured to hold a liquid,
a humidification chamber having a curved inner wall positioned within the liquid reservoir,
a gas inflow conduit configured to convey a flow of breathing gas into the humidification chamber,
a gas outflow conduit configured to convey breathing gas away from the humidification chamber after being humidified within the chamber, and
a first baffle tube having an inlet section and a discharge section, the inlet section interfacing with the gas inflow conduit so as to receive the flow of breathing gas in a first generally horizontal direction of flow and direct the received flow of breathing gas in a second, generally vertical direction of flow, the discharge section having an outlet baffle and being positioned so as to re-direct the gas from the vertical direction of flow to a generally downward direction of flow when discharging from the outlet baffle into the humidification chamber; and
a base unit comprising:
a housing,
a fluid heater disposed on a surface of the housing and configured to transfer heat to the heat conducting base of the humidification canister,
a blower enclosed within the housing and configured to provide the flow of breathing gas through the gas inflow conduit, and
a receptacle configured to releasably couple the humidification canister to the base unit, the receptacle sized and shaped to accommodate the humidification canister;

wherein the receptacle is configured to position the humidification canister above the fluid heater and to align the gas inflow conduit with the base unit to provide breathing gas to the humidification chamber.

2. The humidification system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet section of the first baffle tube has a first cross sectional area, and the discharge section has a second cross-sectional area, and wherein the first cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area.

3. The humidification system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge section has a second cross-sectional area and at least one section of the first baffle tube between the inlet section and the discharge section has a third cross-sectional area, and wherein the third cross-sectional area is smaller than the second cross-sectional area.

4. The humidification system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge section of the first baffle tube comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein one of the upper and lower surfaces is horizontal within the canister and the other of the upper and lower surfaces has a downward slope with respect to the horizontal surface.

5. The humidification system of claim 4 , wherein the upper and lower surfaces are configured such that a velocity vector of breathing gas flowing between the upper and lower surfaces has both a horizontal and a vertical component, and the horizontal component is greater than the vertical component.

6. The humidification system of claim 5 , wherein the upper and lower surfaces are configured such that the flow of breathing gas between the upper surface and the lower surface is directed at a downward angle between the horizontal surface and the downward sloped surface.

7. The humidification system of claim 6 , wherein the upper surface and the lower surface direct the flow of breathing gas downward toward the liquid reservoir to maximize a residence time of the flow of breathing gas within the humidification chamber.

8. The humidification system of claim 7 , further comprising a gas contact surface between the discharge section and an upper surface of the liquid reservoir.

9. The humidification system of claim 8 , wherein the gas contact surface is a membrane.

10. The humidification system of claim 7 , wherein the upper surface has a downward slope.

11. The humidification system of claim 4 , further comprising a second baffle tube coupling the humidification chamber to the gas outflow conduit.

12. The humidification system of claim 11 , wherein the second baffle tube has an inlet opening configured to receive heated and humidified breathing gas from the humidification chamber in a generally horizontal direction and an inlet baffle configured to receive the heated and humidified breathing gas from the inlet opening and discharge the heated and humidified gas toward the gas outflow conduit in a generally vertical direction.

13. The humidification system of claim 12 , comprising first and second elbows positioned respectively in the first baffle tube and second baffle tube.

14. The humidification system of claim 4 , wherein the upper surface comprises a top of the humidification chamber positioned vertically above the outlet baffle.

15. The humidification system of claim 14 , wherein the outlet baffle directs the flow of gas so as to contact the top.

16. The humidification system of claim 14 , wherein the top is removably coupled to the humidification chamber.

17. The humidification system of claim 16 , wherein the top is removably coupled to a bottom portion of the humidification chamber.

18. The humidification system of claim 17 , wherein the top is dome-shaped.

19. The humidification system of claim 17 , wherein the humidification chamber is at least partially immersed in the liquid of the liquid reservoir.

20. The humidification system of claim 17 , the humidification canister further comprising an insulating chamber enclosing the humidification chamber, the insulating chamber positioned between an inner wall of the humidification canister and an outer wall of the humidification chamber, wherein the insulating chamber is filled by a layer of insulating gas.

21. The humidification system of claim 20 , the base unit further comprising a flow divider configured to separate a flow of gas into a first flow directed into the humidification chamber through the gas inflow conduit and a second flow directed into the insulating chamber.

22. The humidification system of claim 1 , further comprising a delivery tube in fluid communication with the gas outflow conduit and configured to releasably couple to the nasal cannula to transmit the heated and humidified breathing gas to at least one nare of a patient.

23. The humidification system of claim 22 , further comprising a heating source configured to convey heat to breathing gas flowing within the delivery tube.

24. The humidification system of claim 23 , wherein the heating source is positioned to heat the breathing gas flowing within the delivery tube.

25. The humidification system of claim 24 , wherein the heating source is one of a heated gas and a heated liquid configured to flow within an outer insulating lumen surrounding an inner lumen through which the breathing gas flows.

26. The humidification system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid heater has a heating plate configured to mate with the heat conducting base of the humidification canister.

27. The humidification system of claim 26 , wherein the receptacle comprises a circular depression in a bottom surface of the receptacle, the circular depression sized to fit the heat conducting base of the humidification canister.

28. The humidification

Assignees

• Vapotherm Inc

Inventors

• Cortez Jr Felino V
• Bamford Owen S
• Niland William F
• Mcgarrity George
• Buyer Carl
• Miller Kenneth
• Boyd Peter

Classifications

• A61M16/08 Primary

  Bellows; Connecting tubes {(having means for taking samples G01N1/22); Water traps; Patient circuits} · CPC title

• A61M16/0875

  Connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M16/162 Primary

  Water-reservoir filling system, e.g. automatic · CPC title

• A61M16/107

  in the inspiratory path · CPC title

• A61M16/0066

  Blowers or centrifugal pumps · CPC title