Dehumidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077400-B2
Application number	US-201916375978-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	May 8, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A dehumidifier is connected to a respiratory gas measuring apparatus. A membrane dryer has a first flow path through which a respiratory gas of a subject passes, and a second flow path through which a purge gas passes. A first normally-closed electromagnetic valve is disposed in a first upstream flow path that communicates with the first flow path. A second normally-closed electromagnetic valve is disposed in a first downstream flow path that communicates with the first flow path. A third normally-closed electromagnetic valve is disposed in a second upstream flow path that communicates with the second flow path. A fourth normally-closed electromagnetic valve is disposed in a second downstream flow path that communicates with the second flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dehumidifier which is to be connected to a respiratory gas measuring apparatus, the dehumidifier comprising:
a membrane dryer having a first flow path through which a respiratory gas of a subject passes, a second flow path through which a gas that is smaller in water content than the respiratory gas passes, and a membrane that separates the first flow path and the second flow path from each other;
a first normally-closed electromagnetic valve which is disposed in a first upstream flow path that communicates with the first flow path;
a second normally-closed electromagnetic valve which is disposed in a first downstream flow path that communicates with the first flow path;
a third normally-closed electromagnetic valve which is disposed in a second upstream flow path that communicates with the second flow path;
a fourth normally-closed electromagnetic valve which is disposed in a second downstream flow path that communicates with the second flow path;
a cooling device which cools the membrane dryer; and
a heat radiating member which dissipates heat generated by the cooling device,
wherein a gas which flows through the second downstream flow path passes through the heat radiating member.

2. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 ,
wherein the gas which flows through the second downstream flow path is discharged after the gas passes through the heat radiating member.

3. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 ,
wherein the membrane is configured by a hollow fiber membrane.

4. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first, the second, the third, and the fourth normally-closed electromagnetic valves are respectively set to closed states when the first, the second, the third, and the fourth normally-closed electromagnetic valves are not energized.

5. The dehumidifier according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heat radiating member includes a plurality of air passages which are formed so that a purge gas is not in direct contact with an ambient air.

6. A system comprising:
the dehumidifier according to claim 1 , and
the respiratory gas measuring apparatus,
wherein the respiratory gas measuring apparatus is connected to the dehumidifier.

Assignees

• Nihon Kohden Corp

Inventors

• Saeki Kota
• Kurahashi Muneshige

Classifications

• B01D63/02 Primary

  Hollow fibre modules · CPC title

• B01D2313/22

  Cooling or heating elements · CPC title

• B01D2313/18

  Specific valves · CPC title

• B01D53/268 Primary

  by diffusion · CPC title

• A61B5/097

  Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices · CPC title