CPAP system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11291795-B2
Application number	US-202017295160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2020
Priority date	Apr 17, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for humidifying a flow of breathable gas includes a water reservoir and a water reservoir dock forming a cavity structured and arranged to receive the water reservoir in an operative position. The water reservoir comprises a reservoir base including a cavity structured to hold a volume of water, the reservoir base including a main body and a thermally conductive portion provided to the main body. The thermally conductive portion comprises a combined layered arrangement including a metal plate and a thin film, the thin film comprising a non-metallic material and including a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. The thin film is adapted to form at least a bottom interior surface of the water reservoir exposed to the volume of water, and the metal plate is adapted to form a bottom exterior surface of the water reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water reservoir for an apparatus for generating a humidified flow of breathable gas for delivery to a patient, the water reservoir constructed and arranged to removably engage with a heater plate of the apparatus when in a working configuration to provide heat to a volume of water in the water reservoir, the water reservoir comprising:
a reservoir base including a cavity structured to hold a volume of water when the water reservoir is in the working configuration;
a conductive portion provided to the reservoir base so as to form at least a portion of the cavity for holding the volume of water,
wherein the conductive portion is adapted to thermally engage with the heater plate when the water reservoir is in the working configuration to allow thermal transfer of heat from the heater plate to the volume of water in use; and
a reservoir lid movably connected to the reservoir base to allow the water reservoir to be convertible between an open configuration and a closed configuration,
wherein the reservoir lid comprises an inlet tube arranged to provide an inlet for a flow of breathable gas entering the cavity and an outlet tube arranged to provide an outlet for a flow of humidified breathable gas exiting the cavity,
wherein the inlet tube includes an inlet end arranged outside the cavity and an outlet end arranged inside the cavity, and the outlet tube includes an outlet end arranged outside the cavity and an inlet end arranged inside the cavity, and
wherein one of the inlet tube and the outlet tube is curved partially around the other of the inlet tube and the outlet tube.

2. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the one of the inlet tube and the outlet tube includes a plurality of curvatures along its length.

3. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein a curvature of the one of the inlet tube and the outlet tube changes along a direction of the curvature, in either a radius or direction.

4. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet tube and/or the outlet tube comprises a flexible material.

5. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet tube and/or the outlet tube comprises silicone.

6. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet tube and the outlet tube changes its cross-sectional area along its length.

7. The water reservoir according to claim 6 , wherein the change in cross-sectional area is gradual.

8. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet tube is configured to curve under the inlet tube.

9. The water reservoir according to claim 8 , wherein the outlet tube is curved partially around the inlet tube so that in the working configuration of the water reservoir, for a fixed position of the outlet end of the outlet tube, the inlet end of the outlet tube is positioned superior compared to a position the inlet end would have had, if the outlet tube was straight.

10. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the inlet tube and the inlet end of the outlet tube are located at or near a geometric center of the cavity.

11. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet end of the inlet tube and the inlet end of the outlet tube are arranged above a predetermined maximum level of water when the water reservoir is in the working configuration.

12. The water reservoir according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the outlet end of the inlet tube and the inlet end of the outlet tube is arranged above a second predetermined maximum level of water when the water reservoir is rotated by 90 degrees in at least one direction from the working configuration.

13. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet tube is configured such that the inlet end of the inlet tube is higher than the outlet end of the inlet tube in the working configuration.

14. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet tube and/or the outlet tube comprises a more flexible material than the reservoir lid.

15. The water reservoir according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inlet tube and the outlet tube changes a parameter at least at one point along its length.

16. An apparatus for generating a humidified flow of breathable gas for delivery to a patient, the apparatus comprising:
a blower structured and arranged to generate a flow of breathable gas at positive pressure;
the water reservoir according to claim 1 ; and
a water reservoir dock forming a cavity structured and arranged to receive the water reservoir in the working configuration, the water reservoir dock including the heater plate adapted to thermally contact the conductive portion of the water reservoir in the working configuration to allow thermal transfer of heat from the heater plate to the volume of water held by the water reservoir.

Assignees

• ResMed Pty Ltd

Inventors

• Workman Jeremy William
• Tsai Ernie Wei-Chih
• Dent Michael James
• Kabilafkas Max William Andrew
• Maurer Dimitri Marco
• Chan Andrew
• Formica Justin John
• Verma Hargopal
• Krol-Mazur Katarzyna Anna
• Tan Chia Ik
• Maikim Jessie Cindy

Classifications

• A61M16/107

  in the inspiratory path · CPC title

• A61M16/024 Primary

  including calculation means, e.g. using a processor · CPC title

• A61M16/108

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

• A61M16/1085

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

• A61M16/0066

  Blowers or centrifugal pumps · CPC title