Surgical humidifier control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12290639-B2
Application number	US-202117448618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 11, 2012
Publication date	May 6, 2025
Grant date	May 6, 2025

Abstract

Some embodiments provide for humidifier control systems and methods configured to adjust power to a heater plate in a surgical humidifier to account for changes in flow rate to provide a consistent output, to provide functionality for different modes of use, and to provide accurate control over temperature and/or humidity at relatively low flows. The humidifier control system can receive a flow rate reading and determine a power requirement corresponding to the received flow rate reading, wherein the power requirement is one of a plurality of set points which correspond to ranges of flow rates. The humidifier control system can determine a mode of use based at least in part on the flow rate reading. The humidifier control system can provide electrical power to the heater plate according to the power requirement and/or the mode of use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a surgical humidifier, the surgical humidifier connectable to a first conduit for providing gas to the surgical humidifier, and a second conduit for providing humified gas to a patient, the method comprising:
operating the surgical humidifier in a pre-heat mode based on detecting that the surgical humidifier is switched on and at least one of the first conduit or the second conduit is disconnected from a chamber of the surgical humidifier,
wherein the pre-heat mode comprises:
receiving a heater plate temperature reading from a heater plate sensor of the surgical humidifier; and
powering a heater plate of the surgical humidifier to achieve a first heater plate temperature set point associated with the pre-heat mode based on the received heater plate temperature reading;

terminating the pre-heat mode based on detecting that both the first conduit and the second conduit are connected to the chamber and the chamber is coupled to a humidifier body of the surgical humidifier; and
based on terminating the pre-heat mode, operating the surgical humidifier in a normal mode, the normal mode comprising powering the heater plate to achieve a second heater plate temperature set point associated with the normal mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode is further based on:
sensing the chamber is connected to the surgical humidifier, the chamber having an inlet port; and
sensing the inlet port is disconnected from the first conduit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode is further based on:
sensing the chamber is connected to the surgical humidifier, the chamber having an outlet port; and
sensing the outlet port is disconnected from the second conduit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode is further based on detecting that the chamber is at least partially filled with water.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode is further based on detecting that the chamber is coupled to the surgical humidifier and is in contact with the heater plate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the normal mode further comprises:
powering the heater plate to achieve a chamber temperature set point associated with the normal mode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode is further based on a user selection using a user interface element.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first heater plate temperature set point is a constant value.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of power provided to the heater plate is at least partly based on a control loop feedback mechanism, and/or wherein the amount of power provided to the heater plate is proportional to a difference between the first heater plate temperature set point and a first heater plate temperature or a difference between the second heater plate temperature set point and a second heater plate temperature.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the normal mode further comprises controlling an amount of power provided to the heater plate based on one or more of: a flow rate reading, a mode of use, a chamber outlet temperature, or a temperature of the heater plate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the normal mode further comprises powering the heater plate to achieve a chamber temperature set point or the second heater plate temperature set point based on a flow rate reading from a flow rate sensor on the chamber.

12. A surgical humidifier, comprising:
a humidifier body;
a chamber configured to removably engageable with the humidifier body and to hold a volume of water, the chamber comprising:
an inlet port connectable to a first conduit for receiving insufflation gas; and
an outlet port connectable to a second conduit for directing humidified insufflation gas to a patient;

a heater plate coupled to the humidifier body and configured to deliver heat to the chamber; and
a humidifier control system electrically coupled to the heater plate, the humidifier control system being configured to control an amount of electrical power provided to the heater plate,
wherein the humidifier control system is configured to operate the surgical humidifier in a pre-heat mode based on detecting that the surgical humidifier is switched on, and at least one of the first conduit is disconnected from the inlet port or the second conduit is disconnected from the outlet port, when operating the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode, the humidifier control system configure to:
receive a heater plate temperature reading from a heater plate sensor; and
powering the heater plate to achieve a first heater plate temperature set point associated with the pre-heat mode based on the received heater plate temperature reading,

wherein the humidifier control system is further configured to terminate the pre-heat mode upon detecting that both the first conduit is connected to the inlet port and the second conduit is connected to the outlet port and the chamber is coupled to the humidifier body,
wherein, upon termination of the pre-heat mode, the humidifier control system further configured to:
operate the surgical humidifier in a normal mode, wherein operating the surgical humidifier in the normal mode comprises powering the heater plate to achieve a second heater plate temperature set point associated with the normal mode.

13. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein the humidifier control system is further configured to operate the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode based on detecting that the chamber is at least partially filled with water.

14. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein the surgical humidifier further comprises a chamber outlet temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the humidified insufflation gas and/or a flow probe configured to measure a flow rate of the humidified insufflation gas.

15. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein the humidifier control system is further configured to operate the surgical humidifier in the pre-heat mode based on detecting that the chamber is coupled to the humidifier body and is in contact with the heater plate.

16. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein the first heater plate temperature set point is a constant value.

17. The surgical humidifier of claim 16 , wherein the amount of electrical power provided to the heater plate is at least partly based on the first or second heater plate temperature set point and a temperature of the heater plate.

18. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein in the normal mode, the humidifier control system is configured to control the amount of electrical power provided to the heater plate based on one or more of: a flow rate reading, a mode of use, a chamber outlet temperature, or a temperature of the heater plate.

19. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein in the normal mode, the humidifier control system is further configured to power the heater plate to achieve the second heater plate temperature set point based on a flow rate reading from a flow rate sensor on the chamber.

20. The surgical humidifier of claim 12 , wherein in the normal mode, the humidifier control system is further configured to power the heater plate to achieve a chamber temperature set point associated with the norma

Assignees

• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Ghalib Ali Ghalib Abdul Rahman
• Tessy Lina
• Strevens Joseph Patrick Walter
• Phillips Paul David

Classifications

• A61M16/026

  specially adapted for predicting, e.g. for determining an information representative of a flow limitation during a ventilation cycle by using a root square technique or a regression analysis · CPC title

• A61M16/1095

  in the connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M16/109

  the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent · CPC title

• A61M2205/3368

  Temperature · CPC title

• A61M2016/0039

  in the inspiratory circuit · CPC title