Heat and moisture exchange media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020276405-A1
Application number	US-201816761109-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

This invention relates to heat and moisture exchange (HME) materials, particularly for use in heat and moisture exchange with respiratory gases, and methods for their manufacture. The invention provides an improved HME material (10a) comprising a plurality of discrete protrusions (510), as opposed to continuous ridges or corrugations, extending from at least part of one surface of the HME material (10a), and to an associated manufacturing method.

First claim

1 . A heat and moisture exchange material comprising:
a plurality of discrete protrusions extending from at least part of one surface of the heat and moisture exchange material wherein each protrusion is completely surrounded by substantially non-protruding HME material.

2 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are formed from the heat and moisture exchange material.

3 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the regions of the heat and moisture exchange material from which each protrusion is formed has a maximum dimension of between 0.4 mm and 5.0 mm, between 0.6 mm and 3.0 mm or between 0.8 mm and 2.0 mm.

4 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions do not span the entire width of the heat and moisture exchange material.

5 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are hemispherical, frustoconical, cylindrical, pyramidal, cuboid, hemicylindrical or any combination of these.

6 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions protrude from the surface of the heat and moisture exchange material by between 0.1 mm and 1.0 mm, between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm or between 0.5 mm and 0.6 mm.

7 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are distributed regularly on the surface of the heat and moisture exchange material.

8 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the density of the protrusions per cm 2 is between 3 and 50, between 5 and 40, between 8 and 30 or between 10 and 20.

9 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein each protrusion comprises a perforation in the heat and moisture exchange material.

10 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 9 , wherein the perforations have a maximum dimension of between 0.4 mm and 5.0 mm, between 0.6 mm and 3.0 mm or between 0.8 mm and 2.0 mm.

11 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 9 , wherein a portion of the heat and moisture exchange material around the edge of each perforation protrudes from the surface of the heat and moisture exchange material.

12 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 9 , wherein the perforations are cuts in the heat and moisture exchange material that partially surround a region of heat and moisture exchange material, such that that region of heat and moisture exchange material forms a flap extending from the surface of the heat and moisture exchange material.

13 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 12 , wherein the cut is generally C-shaped such that the flap is substantially circular.

14 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material comprises cellulose paper.

15 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 14 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material further comprises natural fibres such as cotton, or synthetic fibres such as polyamine, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylonitrile and polyvinyl alcohol, or any combination thereof.

16 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material comprises a hygroscopic material.

17 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 16 , wherein the hygroscopic material comprises polyols such as glycols and glycerine, hygroscopic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylic acid and polyvinyl alcohol, and hygroscopic salts such as polyacrylate, calcium chloride, potassium chloride and lithium chloride, or any combination thereof.

18 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material has a thickness of between 0.01 mm and 1.0 mm, between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm, between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm, or about 0.2 mm.

19 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material is in the form of elongate strips.

20 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 19 , wherein the width of the strip of heat and moisture exchange material is between 5 mm and 20 mm or between 8 mm and 18 mm.

21 . The heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 , wherein discrete protrusions extend from at least a part of two opposing surfaces of the heat and moisture exchange material.

22 . A heat and moisture exchange medium comprising an heat and moisture exchange material according to claim 1 .

23 . The heat and moisture exchange medium of claim 22 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange medium comprises a plurality of overlying layers of the heat and moisture exchange material.

24 . The heat and moisture exchange medium of claim 23 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange medium is in the form of a coil of the heat and moisture exchange material.

25 . The heat and moisture exchange medium of claim 24 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange medium is between 1.5 cm and 8.0 cm in diameter.

26 . A heat and moisture exchange device comprising a heat and moisture exchange medium according to claim 22 .

27 . A method of embossing a heat and moisture exchange material comprising:
urging an heat and moisture exchange material against an embossing surface comprising a plurality of discrete projections.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the heat and moisture exchange material is urged against the projections on the embossing surface by a second embossing surface.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the second embossing surface comprises recesses that correspond to the projections of the first embossing surface.

30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the second embossing surface further comprises projections that correspond to recesses provided in the first embossing surface.

31 . The method of claim 28 , wherein the first and second embossing surfaces are circumferential surfaces of first and second embossing rollers.

32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the first and second embossing rollers define a nip at which the circumferential surfaces of the rollers come into contact.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the projections of the first embossing roller mesh with the recesses of the second embossing roller at the nip.

34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the projections form perforations in the heat and moisture exchange material.

35 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the height of the projections is between 0.2 mm and 6.0 mm, between 0.4 mm and 4.0 mm or between 0.6 mm and 2.0 mm.

36 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the height of the projections may be between 1 and 30 times, between 2 and 20 times or between 3 and 10 times the thickness of the heat and moisture exchange material.

37 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the projections are in the form of a cylinder having a hemispherical end.

38 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the cylinder has a diameter that is greater than its height.

39 . The method of claim 37

Assignees

• Intersurgical Ag

Inventors

• Michnovic Arnold
• Grundinskiene Loreta
• Booth Christopher Edgerley

Classifications

• B32B3/00

  Layered products comprising a layer with external or internal discontinuities or unevennesses, or a layer of non-planar shape; Layered products comprising a layer having particular features of form · CPC title

• B31F2201/0743

  having a matching profile · CPC title

• A61M2205/7527

  liquophilic, hydrophilic · CPC title

• B31F1/07

  Embossing {, i.e. producing impressions formed by locally deep-drawing, e.g. using rolls provided with complementary profiles}({B31F1/128 takes precedence;} corrugating B31F1/20; embossing in combination with printing B41F19/02, B41M1/24; typewriters for embossing B41J3/38; stamping in combination with deforming B41K3/36) · CPC title

• A61M16/1045 Primary

  Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas · CPC title