Systems and methods for high velocity nasal insufflation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022265953-A1
Application number	US-202217738285-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2022
Priority date	Oct 14, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for humidifying a breathing gas are presented. The system includes a base unit, a vapor transfer unit, a nasal cannula, and a liquid container. The base unit includes a blower. The vapor transfer unit is external to the base unit and includes a gas passage, a liquid passage, a gas outlet, and a membrane separating the gas passage and the liquid passage. The membrane permits transfer of vapor into the gas passage from liquid in the liquid passage. The nasal cannula is coupled to the gas outlet. The liquid container is configured to reversibly mate with the base unit.

First claim

1 . A system for delivering breathing gas, the system comprising:
a base unit comprising a blower; a vapor transfer unit external to the base unit and comprising:
a gas passage,
a liquid passage,
a gas outlet, and
a membrane separating the gas passage and the liquid passage, wherein the membrane permits transfer of vapor into the gas passage from liquid in the liquid passage;
a nasal cannula coupled to the gas outlet; and a liquid container configured to reversibly mate with the base unit.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid container interlocks with a surface of the base unit.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the container has a surface formed of a flexible film

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises a heating element for heating liquid, the heating element having a heating surface.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the flexible film is configured to mate with the heating surface when the liquid container mates with the base unit.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the blower is configured to pressurize breathing gas to less than about 276 kPa (40 psi).

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid container includes an impeller.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit includes a motor.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the motor is magnetically coupled to impeller.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid passage is coupled to the liquid container by a first tube.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gas passage is coupled to the blower by a second tube.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first tube passes within the second tube.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein base unit includes a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure of the liquid in the liquid container when the liquid container is coupled to the base unit.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to measure pressure against the flexible film.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the second tube has an inner diameter of more than about 5 mm.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the membrane is non-porous.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the nasal cannula includes an outlet having a cross sectional area less than a cross sectional area of a patient's nostril.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises an oxygen sensor.

19 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen source.

20 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen concentrator.

21 . The system of any of claim 19 or 20 , wherein the oxygen source includes an oxygen outlet, wherein the blower includes a blower inlet, the oxygen outlet being coupled to the blower inlet.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the oxygen outlet is coupled to the blower inlet by a needle valve.

23 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the blower includes a blower outlet and wherein the liquid container includes a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and wherein the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are each spaced from the blower outlet by at least 10 cm.

Assignees

• Vapotherm Inc

Inventors

• Leonard Scott A
• Green Brian
• Allen John
• Adams David
• Gervais Marc
• Kolnsberg Mark
• Hellman Richelle

Classifications

• A61M16/16 Primary

  Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A61M16/20

  Valves specially adapted to medical respiratory devices · CPC title

• A61M16/0666

  Nasal cannulas or tubing (devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02) · CPC title

• A61M16/142 Primary

  with semi-permeable walls separating the liquid from the respiratory gas · CPC title

• A61M16/0672

  Nasal cannula assemblies for oxygen therapy · CPC title