Breathable gas apparatus with humidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9227035-B2
Application number	US-201414445190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2003
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A humidifier has a base unit with an engagement face that is configured to interface with a flow generator. The humidifier also has a tank configured to be removably received by the base unit and hold a volume of liquid. The tank has a side wall with an air inlet. The humidifier further has an air flow passage configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator at the engagement face of the base unit. The air flow passage is axially offset from a tank inlet. In addition, a cross-section of the airflow passage inlet and a cross-section of the tank air inlet are substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane. In addition, a flexible face seal is positioned at an end of the air flow passage. An end of the face seal is configured to abut a side wall of the tank that includes the tank inlet when the tank is received in the base unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A humidifier comprising:
a base unit configured to attach to and detach from a flow generator, said base unit comprising:
an engagement face adapted to face a corresponding engagement face of the flow generator;
a plurality of tongues located on the engagement face that are adapted to move vertically and adapted to be resiliently urged downward to engage slots of the flow generator;
an air flow passage in communication with a circular aperture in the engagement face, both the circular aperture and the air flow passage being configured to receive an air connector of the flow generator;
a flexible face seal that defines a second aperture and is positioned at an end of the air flow passage, the flexible face seal having a peripheral portion that curves inwardly toward the second aperture;
an electrical connector, for engagement with a mating electrical connector on the flow generator, the electrical connector of the humidifier adapted to provide electrical power to the humidifier from the flow generator;
a circular pad positioned within a circular aperture in a lower surface of the base, the circular pad standing proud of the surrounding lower surface of the base and being resiliently biased upwardly through the circular aperture in the lower surface of the base;
a heating element to heat the circular pad;
a pivotable lid having a horizontal wall and a vertical wall extending downward from the horizontal wall;
a pipe extending from an upper surface of the horizontal wall of the lid and opening into an internal region of the base unit;
a lid seal attached to the lid, the lid seal having a sealing flange that extends downwardly from the lid and curves inwardly; and
a biased lid catch for securing the lid in a closed position; and

a tank adapted to attach to and detach from the base unit; the tank comprising:
a cover;
a base to receive water therein;
a sealing gasket located between the cover and the base;
an air inlet passage extending from a side wall of the tank; and
an air outlet provided to a roof of the cover,

wherein:
the tank seats within the base unit so that a bottom of the tank is exposed to contact the circular pad when the tank is engaged with the base unit,
one or more liquid filling heights are indicated by filling level graduations marked on a wall of the tank,
the air inlet passage extends so that it opens in the interior of the tank at a point beyond, in the direction of air flow, a center of the air outlet,
the air inlet passage and the air outlet are oriented so that gas flows through the air inlet passage in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the gas flows through the air outlet,
a vertical offset is provided between the air flow passage and the air inlet passage, with at least a portion of the air flow passage being lower than the air inlet passage in the normal orientation of the humidifier,
the peripheral portion of the face seal that curves inwardly is adapted to abut a portion of the tank side wall surrounding an opening in the tank side wall proximate an inlet end of the tank air inlet passage to form a sealed air path from the air flow passage of the base unit to the air inlet passage of the tank when the tank is received in the base unit,

the lid seal contacts the tank cover when the tank is received by the base unit and the lid is in the closed position so that the air outlet of the tank sealingly interfaces with the pipe,
a first end of the pipe passes through the horizontal wall of the lid and has a lower end that projects beyond the horizontal wall of the lid into an interior of the base unit to terminate at a rim so that a passage of the pipe opens into the interior of the base unit,
at least a portion of the lid seal surrounds the pipe, and
at least a portion of the pipe is at an acute angle to the horizontal.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to provide data to the humidifier.

3. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the base unit includes a variable power supply for the heating element for heating the circular pad.

4. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein, in at least two tilted positions of the tank, at least a portion of the air outlet is below the open end of the air inlet passage, such that water will flow through the air outlet before it will flow into the air inlet passage, and wherein in a normal operating position, when the air outlet is above the open end of the air inlet passage, water will not escape via the air inlet passage unless the tank has been over-filled.

5. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the air flow passage is provided with a sealing device configured to sealingly receive the air connector of the flow generator.

6. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein an axis of the air inlet passage of the tank and an axis of a portion of the air flow passage configured to receive the air connector of the flow generator are vertically offset.

7. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein a second end of the pipe is configured to attach to a hose to supply humidified air to a patient.

8. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the flexible face seal is formed from an elastomeric material.

9. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the flexible face seal is structured so that the sealed air path between the air flow passage of the base unit and the air inlet passage of the tank is automatically formed when the tank is fully received in the base unit.

10. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the second aperture at least partially defines an uppermost portion of the air flow passage.

11. A breathable gas supply apparatus for use in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatments, the apparatus comprising:
a humidifier according to claim 1 ; and
a flow generator that has an engagement face to face the engagement face of the humidifier, the flow generator comprising:
an external case of rigid plastic material comprising a top case and a bottom case, a lower edge of the top case being stepped and flanged to mate with a periphery of the bottom case;
an air connector projecting away from the engagement face of the flow generator and being in communication with the air flow passage of the humidifier;
a slot configured to receive a data card, the slot being provided in a wall of the external case;
an LCD screen visible through the top case by which a user can set the operating parameters of the apparatus;
a chassis positioned within the case, the chassis including a peripheral wall and a fan cavity;
a printed circuit board carrying electronic control components of the breathable gas apparatus, the printed circuit board being positioned in a space formed between the chassis and the top of the top case;
an air inlet formed in a wall of the external case;
an air inlet passage that communicates with the air inlet and opens to a space at least partly surrounding the fan cavity; and
an inlet tube configured to direct air from the space at least partly surrounding the fan cavity to an interior of the fan cavity;
a fan mounted in the fan cavity, the fan comprising:
a fan housing including a cover and a base;
a motor mounted within the fan housing;
a coaxial impeller mounted within the fan housing;
an air inlet in a floor of the base on an axis of the impeller; and
an air outlet, wherein

cavities in the cover and base of the fan housing form a volute which leads from the impeller to the fan air outlet, and
the fan air outlet is connected to the air connector via a coupling member.

12. The breathable gas apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a damping member positioned on a bottom surface of the bottom case.

Assignees

• Resmed Ltd

Inventors

• Crumblin Geoffrey
• Janiak Michael Thomas
• Kao Dan
• Kenyon Barton John
• Lithgow Perry David
• Primrose Rohan Neil
• Saada Jim
• Snow John Michael
• Trevor-Wilson Duncan Lovel
• Virr Alexander
• Yee Arthur Kin-Wai

Classifications

• A61B2560/0475

  Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards · CPC title

• A61B7/00

  Instruments for auscultation · CPC title

• A61B5/14551

  for measuring blood gases · CPC title

• A61B5/0245

  by using sensing means generating electric signals, {i.e. ECG signals} · CPC title

• A61B2560/0462

  Apparatus with built-in sensors · CPC title