Self-sensing respiratory treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9474871-B2
Application number	US-201313892370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2013
Priority date	Feb 10, 2009
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A respiratory treatment device comprising a self-sensing respiratory treatment device comprising: power supply means; a liquid dispensing element comprising an actuator and a dispensing aperture; electronic control means operable to control said actuator; liquid supply means; valving means; wherein said actuator is operable to execute in itself at least a dispensing function and a detecting function, the detecting function detecting at least characteristics external to the self-sensing respiratory treatment device and causing said actuator to generate a command signal, and wherein said electronic control means is operable to control said valving means and said actuator based on the reception of said command signal, wherein said actuator is a piezoelectric actuator, and the respiratory treatment degvice further comprising: a mouthpiece, and a fluidic interface, wherein said electronic control means and said piezoelectric actuator being arranged to detect a breathing pattern of a user through said mouthpiece.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Respiratory treatment device comprising:
a self-sensing respiratory treatment device comprising
power supply means,
a liquid dispensing element comprising an actuator and a dispensing aperture through which liquid is to be dispensed by activation of the actuator,
electronic control means operable to control said actuator,
liquid supply means for connecting with a liquid reservoir to supply liquid from said reservoir to said liquid dispensing element,
valving means for allowing or blocking liquid to flow from said reservoir through said liquid supply means to said liquid dispensing element,
wherein said actuator is operable to execute in itself at least a dispensing function and a detecting function, the detecting function detecting at least characteristics external to the self-sensing respiratory treatment device and causing said actuator to generate a command signal, and
wherein said electronic control means is operable to control said valving means and said actuator based on the reception of said command signal,
wherein said actuator is a piezoelectric actuator, and the respiratory treatment device further comprises:

a mouthpiece, and
a fluidic interface, said detecting function of the piezoelectric actuator detecting an inhalation and exhalation pattern of a person using the respiratory treatment device through said mouthpiece, the inhalation/exhalation of the person causing perturbations of the actuator, so that the inhalation and exhalation airflows of the person can be detected.

2. The respiratory treatment device of claim 1 , wherein said electronic control means is operable to open and/or close said valving means based on said command signal.

3. The respiratory treatment device of claim 2 , wherein said electronic control means is operable to turn on and off said self-sensing respiratory treatment device based on said command signal.

4. The respiratory treatment device of claim 1 , wherein said electronic control means is operable to analyze a time-frequency response of said command signal, the result of said analysis allowing to trigger said valving means.

5. The respiratory treatment device of claim 4 , wherein said electronic control means comprises memory means for storing results of said analysis for self-learning purposes.

Assignees

• Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa
• Aptar France Sas

Inventors

• Feriani Amir
• Zaugg Cedric
• Sandoz Jean-Paul
• Hess Joseph

Classifications

• B05B1/3053

  the actuating means being a solenoid · CPC title

• B05B12/126

  responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target (B05B9/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M2016/0039

  in the inspiratory circuit · CPC title

• A61M11/005

  using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06) · CPC title

• B05B17/0607

  generated by electrical means, e.g. piezoelectric transducers · CPC title