Humidifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802023-B2
Application number	US-201214232210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2012
Priority date	Jul 14, 2011
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A device is provided that humidifies breathing gas. The device has a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. A chemical heater is positioned within the chamber and a trigger activates the heater. The chamber can be a conduit with an inner wall and an outer wall with a reservoir defined therebetween. The chemical heater can be positioned within the reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for humidifying breathing gas comprising:
a chamber for humidifying gas, the chamber having an inlet and an outlet,
a chemical heating element disposed for thermal exchange with at least a part of the chamber,
a trigger configured for activating the chemical heating element to generate heat, and
a sealed reservoir configured to store humidification fluid that is dispensed into the chamber when the reservoir is unsealed,
wherein on activation the chemical heating element generates heat for heating of gas passing through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet and for heating of humidification fluid dispensed to the chamber to generate vapour, thereby promoting vapour uptake by the gas.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inlet is fluidly connectable to a gas supply, and the outlet is fluidly connectable to a user gas delivery device.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trigger is configured for mechanically initiating activation of the chemical heating element to generate heat.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises the sealed reservoir.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the trigger is configured for activating the chemical heating element and for dispensing humidification fluid to the chamber.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the reservoir is sealed from the chamber by a seal prior to use, and the reservoir is unsealed from the chamber for use.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the seal is broken or pierced when the trigger is operated.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chemical heating element is disposed for thermal exchange with a heat conductive base of the chamber.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chemical heating element comprises a chemical agent that, when activated, is exothermic.

10. The device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the chemical heating element comprises a supersaturated salt solution capable of exothermic crystallization when activated.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the chemical heating element comprises sodium acetate.

12. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises a mechanical actuator that, when actuated, provides for a nucleation site within the chemical heating element to initiate crystallisation.

13. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the trigger comprises a metallic disk.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the metallic disk is located within the chemical heating element.

15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is non-electrically powered.

16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is a portable humidifier.

17. The device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the gas supply is a source of breathing gas.

18. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device is single use.

19. A device for humidifying breathing gas comprising:
a chamber configured to humidify gas, the chamber having an inlet and an outlet,
a chemical heating element disposed for thermal exchange with at least a part of the chamber,
a trigger configured for activating the chemical heating element to generate heat, and
a source of humidification fluid dispensable to the chamber,
wherein the trigger comprises a plunger, the plunger comprises a humidification fluid reservoir that is the source of humidification fluid, the humidification fluid reservoir is sealed from the chamber when in a pre-use configuration, and the humidification fluid reservoir is unsealed and humidification fluid is dispensed into the chamber when in an in-use configuration,
such that, in use, on activation the chemical heating element generates heat configured to heat gas passing through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet and to heat humidification fluid dispensed to the chamber to generate vapour, thereby promoting vapour uptake by the gas.

20. The device as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the trigger is configured for activating the chemical heating element to generate heat when moved from a pre-use configuration to an in-use configuration.

21. A device for humidifying breathing gas comprising:
a chamber for humidifying gas, the chamber having an inlet fluidly connectable to a gas supply, and an outlet fluidly connectable to a user gas delivery device,
a chemical heating element disposed for thermal exchange with at least a part of the chamber,
a trigger configured for activating the chemical heating element to generate heat, and
a humidification fluid reservoir that is sealed from the chamber when in a pre-use configuration, wherein the humidification fluid reservoir is unsealed and humidification fluid is dispensed into the chamber when in an in-use configuration,
wherein, in the in-use configuration, the chemical heating element generates heat for heating of gas passing through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet and for heating of humidification fluid dispensed to the chamber to generate vapour, promoting vapour uptake by the gas.

Assignees

• Church Jonathan Mark
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd

Inventors

• Church Jonathan Mark

Classifications

• A61M16/16 Primary

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

• A61M16/0875

  Connecting tubes · CPC title

• A61M2205/364

  by chemical reaction · CPC title

• A61M16/1075

  by influencing the temperature (A61M16/1045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M2205/3633

  thermally insulated · CPC title