Component for conveying gases

• US 10,449,318 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Original Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Inventors: Graham, Peter Kenneth, Garcia, Enrico Alvarez, Chu, Shu-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vasat, Peter S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luarca, Margaret M
• Application Number:
  US13/821,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130233318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,965 Days
• Field of Search: 264 3611, 264 3616, 12820527, 128911
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/006 with gas recirculation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/00 Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. mouth-to-mouth respiration; Tracheal tubes stimulating the respiratory movement by mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means, iron lungs combined with gas breathing means A61H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0808 Condensation traps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1095 in the connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/0233 Conductive materials, e.g. antistatic coatings for spark prevention
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3633 thermally insulated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/583 by visual feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/7545 for solid matter, e.g. microaggregates
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/00 Methods of manufacture, assembly or production
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/10 Device therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/09 Articles with cross-sections having partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. pipes or channels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/13 Articles with a cross-section varying in the longitudinal direction, e.g. corrugated pipes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/303 using dies or die parts movable in a closed circuit, e.g. mounted on movable endless support B29C48/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/32 with annular openings, e.g. for forming tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2023/007 Medical tubes other than catheters catheters B29L2031/7542
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 11/111 with homogeneous wall
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/38 : using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons

Abstract

This invention provides for a component forming a part of a breathing tube, or forming the breathing tube, for example as a part of a breathing circuit for respiratory therapy. The component comprising a tubular body having a foamed wall. The foamed wall can be formed from extrusion of a single extrudate. The foamed wall is of a sufficient minimum optical transparency such that, in use, there is enabled the visual detection of a liquid (or condensate that may have formed) within the tubular body.

Claims

1. A component forming a part of a breathing tube, the component comprising:

a single extrudate defining a tubular body, the tubular body having a foamed wall, wherein the foamed wall has a void fraction of up to 10% that, in use, enables visual detection of a liquid within the tubular body; and

the foamed wall being surface modified by chemical means to alter a surface tension of a wall surface.

2. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foamed wall is surface modified by increasing the surface tension of the wall surface.

3. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall of the tubular body comprises a corrugation profile, wherein the corrugation profile comprises alternating outer crests and inner troughs.

4. The component as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tubular body is of a spiral corrugation form.

5. The component as claimed in claim 3, wherein the outer crests correspond to a location of maximum inner radius and maximum outer radius of the tubular body, and the inner troughs correspond to a location of minimum inner radius and minimum outer radius of the tubular body.

6. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular body has a substantially uniform wall thickness.

7. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foamed wall has a thickness of about 0.4 mm to about 0.8 mm.

8. The component as claimed in claim 7, wherein the foamed wall has a thickness of about 0.6 mm.

9. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foamed wall is thermally insulative of, at least, an interior of the tubular body bounded by the foamed wall.

10. The component as claimed in claim 9, wherein the foamed wall has a thermal conductivity of about 0.2 to 0.4 W/m-°

K.

11. The component as claimed in claim 10, wherein the thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W/m-°

K.

12. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foamed wall is a single-piece of a foamed polymer material.

13. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the foamed wall has a void fraction of about 5.5% to about 7.5%.

14. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate comprises one or more polymer(s).

15. The component as claimed in claim 14, wherein the single extrudate comprises one or more of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyolefin Plastomer (POP), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), plasticised Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or blends of these materials.

16. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate comprises one or more chemical foaming agents.

17. The component as claimed in claim 16, wherein the one or more chemical foaming agents comprises calcium oxide.

18. The component as claimed in claim 17, wherein the single extrudate further comprises one or more surface modification agents.

19. The component as claimed in claim 18, wherein the one or more surface modification agents comprises glycerol monostearate (GMS), ethoxylated amine, alkanesulphonate sodium salt, or lauric diethanolamide.

20. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate comprises a polymer or polymers being at least about 98.4 weight percent (wt. %) of the total single extrudate.

21. The component as claimed in claim 20, wherein the polymer or polymers comprises at least about 99.49 wt. % or 99.4889 wt. % of the total single extrudate.

22. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate comprises a chemical foaming agent as at least about 0.005 weight percent (wt. %) of the total single extrudate.

23. The component as claimed in claim 22, wherein the chemical foaming agent comprises about 0.01 wt. % to 0.012 wt. % of the total single extrudate.

24. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate comprises a surface modification agent as at least about 0.05 weight percent (wt. %) of the total single extrudate.

25. The component as claimed in claim 24, wherein the surface modification agent comprises about 0.25 wt. % to 0.5 wt. % of the total single extrudate.

26. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular body enables surface property contact angles of less than about 45 degrees (°

).

27. The component as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single extrudate is made from one or more of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyolefin Plastomer (POP), Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), plasticised Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or blends of these materials.