Apparatus for measuring properties of gases supplied to a patient

• US 10,537,698 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Original Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Inventors: Payton, Matthew Jon, O'Donnell, Kevin Peter, Clark, Andrew Baden, Quill, Christopher Simon James, Hawkins, Peter Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O
• Application Number:
  US15/010,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20160317778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/06 Respiratory or anaesthetic masks
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0666 Nasal cannulas or tubing devices for improving normal breathing through the nose A61F5/08; nose filters A62B23/06; outside holding devices A61M25/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1005 with O2 features or with parameter measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1075 by influencing the temperature A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• 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 16/161 with means for measuring the humidity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0027 pressure meter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/102 Measuring a parameter of the content of the delivered gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/65 Vaporizers

Abstract

The gases temperature supplied to a patient when the patient is undergoing treatment such as oxygen therapy or positive pressure treatment for conditions such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is often measured for safety and to enable controlling of the humidity delivered to the patient. The invention disclosed is related to measurement of properties, particularly temperature (thermister 23), of gases flowing through a heated tube (3), supplying gases to a patient, which utilises the heating wire (21, 28) within the tube.

Claims

1. A conduit for supplying gases, the conduit comprising:

a heater wire that is arranged and configured to heat the conduit;

the conduit comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the conduit configured to be in fluid communication with a source of breathing gases and the distal end of the conduit configured to be in fluid communication with a patient interface; and

an electronic circuit comprising a gases property sensor positioned proximate to the distal end of the conduit, the gases property sensor being configured to measure at least a temperature of gases flowing through the conduit.

2. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the heater wire is connected to two pins or contacts.

3. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the gases property sensor comprises a thermistor.

4. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit is wired within a housing.

5. The conduit of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a plastic molding.

6. The conduit of claim 5, wherein the plastic molding is in the gases flowing in use.

7. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a circuit board that is at least partially molded within a wall of the conduit.

8. The conduit of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the electronic circuit is on a printed circuit board.

9. A conduit for supplying gases, the conduit comprising:

a heater wire that is arranged and configured to heat the conduit;

the conduit comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the conduit configured to be in fluid communication with a source of breathing gases and the distal end of the conduit configured to be in fluid communication with a patient interface; and

a gases property sensor positioned closer to the distal end of the conduit than the proximal end of the conduit, the gases property sensor being configured to measure at least one property of gases flowing, the gases property sensor being positioned within a housing and protruding from a wall of the conduit into the gases flowing in use.

10. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a plastic molding.

11. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises overmolding.

12. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the gases property sensor is configured to measure or to provide inputs for calculating at least one of temperature, humidity, pressure, or composition of gases.

13. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the gas property sensor is positioned in a cuff of the conduit.

14. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the heater wire is connected to two pins or contacts.

15. The conduit of claim 9, wherein the gases property sensor comprises a thermistor.

16. An apparatus for supplying gases, the apparatus comprising:

a gases supply; and

a conduit comprising;

a heater wire that is arranged and configured to heat the conduit;

a proximal end that is configured to be in fluid communication with the gases supply;

a distal end that is configured to be in fluid communication with a patient interface; and

a gases property sensor that is configured to measure at least one property of gases flowing through the conduit in use, the gases property sensor being positioned proximate to the distal end of the conduit, the gas property sensor being positioned in a housing and protruding from a wall of the conduit into the gases flowing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the gases supply comprises a device configured to supply the gases flowing and a humidifier configured to humidify gases supplied from the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the device comprises a blower.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a control system that is configured to identify the conduit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the gases property sensor comprises a thermistor having a particular thermistor value and wherein the control system is configured to identify the conduit based on the particular thermistor value.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising an electronic circuit configured to apply a voltage to a circuit board of the conduit, the electronic circuit being configured to identify the conduit based on the voltage applied to the circuit board.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to detect whether a sensed value associated with the voltage applied to the circuit board is within one or more reference values to identify the conduit, and wherein the electronic circuit is configured to apply a particular control algorithm based upon whether the sensed value is within the one or more reference values.