Apparatus for delivering humidified gases

• US 20030066526A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Original Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
• Inventors: Thudor, Mohammad, Makinson, Ian Douglas, Dickinson, Philip John, Biggs, Philip James
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.26
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/08 Bellows; Connecting tubes having means for taking samples G01N1/22; Water traps; Patient circuits
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for delivering humidified gases has a connection manifold adapted to connect with inlet and outlet ports of a slide on water chamber in a single slide on motion. Connection of the gases inlet and gases outlet ports as well as any additional electrical and/or pneumatic connections are all made in the same slide on motion. The water chamber may include inwardly extending elongate extension tubes with one of the extension tubes having an air bleed aperture to aid filling of the chamber.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment comprising:

a housing,

a pressurised gases outlet in said housing adapted to make fluid connection with an inlet of a humidifier in order to provide gases flow to a said humidifier,

a humidified gases return in said housing, adapted to make fluid connection with an outlet of a said humidifier in order to receive humidified gases from said humidifier,

a patient outlet in said housing, in fluid connection with said humidified gases return in order to receive humidified gases from said humidified gases return and provide humidified gases to said patient outlet, said patient outlet being in fluid connection with or adapted to make fluid connection with a breathing conduit for delivery of humidified gases to a patient

2. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment comprising:

a housing,

a pressurised gases supply within said housing,

a pressurised gases outlet in said housing in fluid connection with said pressurised gases supply and adapted to make fluid connection with an inlet of a humidifier in order to provide gases flow to a said humidifier,

a humidified gases return in said housing, adapted to make fluid connection with an outlet of a said humidifier in order to receive humidified gases from said humidifier,

a patient outlet in said housing, in fluid connection with said humidified gases return in order to receive humidified gases from said humidified gases return and provide humidified gases to said patient outlet, said patient outlet being in fluid connection with or adapted to make fluid connection with a breathing conduit for delivery of humidified gases to a patient.

3. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 2 wherein a said humidifier is a heatable water chamber, and said apparatus includes,

a chamber heating means connected to said housing and, said housing includes a humidifier engagement locating a said humidifier adjacent said chamber heating means, said chamber heating means adapted to vaporise liquid water in said water chamber in order to provide water vapour to said gases flow passing through said water chamber.

4. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 3 wherein said humidification chamber has a base, and said chamber is engagable with said humidifier engagement via a single motion, and said single motion of engagement urges the base of said humidification chamber adjacent and in contact with said chamber heating means and makes a first fluid connection between said pressurised gases outlet and said humidifier inlet, and makes a second fluid connection between said humidified gases return and said humidifier outlet, with said first and second fluid connections being made in the direction of said single motion.

5. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pressurised gases outlet and said inlet of a said humidifier have between them first complementary male and female connectors, having a preferred insertion direction for completing a fluid connection by engagement of the mate and female connectors,

said humidified gases return and said outlet of said humidifier have between them second complementary male and female connectors, having a preferred insertion direction for completing a fluid connection by engagement of the male and female connectors, said preferred insertion direction of said first connectors being the same as said preferred insertion direction of said second connectors, and being the same as at least the direction of a terminal part of said single motion.

6. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 5 wherein said inlet of said humidifier and said outlet of said humidifier are each a female port,

and said pressurised gases outlet and said humidified gases return are each a resilient tubular projection fitting within respective female ports with said chamber engaged.

7. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 6 wherein said protruding tubes of said pressurised gases outlet and humidified gases return have substantially parallel axis of extension, said chamber heating means includes a substantially planar heating plate, and said axis of extension of said tubes are at least substantially parallel with the plane of said heating plate.

8. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in any one of claims 2-7 wherein said patient outlet includes a connector for receiving a breathing hose and at least one auxiliary electrical connection plug or socket or pneumatic connection plug or port, for a simultaneous connection when connecting a breathing circuit having complementary electrical or pneumatic connectors.

9. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment comprising:

a housing,

a gases line inlet in said housing to receive pressurised gases from a pressurised gases source, said gases line inlet adapted to make fluid connection with a breathing conduit,

a gases outlet in said housing in fluid connection with said gases line inlet, adapted to make fluid connection with an inlet of a humidification chamber in order to provide gases flow into a said humidification chamber,

a humidified gases return in said housing, adapted to make fluid connection with an outlet of a said humidification chamber in order to receive humidified gases from said humidification chamber,

a gases line outlet in said housing, in fluid connection with said humidified gases return, adapted to make fluid connection with or in fluid connection with a breathing conduit for delivery of humidified gases to a patient,

a chamber heating means in said housing for vaporising liquid water in said humidification chamber in order to provide water vapour to gases flow passing through said humidification chamber,

said humidification chamber having a base, said chamber being removable and engagable with said housing via a single motion, said single motion of engagement urging the base of said humidification chamber adjacent and in contact with said chamber heating means, and

making a first fluid connection between said gases outlet and said humidification chamber inlet, and

making a second fluid connection between said humidified gases return and said humidification chamber outlet,

said first and second fluid connections being made in the direction of said single motion.

10. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 9 wherein

said gases outlet and said inlet of a said humidification chamber have between them first complementary male and female connectors, having a preferred insertion direction for completing a fluid connection by engagement of the male and female connectors,

said humidified gases return and said outlet of a said humidifier have between them second complementary male and female connectors, having a preferred insertion direction for completing a fluid connection by engagement of a male and female connectors said preferred insertion direction of said first connectors being the same as said preferred insertion direction of said second connectors, and being the same as at least the direction of a terminal part of said single motion.

11. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 10 wherein said inlet of a said humidification chamber and said outlet of a said humidification chamber are each a female port, and

said gases outlet and said humidified gases return are each a resilient tubular projection fitting within respective female ports with said humidification chamber engaged.

12. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in claim 11 wherein said resilient tubular projections of said gases outlet and said humidified gases return have parallel axis of extension, said chamber heating means includes a substantially planar heating plate, and said axis of extension of said tubes are at least substantially parallel with the plane of said heating plate.

13. An apparatus for use in humidified gases delivery treatment as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein said gases line outlet includes a connector for receiving a breathing hose and at least one auxiliary electrical connection plug or socket or pneumatic connection plug or port, for a simultaneous connection when connecting a breathing circuit having complementary electric or pneumatic connectors.

14. A humidifier chamber for use with a gases humidification apparatus comprising:

a container, with a surrounding wall and top, and an open bottom,

a heat conductive base enclosing said open bottom of said container,

a gases inlet to said container,

a gases outlet to said container,

said gases inlet and said gases outlet facing the same direction, not being upwards, such that

said humidifier chamber may make operable engagement with a heater base in a single motion,

and fluid connections with said gases outlet and said gases inlet, being also made in said single motion.

15. A humidifier chamber as claimed in claim 14 wherein said gases inlet and said gases outlet of said humidifier chamber are each a female port, having a preferred insertion direction, and

said humidifier chamber is generally cylindrical, and said female ports open out to the cylindrical surface adjacent the top of the cylindrical wall.

16. A humidifier chamber as claimed in claim 15 wherein the said preferred insertion direction is substantially parallel to the said base of said chamber.

17. A humidifier chamber as claimed in claim 16 including a first elongate flow tube extending into said humidifier chamber from the inner periphery of said gases inlet and,

a second elongate flow tube extending into said humidifier chamber from the inner periphery of said gases outlet, and

said first and said second flow tubes being substantially parallel to each other, and substantially parallel to said base of said chamber.

18. A humidifier chamber as claimed in claim 17 wherein,

said second extension tube includes an air bleed orifice, said air bleed orifice being located in the top of said second elongate flow tube, and located toward the end of the elongate flow tube adjacent said gases outlet.