Ambulatory oxygen concentrator containing a three phase vacuum separation system

• US 20060174880A1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VBOX, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VBOX, Incorporated
• Inventors: Lonnes, Perry B., Jagger, Theodore W., Kivisto, John A., Van Brunt, Nicholas P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/201.250
• 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 16/10 Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/107 in the inspiratory path
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/03 Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/12 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40005 using rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40009 using sensors or gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4006 Less than four
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/403 using three beds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4533 for medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4541 for portable use, e.g. gas masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0415 Beds in cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0446 Means for feeding or distributing gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0476 Vacuum pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/053 with storage or buffer vessel

Abstract

An oxygen concentrator comprises an oxygen reservoir and adsorbent columns that each have an inlet, an outlet, and a bed of adsorbent material. The concentrator also comprises an air inlet, an exhaust outlet, and a vacuum pump for pumping nitrogen rich gas from one of the column inlets to the exhaust outlet. A product control pump pumps oxygen rich gas from one of the column outlets to the oxygen reservoir. A control valve controls flow in and out of the columns by selectively connecting the air inlet to one column inlet, connecting the vacuum pump to another column inlet, and connecting the product control pump to a column outlet. A motor drives the vacuum pump and control valve to produce vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) cycles in which oxygen-rich product gas is separated and accumulated in the reservoir.

Claims

1. An oxygen concentrator comprising:

an oxygen reservoir;

a first adsorbent column having an inlet, an outlet and a first bed of adsorbent material;

a second adsorbent column having an inlet, an outlet and a second bed of adsorbent material;

a third adsorbent column having an inlet, an outlet and a third bed of adsorbent material;

an air inlet;

an exhaust outlet;

a vacuum pump for pumping nitrogen rich gas from one of the column inlets to the exhaust outlet;

a product control pump for pumping oxygen rich gas from one of the column outlets to the oxygen reservoir;

a control valve for controlling flow in and out of the columns by selectively connecting the air inlet to one column inlet, connecting the vacuum pump to another column inlet, and connecting the product control pump to a column outlet;

a motor for driving the vacuum pump and control valve to produce vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) cycles in which oxygen-rich product gas is separated and accumulated in the reservoir.

2. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a volume of less than 1.0 liter.

3. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a mass of less than 2.3 kg.

4. The oxygen concentrator of claim 3 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a mass of less than 1.4 kg.

5. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the motor for driving includes an electric motor.

6. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent material comprises a zeolite which preferentially adsorbs nitrogen.

7. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the control valve comprises a rotary valve.

8. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 further comprising an oxygen conserver connected to the oxygen reservoir.

9. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 further comprising a control to provide feedback control of the motor as a function of an amount of oxygen supplied from the oxygen reservoir.

10. The oxygen concentrator of claim 1 wherein the air inlet includes a filter.

11. An oxygen concentrator comprising:

an ambient air inlet;

an oxygen reservoir;

a vacuum pump;

a plurality of gas separation columns containing an adsorbent material that preferentially adsorbs nitrogen, each column having an inlet port at a first end and an outlet port at a second end;

a rotary valve connected to the inlet and outlet ports of each column for selectively connecting the columns as the valve rotates so that during one revolution of the rotary valve each column sequentially is in a feed phase, an evacuation phase and a repressurization phase of a vacuum swing adsorption cycle, and so that the columns are in different phases from one another at all times;

a motor for rotating the rotary valve; and

wherein during the feed phase the rotary valve connects the ambient air inlet to the inlet port and the oxygen reservoir to the outlet port of one of the columns;

during the evacuation phase the rotary valve connects the vacuum pump to the inlet port of one of the columns; and

during the repressurization phase the rotary valve connects the inlet port of one of the columns to the ambient air supply.

12. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein during a portion of the repressurization phase the rotary valve connects a source of oxygen rich gas to the outlet port.

13. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 and further comprising:

means for delivering a pulse of product gas from the reservoir in response to an inhalation by a patient.

14. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein the vacuum pump is driven by the motor.

15. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a volume of less than 1.0 liter.

16. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a mass of less than 2.3 kg.

17. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein the oxygen concentrator has a mass of less than 1.4 kg.

18. The oxygen concentrator of claim 11 wherein the total number of the plurality of columns is a multiple of three.

19. A method of providing concentrated oxygen product gas to a patient using an oxygen concentrator containing a plurality of columns which separates oxygen from ambient air utilizing a vacuum swing adsorption process cycle containing a feed phase, an evacuation phase, and a repressurization phase, wherein a different portion of the plurality of columns is in different phases from the other plurality of columns at all times;

the method comprising;

(a) introducing ambient air into a first end of a column containing an adsorbent material to advance a mass transfer zone toward a second end of the first column and to remove product gas out the second end;

(b) storing at least some of the product gas for use by the patient;

(c) drawing a vacuum on the column to remove, through the first end of the column, waste gas contained in the adsorbent material; and

(d) repressurizing the column by introducing ambient air into the evacuated column through the first end until the column approaches 1.0 atmosphere; and

(e) repeating steps (a)-(d);

wherein steps (a) through (e) are performed by each column of the plurality of columns.

20. The method of claim 19 and further comprising:

introducing an oxygen rich gas into the evacuated column through the second end during step (d).

21. The method of claim 19 and further comprising:

delivering pulses of stored product gas to the patient.