Modular oxygen regulator system and respiratory treatment system

• US 20070044799A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Respironics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Respironics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Truitt, Patrick, Hete, Bernie
• Application Number:
  US11/480,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20070044799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.110
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• 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 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0208 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/025 Helium
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/03 Gases in liquid phase, e.g. cryogenic liquids

Abstract

A gas delivery system that generates a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to a patient. The system includes a primary gas delivery system for delivering a flow of pressured gas to the airway of a patient and supplemental gas delivery system. The supplemental gas delivery system is in the form of a modular gas regulator assembly that regulates the flow of supplemental gas from a gas source to the primary gas delivery system so that supplemental gas is delivered to the patient concomitant with the pressurized flow of breathable gas. The system allows the user to selectively control the gas concentration level of the supplemental gas, such as oxygen, helium, nitrogen or any combination thereof, and the pressurized flow of breathable gas delivered to the patient concomitantly.

Claims

1. A modular gas regulator assembly that selectively controls a gas concentration delivered to a patient by controlling a flow of a supplemental gas that is delivered to the patient concomitantly with a pressurized flow of breathable gas generated by a gas delivery system, the gas delivery system being controlled by a delivery system processor, the modular gas regulator assembly comprising:

a control interface that enables selection of a concentration level setpoint for the supplemental gas;

a gas flow regulator that regulates a flow rate of the supplemental gas from a gas source; and

a regulator processor that controls the gas flow regulator such that the supplemental gas from the gas source and the pressurized flow of breathable gas delivered to the patient have a gas concentration level that is substantially equal to the gas concentration level setpoint, the regulator processor being independent from the delivery system processor.

2. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 1, wherein the supplemental gas and the pressurized flow of breathable gas are delivered to the patient via a common path.

3. The modular gas regulating module of claim 1, wherein the regulator processor controls the gas flow regulator by determining a gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas based in part on the gas concentration level setpoint, and controlling the gas flow regulator to regulate the flow rate of the supplemental gas such that the flow rate of the supplemental gas is substantially equal to the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas, the determination of the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas being made by the regulator processor independent from the delivery system processor.

4. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 3, further comprising a first flow sensor in operative communication with the regulator processor, wherein the first flow sensor measures a flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas, wherein the regulator processor determines the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas based in part on the gas concentration level setpoint and the flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas.

5. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 4, wherein the first flow sensor is a component of the gas delivery system, the regulator processor being operatively linked with the gas delivery system to receive information from the first flow sensor associated with the flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas.

6. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 4, wherein the regulator processor determines the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas based on the equation:

$Q_{\mathrm{app}}=Q_{\mathrm{bg}}<br><br>\left(\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{set}}-{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{bg}}}{1-{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{set}}}\right),$

wherein Q_app is the gas flow rate setpoint, Q_bg is the measured flow rate of the breathable gas, Φ

_bg is the gas concentration level of the breathable gas, and D,set is the gas concentration level setpoint.

7. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 4, further comprising a second flow sensor in operative communication with the regulator processor that measures the flow rate of the supplemental gas from the as source, and wherein the regulator processor controls the gas flow regulator in a feedback manner based on the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas and the flow rate of the supplemental gas as measured by the second flow sensor.

8. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 3, wherein the supplemental gas and the pressurized flow of breathable gas are delivered to the patient via a common path.

9. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 8, further comprising a first flow sensor in operative communication with the regulator processor that measures a flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas and the supplemental gas within the common path, wherein the regulator processor determines the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas based in part on the gas concentration level setpoint and the flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas and the supplemental gas within the common path.

10. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 9, wherein the regulator processor determines the gas flow rate setpoint of supplemental gas based on the equation:

$Q_{\mathrm{app}}=Q_{\mathrm{gas}}<br><br>\left(\frac{{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{set}}-{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{bg}}}{1-{\mathrm{\Phi <br><br>}}_{\mathrm{bg}}}\right),$

wherein Q_app is the gas flow rate setpoint, Q_gas is the measured flow rate of the pressurized flow of breathable gas and the supplemental gas within the common path, Φ

_bg is the gas concentration level of the breathable gas, and Φ

_set is the gas concentration level setpoint.

11. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 10, further comprising a second flow sensor in operative communication with the regulator processor that measures the actual flow rate of the supplemental gas from the gas source, and wherein the regulator processor controls the gas flow regulator in a feedback manner based on the gas flow rate setpoint of the supplemental gas and the actual flow rate of the supplemental gas as measured by the second flow sensor.

12. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 1, wherein the regulator processor communicates information to the delivery system processor, the information being related to the combination of the pressurized flow of gas with gas from the gas source.

13. The modular gas regulator assembly of claim 1, wherein the gas flow regulator includes a valve that is controllable via the regulator processor.

14. The modular gas regular assembly of claim 1, wherein the supplemental gas is oxygen, helium, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

15. A patient treatment system comprising:

a gas delivery system that generates a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to a patient;

a delivery system processor associated with the gas delivery system that controls the gas delivery system in generating the pressurized flow of breathable gas;

a modular gas regulator assembly that regulates a flow of supplemental gas from a gas source, the supplemental gas being delivered to the patient concomitant with the pressurized flow of breathable gas to selectively control an gas concentration level of the supplemental gas and the pressurized flow of breathable gas delivered to the patient concomitantly; and

a regulator processor associated with the modular gas regulator assembly that regulates the flow of the supplemental gas, the regulator processor being independent from the delivery system processor.

16. The patient treatment system of claim 15, wherein the delivery system processor controls the gas delivery system to generate the pressurized flow of breathable gas such that the pressurized flow of breathable gas has (1) a substantially constant pressure, or (2) a bi-level pressure level in which a pressure varies between inspiration and expiration.

17. The patient treatment system of claim 15, wherein the modular gas regulator assembly includes a valve that is controllable via the regulator processor to regulate the flow rate of the supplemental gas from the gas source.

18. The patient treatment system of claim 15, wherein the supplemental gas and the pressurized flow of breathable gas are delivered to the patient via a common path.

19. The patient treatment system of claim 15, further comprising a control interface associated with the modular gas regulator assembly that enables selection of an gas concentration level setpoint, wherein the regulator processor controls the regulation of the flow of the supplemental gas such that the gas concentration level of the pressurized flow of breathable gas and the supplemental gas delivered to the patient concomitantly is substantially equal to the gas concentration level setpoint.

20. The patient treatment system of claim 15, wherein the regulator processor communicates information to the delivery system processor, the information being related to the flow of the supplemental gas.

21. The patient treatment system of claim 15, wherein the supplemental gas is oxygen, helium, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.

22. A patient treatment system comprising:

a first housing;

a pressure generator contained within the first housing that generates a pressurized flow of breathable gas for delivery to a patient;

a first processor contained within the first housing that controls the pressure generator;

a second housing independent from the first housing;

a gas flow regulator contained in the second housing that regulates a flow rate of supplemental gas from a gas supply for delivery to the patient concomitantly with the pressurized flow of breathable gas; and

a second processor contained within the second housing that controls the gas flow regulator.

23. The patient treatment system of claim 22, wherein said second housing further contains a first flow sensor, a second flow sensor, and a regulator control interface.

24. The patient treatment system of claim 22, wherein said first housing further contains a control valve, a flow sensor, and a delivery system control interface.

25. The patient treatment system of claim 22, wherein the supplemental gas is oxygen, helium, nitrogen, or any combination thereof.