CONCURRENT O2 GENERATION AND CO2 CONTROL FOR ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for the concurrent oxygen generation and control of carbon dioxide for life support system involves two stages, where a first stage removes CO2 from an exhalent side of a ventilation loop and a second stage employs Ceramic Oxygen Generators (COGs) to convert CO2 into carbon and O2. The first stage includes a plurality of chambers and means to switch the ventilation loop through at least one of the chambers, where CO2 removal is carried out before discharge of the CO2 depleted gas to an inhalant side of the ventilation loop, and to exclude the ventilation loop from the remaining chambers of the first stage, where these chambers are placed in communication with the second stage. The second stage has two portions separated by the COGs such that CO2 and the formed carbon remain on an intake portion from the O2 rich atmosphere on the exhaust side, which is plumbed via a metering valve to introduce the O2 rich atmosphere to the inhalant side of the ventilation loop.
30 Citations
60 Claims
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1-30. -30. (canceled)
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31. A device for continuous conversion of CO2 to O2 providing a breathable atmosphere, comprising:
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at least one first stage comprising at least one inlet, at least one outlet, a plurality of sorption bed chambers, each chamber comprising at least one CO2 sorption bed, a means to direct a gas flow to and from said chambers, and a means to actuate said means to direct; and at least one second stage comprising at least one ceramic oxygen generator (COG) unit, at least one CO2 intake, at least one O2 exhaust, and a means to control said exhaust from said second stage into said outlet of said first stage. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method of providing a breathable gas for life support, comprising the steps of:
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adsorbing CO2 from an exhaled gas flow in at least one first stage of a device, wherein said first stage comprises at least one inlet, at least one outlet, a plurality of sorption bed chambers, each chamber comprising at least one CO2 sorption bed where said gas is depleted of CO2, a means to direct a gas flow to and from said chambers or restrict flow from said chamber and place said chamber into communication with at least one second stage, and a means to actuate said means to direct; directing said CO2 depleted gas from said chamber to an inhalable gas flow; converting said CO2 to C and O2 in said second stages of said device, wherein said second stage comprises at least one ceramic oxygen generator (COG) units, at least one CO2 intake, at least one O2 exhaust, and a means to control said exhaust from said second stage; and directing said O2 from said exhaust to said inhalable gas flow. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification