APPARATUS FOR HUMIDIFYING A RESPIRATORY GAS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
- a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas;
a humidifying apparatus adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas; and
a respiration tube adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus and configured to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the patient, whereinthe CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively,the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the side of the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the side of the CPAP unit, such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined when the humidifying apparatus and the CPAP unit are moved laterally towards each other while placed on a common flat surface, the humidifying apparatus comprising a fixing device to rigidly couple the humidifying apparatus to the CPAP unit,the humidifying apparatus also comprises a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having respiration tube connecting members shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus,the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing in a cartridge-like manner and to be in contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, andthe CPAP unit also comprises an electric terminal configured to receive an electric plug of the humidifying apparatus to electrically couple the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus, the electrical terminal being located in a recess of the CPAP unit below the respiratory gas connection portion so that the electric terminal does not extend beyond a surface defined by the side of the CPAP unit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns an apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas, a humidifying apparatus, a respiratory gas tube and a connecting apparatus therefor. The apparatus of the invention includes a blowing device for delivering the respiratory gas, a housing device which has a bottom region, a top surface region and a side region extending upwardly between the top surface region and the cover region, as well as a connecting device for connecting a humidifying apparatus for humidifying the respiratory gas, wherein the connecting device is arranged in the side region of the apparatus in such a way that the humidifying apparatus can be laterally coupled thereto. The humidifying apparatus according to the invention is distinguished by a partial amount discharge device for passing a partial amount of the liquid pre-stored in a liquid storage space into a humidifying region. The respiration tube according to the invention includes a connecting plug structure which has both a respiratory gas connecting portion and also a pressure measuring tube connecting portion.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas; a humidifying apparatus adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas; and a respiration tube adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus and configured to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the patient, wherein the CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively, the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the side of the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the side of the CPAP unit, such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined when the humidifying apparatus and the CPAP unit are moved laterally towards each other while placed on a common flat surface, the humidifying apparatus comprising a fixing device to rigidly couple the humidifying apparatus to the CPAP unit, the humidifying apparatus also comprises a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having respiration tube connecting members shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus, the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing in a cartridge-like manner and to be in contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, and the CPAP unit also comprises an electric terminal configured to receive an electric plug of the humidifying apparatus to electrically couple the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus, the electrical terminal being located in a recess of the CPAP unit below the respiratory gas connection portion so that the electric terminal does not extend beyond a surface defined by the side of the CPAP unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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generating a flow of respiratory gas with a CPAP unit comprising a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit; and humidifying the flow of respiratory gas with a humidifying apparatus comprising a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the CPAP unit such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined by coupling the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus by moving the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus laterally with respect to each other while placed on a common flat surface to join the respiratory gas connection portion and the connection portion together. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A humidifier assembly for a CPAP apparatus, comprising:
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a liquid container including a) a base configured to retain a body of liquid therein, at least a portion of the base being constructed of a heat conducting material, b) a top portion, and c) a seal disposed between the top portion and the base; and a housing comprising a base portion to support the liquid container, a connecting structure configured to connect the CPAP apparatus and the housing and allow communication of an outlet of the CPAP apparatus with an inlet of the housing, the connecting structure including a retaining mechanism configured to secure the housing to the CPAP apparatus, wherein the base portion includes a heating element in contact with the heat conducting material of the base of the humidifier. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas; and a humidifying apparatus adapted to be removably coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas, wherein the CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to a respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively, the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit and a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, each of the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having a respiration tube connecting member shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus, the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing and to be in contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, and the housing defines both an inlet and an outlet communicated with an interior of the liquid storage container, the liquid storage container being positioned between the inlet and the outlet, the inlet configured to receive pressurized breathable gas and the outlet configured to deliver the pressurized breathable gas with added humidity. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. Apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas under an increased pressure comprising:
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a blowing device to deliver the respiratory gas; a housing device having a bottom region, a top surface region and a side region extending upwardly between the top surface region and the bottom region; and a connecting device to connect a peripheral apparatus, the connecting device being arranged in the side region in such a way that the peripheral apparatus can be laterally coupled thereto, wherein the connecting device includes a respiratory gas port structured to conduct respiratory gas to the peripheral apparatus and a pressure-measuring port structured to couple to a pressure-measuring conduit provided to the peripheral apparatus, and wherein the connecting device further includes at least one electrical connecting member configured to afford an electrical connection to a humidifying apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification