HUMIFIDIER WITH WIRELESS TEMPERATURE SENSING

• US 20120167880A1
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Jacob, Lawrence Anthony
• Application Number:
  US13/395,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/203.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0021 with a proportional output signal, e.g. from a thermistor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/1025 the O2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/103 the CO2 concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems

Abstract

A respiration humidifier having a base unit and a chamber constructed to hold liquid. A sensor is connected to the chamber and configured to sense a condition within the chamber. A radiation signal transmitter is carried by the chamber and associated with the sensor. The transmitter wirelessly sends a radiation signal indicative of the sensed condition. The humidifier includes a radiation signal receiver carried by the base unit for receiving the signal. The humidifier includes a control unit that controls the condition based on the radiation signal received by the radiation signal receiver. Another aspect provides a breathing system using the humidifier. The breathing system includes a gas flow generator that generates a flow of gas to a user circuit coupled to the gas flow generator and adapted to communicate the flow of gas to a user.

Claims

1. A respiration humidifier comprising:

a base unit;

a chamber constructed and arranged to hold a reservoir of liquid;

a sensor operatively configured to sense a condition within the chamber;

a radiation signal transmitter carried by the chamber and operatively associated with the sensor, the transmitter arranged to send a radiation signal indicative of the sensed condition wirelessly;

a radiation signal receiver carried by the base unit and arranged to receive the radiation signal from the transmitter; and

a control unit that controls the condition based at least in part on the radiation signal received by the radiation signal receiver.

2. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein the sensor is:

(a) a temperature sensor and the condition is a temperature of the liquid or a humidity of gas in the chamber;

(b) a pressure sensor and the condition is a pressure of gas in the chamber;

(c) a flow rate sensor and the condition is a flow of gas through the chamber;

(d) an oxygen sensor and the condition is an oxygen level of gas in the chamber;

or

(e) a carbon dioxide sensor and the condition is a carbon dioxide level of gas in the chamber.

3. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein the radiation signal transmitter is a RFID chip, an optical receiver, or a primary coil of a transformer.

4. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein the radiation signal receiver is a RFID chip, an optical receiver, or a secondary coil of a transformer

5. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein power is provided to the chamber by inductive coupling or by RFID coupling.

6. The humidifier of claim 1, further comprising an additional sensor that senses an additional condition within the chamber.

7. A method for sensing a condition of a respiration humidifier comprising a base unit and a chamber constructed and arranged to hold a reservoir of liquid, the method comprising:

sensing the condition within the chamber via a sensor;

sending wirelessly a radiation signal indicative of the sensed condition with a radiation signal transmitter carried by the chamber;

receiving the radiation signal indicative of the sensed condition by a radiation signal receiver; and

controlling the condition based at least in part on the radiation signal received by the radiation signal receiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the radiation signal transmitter is a RFID chip, an optical receiver, or a primary coil of a transformer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the radiation signal receiver is a RFID chip, an optical receiver, or a secondary coil of a transformer.

10. The method of claim 17, wherein power is provided to the chamber by inductive coupling or RFID coupling.

11. A system for delivering a flow of gas to an airway of a user, the system comprising:

a gas flow generator that generates a flow of gas;

a user circuit operatively connected to the gas flow generator and adapted to communicate the flow of gas to an airway of a user; and

a humidifier operatively connected to the user circuit to elevate the humidity of the gas in the user circuit to a circuit humidity level, the humidifier comprising;

a base unit;

a chamber constructed and arranged to hold a reservoir of liquid;

a sensor operatively configured to sense a condition within the chamber;

a radiation signal transmitter carried by the chamber and operatively associated with the sensor, the transmitter arranged to send wirelessly a radiation signal indicative of the sensed condition;

a radiation signal receiver carried by the base unit and arranged to receive the radiation signal from the transmitter; and

a control unit that controls the condition based at least in part on the radiation signal received by the radiation signal receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an additional sensor that senses an additional condition within the chamber.