Gas humidification system

• US 3,954,920 A
• Filed: 04/07/1975
• Issued: 05/04/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parkland International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Parkland International Incorporated
• Inventors: Heath, Walter I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miles, Tim R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chiesa, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US05/565,537
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 261/95, 261/99, 261/104, 261/107, 261/142, 261/152-154, 261/DIG. 65, 128/185, 128/186, 128/188, 128/192, 128/212
• US Class Current: 261/104
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/65 Vaporizers

Abstract

An improved gas humidification system including a substantially closed chamber formed by a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall and a top wall having a gas inlet and outlet ports associated therewith, heat means associated with the bottom wall, and a humidification element removably positionable within the chamber comprising a heat conductive metallic member having an end for contact with the heat means and extending upwardly therefrom, and a layer of water absorbent material fixedly secured to at least one of the surfaces of the metallic member, the metallic member presenting a multi-faceted surface and the absorbent material paralleling the multi-faceted surface of the body portion of the metallic member thereby presenting an increase surface area for gas to pass over and around the humidification element at elevated temperatures thereby to increase the relative humidity of the gas prior to inhalation by a patient.

Claims

1. A device for humidifying gases used in connection with medical respiratory therapy, comprising in combination,

a chamber formed by a plurality of side walls, a bottom wall, and a top wall, and having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port associated with said chamber,

said chamber having heat means associated with said bottom wall,

said chamber being further constructed to receive and hold a quantity of water at a level above said heat means,

a humidification element having an overall size to be easily positionable within said chamber, and further being freely removeable from said chamber,

said humidification element comprising a heat conductive metallic member having one end thereof for removeably contacting said bottom wall and said heat means associated therewith, and extending upwardly therefrom and having the body portion thereof presenting a multi-faceted surface,

said humidification element being constructed in the form of a convoluted body portion thereby presenting a multi-faceted surface area throughout the entire body portion,

and a layer of water absorbent material fixedly secured to both of the opposed surfaces of the body portion of said metallic member and following the contours of said multi-faceted surfaces of said body portion such that said humidification element including said metallic member and water absorbent material covering, as a whole, is freely and easily removeable from said chamber while said humidification element provides both heat and moisture to gases passing thereacross,

said absorbent material fixedly secured to said metallic member along both of the opposed surfaces thereof extends downwardly along said metallic member to a point spaced above the lower end of said metallic member such that the lower portion of said humidification element comprises an exposed peripheral skirt of said metallic member, whereby said humidification element may be inserted within said chamber having a quantity of water disposed therein, said metallic member functioning to conduct heat from said heat means upwardly throughout said chamber while said absorbent material absorbs water by capillary action to soak said absorbent materials such that gas entering said chamber through the gas inlet port passes along and over the multi-faceted humidification element to add elevated temperatures and is humidified prior to passage out through the gas outlet port.

2. The humidification device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said metallic member is formed from aluminum.

3. The humidification device as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said absorbent material is formed from a material capable of tolerating heat and water emerging for substantial periods of time.

4. The humidification device as set forth in claim 3 above, wherein said absorbent material is formed from epoxy impregnated filter paper.

5. The humidification device as set forth in claim 3 above, wherein said absorbent material is formed from a cellulose foam.