Gas-liquid microvolume separating apparatus and method
First Claim
1. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid, comprising:
- a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end surface, a second end surface, and a side wall, said side wall defining the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber, at least a portion of said sidewall being free from projections extending inward into said separation chamber;
inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber in a radial direction towards the center of said separation chamber;
first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing, said outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said first end surface; and
second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for dispersal, said second outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said second end surface;
at least one fin extending inward from said sidewall into said separation chamber wherein the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber adjacent to said first end surface is less than the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber adjacent to said second end surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas-liquid separator apparatus and device, particularly for use in connection with medical gas analyses, such as capnography, is provided. The separation chamber tapers in a direction from the blow down port to the dry gas outlet port providing increased surface area in the lower portion of the separation chamber for providing capillary volumes or regions. A solid body is disposed in the separation chamber to provide a surface of the capillary volumes and to decrease the effective volume of the separation chamber. The body can be used to occlude the dry gas outlet port upon tipping of the separation chamber at greater than a predetermined angle. A number of internal fins extend inwardly from the side wall and bottom surface into the separation chamber to form capillary volumes in cooperation with the side wall, bottom surface and/or solid body.
30 Citations
45 Claims
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1. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid, comprising:
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a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end surface, a second end surface, and a side wall, said side wall defining the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber, at least a portion of said sidewall being free from projections extending inward into said separation chamber; inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber in a radial direction towards the center of said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing, said outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said first end surface; and second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for dispersal, said second outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said second end surface; at least one fin extending inward from said sidewall into said separation chamber wherein the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber adjacent to said first end surface is less than the cross-sectional area of said separation chamber adjacent to said second end surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid, comprising:
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a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end surface defining a first perimeter, a second end surface defining a second perimeter greater than said first perimeter, and a side wall, wherein said side wall substantially defines a portion of a cone tapering from said second end surface toward said first end surface and wherein at least a portion of said sidewall is free from projections extending inward into said separation chamber; inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing, said first outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said first end surface; second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for dispersal, said second outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said second end surface; and at least one fin extending inward from said side wall into said separation chamber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid comprising:
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a microvolume separation chamber having a surface; inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber in a radial direction towards the center of said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing; second outlet port means for removal of a waste mixture of gas and liquid for disposal; and a solid body, having a surface, positioned in said separation chamber to define an effective separation volume, said effective separation volume being the volume of said separation chamber minus the volume of said solid body; said solid body being spaced from said surface of said separation chamber to produce at least a first capillary volume effective to convey at least some of said liquid toward said second outlet port means, said first capillary volume being at least partially defined by at least a portion of said surface of said solid body. - View Dependent Claims (22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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23. An apparatus, as claimed in 21, further comprising:
means for maintaining said solid body in said second position when said separation chamber is tilted more than a predetermined angle. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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31. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas mixture from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid, comprising:
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a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end surface, a second end surface, and a side wall; inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing, said first outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said first end surface; second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for disposal, said second outlet port means being substantially adjacent to said second end surface; a substantially gas-impermeable body, having a surface, positioned in said separation chamber and movable with respect to said surfaces; between a first position and a second position, said first position being closer to said second outlet port means than said second position, said gas-impermeable body, in said first position spaced from said second end surface to produce at least a first capillary volume effective to convey at least some of said liquid toward said second outlet port means, said first capillary volume being at least partially defined by at least a portion of said surface of said gas-impermeable body; and said microvolume separation chamber and said gas-impermeable body together defining an effective separation volume being the volume of said microvolume separation chamber minus the volume of said gas-impermeable body. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus usable for analyzing gaseous constituents in an exhaled gas flow, comprising:
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means for obtaining a gas sample from said exhaled gas flow wherein said gas sample comprises a mixture of gas and liquid; fast-response means, connectable to said means for sampling, for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from said mixture of liquid and gas, comprising; a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end surface, a second end surface, and a side wall surface; inlet port means for introducing said gas sample to said separation chamber in a radial direction towards the center of said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing, positioned in said first end surface; second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for disposal positioned in said second end surface; and at least one substantially gas-impermeable body, having a surface, positioned in said separation chamber and movable with respect to said surface; between a first position and a second position, said first position being closer to said second outlet port means than said second position, said gas-impermeable body, in said first position spaced from said second end surface to produce at least a first capillary volume effective to convey at least some of said liquid toward said second outlet port means, said first capillary volume being at least partially defined by at least a portion of said surface of said gas-impermeable body; and said microvolume separation chamber and said gas-impermeable body together defining an effective separation volume being the volume of said microvolume separation chamber minus the volume of said gas-impermeable body; wherein substantially dry gas is provided at said first outlet port means; means for determining the presence of at least one gaseous constituent in a substantially dry gas; and means for conveying gas from said second outlet port to said means for determining the presence of at least one gaseous constituent. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. An apparatus for separating liquid from a mixture of liquid and gas, comprising:
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a separation chamber defined by a first substantially hemispherical end surface having a first radius, a second substantially hemispherical end surface having a second radius greater than said first radius, and a side wall defining a portion of a conical surface extending between said first end surface and said second end surface; an inlet port formed in said side wall; a first outlet port formed in said first end surface; a second outlet port formed in said second end surface; a plurality of fins extending inward into said separation chamber from said second end surface and said side wall; and at least one substantially gas-impermeable spherical body positioned in said separation chamber to permit contact between said spherical body and at least a portion of said fins, said spherical body movable from a first position spaced from said first outlet port to a second position substantially occluding said first outlet port; wherein when said separation chamber is tilted at an angle greater than a predetermined angle, said spherical body is automatically positioned in said second position; and wherein said spherical body is positionable to form a capillary-sized volume with respect to said liquid in cooperation with at least one of said fins and said side wall. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gas and liquid, a fast-response apparatus usable for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid, comprising:
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a microvolume separation chamber for separating said gas and said liquid; inlet port means for introducing a sample of said mixture of gas and liquid into said separation chamber; first outlet port means for removing substantially dry gas for said analyzing; a reservoir for holding separated liquid, spaced from said separation chamber; second outlet port means for removing a waste mixture of gas and liquid from said separation chamber for disposal; and absorbent means disposed in said reservoir for absorbing said liquid in said waste mixture, after said gas and said liquid are separated.
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45. In a system for analyzing samples of an exhaled mixture of gases and liquids, a method for obtaining a substantially dry gas sample from a sample of said mixture of gases and liquids, comprising:
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providing a microvolume separation chamber defined by a first end wall surface, a second end wall surface, and a side wall surface, said separation chamber having inlet port means and first and second outlet port means, and having a solid body, said solid body having a surface and positioned in said separation chamber and movable with respect to said separation chamber surface, said solid body being spaced from said surface of said separation chamber to produce at least a first capillary volume effective to convey at least some of said liquid toward said second outlet port means, said first capillary volume being at least partially defined by at least a portion of said surface of said solid body; introducing a sample of said mixture of liquid and gas to said separation chamber through said inlet port in a radial direction towards the center of said separation chamber; providing a pressure at said first outlet port which is less than the pressure at said inlet port; providing a pressure at said second outlet port which is less than the pressure at said inlet port, wherein a waste mixture of a portion of said input gas and substantially all of said liquid is moved from said separation chamber through said second outlet port for disposal; and withdrawing substantially dry gas from said first outlet port for said analyzing.
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Specification