Portable oxygen concentrator
First Claim
1. A portable oxygen concentrator, comprising:
- a plurality of sieve beds adapted to absorb nitrogen from air, including a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds comprising an air inlet/outlet end and an oxygen inlet/outlet end;
a reservoir communicating with the oxygen inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds and adapted to store oxygen from the plurality of sieve beds;
a compressor adapted to deliver air at one or more desired pressures to the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds;
a set of valves disposed between the compressor and the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds;
a pressure sensor adapted to measure a reservoir pressure within the reservoir;
an oxygen sensor adapted to measure an oxygen purity within the reservoir before delivery to a user; and
a controller coupled to the valves and adapted to selectively open and close the valves to alternately charge the first sieve bed while purging the second sieve bed, and charge the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed, wherein the controller is coupled to the pressure sensor and is adapted to monitor the reservoir pressure, wherein the controller adjusts a charge/purge duration that the first and the second sieve beds are alternately purged at least partially based upon the reservoir pressure, and wherein the controller is coupled to the oxygen sensor and adapted to adjust the charge/purge duration at least partially based upon the oxygen purity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable oxygen concentrator includes a pair of sieve beds having first and second ends, a compressor for delivering air to the first ends of the sieve beds, a reservoir communicating with the second ends of the sieve beds, and an air manifold attached to the first ends of the sieve beds. The air manifold includes passages therein communicating with the compressor and the first ends of the sieve beds. A set of valves is coupled to the air manifold, and a controller is coupled to the valves for selectively opening and closing the valves to alternately charge and purge the sieve beds to deliver concentrated oxygen into the reservoir. An oxygen delivery manifold communicates with the second ends of the sieve beds for delivering oxygen from the reservoir to a user. Pressure sensors may be provided in the reservoir and/or delivery line for controlling operation of the controller.
171 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A portable oxygen concentrator, comprising:
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a plurality of sieve beds adapted to absorb nitrogen from air, including a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds comprising an air inlet/outlet end and an oxygen inlet/outlet end; a reservoir communicating with the oxygen inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds and adapted to store oxygen from the plurality of sieve beds; a compressor adapted to deliver air at one or more desired pressures to the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds; a set of valves disposed between the compressor and the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds; a pressure sensor adapted to measure a reservoir pressure within the reservoir; an oxygen sensor adapted to measure an oxygen purity within the reservoir before delivery to a user; and a controller coupled to the valves and adapted to selectively open and close the valves to alternately charge the first sieve bed while purging the second sieve bed, and charge the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed, wherein the controller is coupled to the pressure sensor and is adapted to monitor the reservoir pressure, wherein the controller adjusts a charge/purge duration that the first and the second sieve beds are alternately purged at least partially based upon the reservoir pressure, and wherein the controller is coupled to the oxygen sensor and adapted to adjust the charge/purge duration at least partially based upon the oxygen purity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13)
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7. A portable oxygen concentrator, comprising:
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a plurality of sieve beds including a first bed and a second sieve bed; a compressor adapted to deliver air to the plurality of sieve beds; a set of control valves disposed between the compressor and the plurality of sieve beds; a reservoir communicating with the plurality of sieve beds and adapted to store oxygen from the plurality of sieve beds; a delivery valve adapted to communicate with the reservoir; a pressure sensor adapted to measure a reservoir pressure within the reservoir and to measure a pressure drop across the delivery valve; and a controller coupled to the control valves and adapted to selectively open and close the valves to alternately charge and purge the first and the second sieve beds, wherein the controller is coupled to the pressure sensor and is adapted to monitor the reservoir pressure and the pressure drop across the delivery valve, wherein the controller is coupled to the delivery valve and adapted to selectively open the delivery valve for predetermined pulse durations to deliver pulses of gas from the reservoir to a user, and wherein the controller adjusts the pulse durations based at least partially upon the reservoir pressure and the pressure drop across the delivery valve. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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14. A method for concentrating oxygen comprising:
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providing a portable apparatus comprising a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed including a first end and a second end, and a reservoir communicating with the second ends of the first and the second sieve beds; cyclically charging a first sieve bed while purging a second sieve bed, and charging the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed for charge/purge durations, whereby oxygen passes from the first and the second sieve beds during charging into the reservoir; monitoring a pressure within the reservoir; adjusting the charge/purge durations based at least partially upon the pressure within the reservoir; delivering oxygen from the reservoir; monitoring an oxygen purity of the oxygen delivered from the reservoir; and adjusting the charge/purge durations based at least partially upon the oxygen purity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for concentrating oxygen comprising:
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providing a portable apparatus comprising a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed including a first end and a second end, and a reservoir communicating with the second ends of the first and the second sieve beds; cyclically charging a first sieve bed while purging a second sieve bed, and charging the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed for charge/purge durations, whereby oxygen passes from the first and the second sieve beds during charging into the reservoir; monitoring a pressure within the reservoir; adjusting the charge/purge durations based at least partially upon the pressure within the reservoir; delivering oxygen from the reservoir in pulses having a pulse duration; and adjusting the pulse duration based at least partially upon the pressure within the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A portable oxygen concentrator, comprising:
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an input device adapted to set a pulse dose amount; a plurality of sieve beds adapted to absorb nitrogen from air, including a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds comprising an air inlet/outlet end and an oxygen inlet/outlet end; a reservoir communicating with the oxygen inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds and adapted to store oxygen from the plurality of sieve beds; a compressor adapted to deliver air at one or more desired pressures to the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds; a set of valves disposed between the compressor and the air inlet/outlet ends of the plurality of sieve beds; a breath rate sensor adapted to detect a user'"'"'s breath rate; and a controller coupled to the valves and adapted to selectively open and close the valves to alternately charge the first sieve bed while purging the second sieve bed, and charge the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed, and wherein the controller controls an operating speed of the compressor at least partially based on the pulse dose amount and the breath rate sensor. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for concentrating oxygen comprising
providing a portable apparatus comprising a first sieve bed and a second sieve bed, each sieve bed including a first end and a second end, a compressor operatively coupled to the first ends of the first and the second sieve beds, a set of valves disposed between the compressor and the first ends of the first and the second sieve beds, and a reservoir operatively coupled to the second ends of the first and the second sieve beds; -
controlling the set of valves to cyclically charge a first sieve bed while purging a second sieve bed, and charging the second sieve bed while purging the first sieve bed for charge/purge durations, whereby oxygen passes from the first and the second sieve beds during charging into the reservoir; setting a pulse dose amount for oxygen to be delivered to a user; monitoring a user'"'"'s breath rate; and controlling an operating speed of the compressor at least partially based on the pulse dose amount and the breath rate sensor. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification