Breathing assistance apparatus
First Claim
1. An integrated breathing assistance apparatus for use as part of a system for providing respiratory gases to a user, comprising:
- a gases delivery device adapted to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through an outlet,a heater plate, adapted to receive a water chamber and heat the contents of said chamber in use, said gases delivery device and said heater plate rigidly connected together,a controller adapted to energise said integrated breathing assistance apparatus to at least two configurations, a first configuration where said gases delivery device is operable to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through said outlet and said heater plate is non-operable, and a second configuration where said gases delivery device is operable to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through said outlet, and said heater plate is also operable,said controller configuring said apparatus into said second configuration when an activation tool is engaged with the apparatus,said controller configuring said apparatus to said first configuration when said activation tool is absent.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention may include an integral, separable or separate humidifier (100) which may be selectively configured to an inoperative or operative state. The switch over is dependent on the user or the seller having access to an actuation tool to activate the humidifier. The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device is initially available for use as a standalone CPAP (100). The heater plate being isolated by a covering shroud (102), the shroud (102) also forms a connection port for the CPAP blower outlet (104). The heated humidification hardware being disabled by the absence of the activation tool. Upgrade to a CPAP device including heated humidification is completed by the installation of the actuation tool. Removal of the heater plate isolating shroud and/or installing the actuation tool enables the software controlled heated humidification hardware for heated humidifier operation. Other upgrades to functionality are also disclosed.
105 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An integrated breathing assistance apparatus for use as part of a system for providing respiratory gases to a user, comprising:
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a gases delivery device adapted to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through an outlet, a heater plate, adapted to receive a water chamber and heat the contents of said chamber in use, said gases delivery device and said heater plate rigidly connected together, a controller adapted to energise said integrated breathing assistance apparatus to at least two configurations, a first configuration where said gases delivery device is operable to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through said outlet and said heater plate is non-operable, and a second configuration where said gases delivery device is operable to provide respiratory gases at a substantially positive mean pressure through said outlet, and said heater plate is also operable, said controller configuring said apparatus into said second configuration when an activation tool is engaged with the apparatus, said controller configuring said apparatus to said first configuration when said activation tool is absent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An integrated breathing assistance apparatus for use as part of a system for providing respiratory gases to a user, comprising:
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a gases delivery device for providing gases at a predetermined pressure level, a heater plate adapted to receive a water chamber and heat the contents of said chamber in use, said gases delivery device and said heater plate rigidly connected together, a controller configured to energise said heater according to at least a user selectable level, a removable cover configured to prevent user selection of said user selectable level and provide an outlet from said gas delivery device, wherein when said cover is installed, said apparatus is adapted to deliver un-humidified gases via said outlet at a predetermined pressure level, and when said cover is removed and at least a humidification chamber containing water is installed in proximity to said heater, said chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet, said chamber inlet being configured to receive gases from said gas delivery device, said apparatus is adapted to deliver humidified gases via the chamber outlet. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of controlling an apparatus for delivering respiratory gases to a patient comprising the steps of:
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energising a gases delivery device to provide gases at a positive mean pressure; configuring the apparatus to energise a humidifier based on the presence of an activation tool, said humidifier being adapted to or adaptable to humidify said gases to a humidification level, providing the respiratory gases un-humidified at a positive mean pressure with the absence of the activation tool, and providing the respiratory gases at a positive mean pressure humidified to the humidification level with the engagement of the activation tool with the apparatus.
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Specification