Apparatus for humidifying a respiratory gas
First Claim
1. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
- a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas;
a humidifying apparatus adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas; and
a respiration tube adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus and configured to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the patient, whereinthe CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively,the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the side of the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the side of the CPAP unit, such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined when the humidifying apparatus and the CPAP unit are moved laterally towards each other while placed on a common flat surface, the humidifying apparatus comprising a fixing device to rigidly couple the humidifying apparatus to the CPAP unit,the humidifying apparatus also comprises a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having respiration tube connecting members shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus,the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing in a cartridge-like manner and to be in contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, andthe CPAP unit also comprises an electric terminal configured to receive an electric plug of the humidifying apparatus to electrically couple the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus, the electrical terminal being located in a recess of the CPAP unit below the respiratory gas connection portion so that the electric terminal does not extend beyond a surface defined by the side of the CPAP unit.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention concerns an apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas, a humidifying apparatus, a respiratory gas tube and a connecting apparatus therefor. The apparatus of the invention includes a blowing device for delivering the respiratory gas, a housing device which has a bottom region, a top surface region and a side region extending upwardly between the top surface region and the cover region, as well as a connecting device for connecting a humidifying apparatus for humidifying the respiratory gas, wherein the connecting device is arranged in the side region of the apparatus in such a way that the humidifying apparatus can be laterally coupled thereto. The humidifying apparatus according to the invention is distinguished by a partial amount discharge device for passing a partial amount of the liquid pre-stored in a liquid storage space into a humidifying region. The respiration tube according to the invention includes a connecting plug structure which has both a respiratory gas connecting portion and also a pressure measuring tube connecting portion.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas; a humidifying apparatus adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas; and a respiration tube adapted to be coupled to the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus and configured to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the patient, wherein the CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively, the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the side of the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the side of the CPAP unit, such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined when the humidifying apparatus and the CPAP unit are moved laterally towards each other while placed on a common flat surface, the humidifying apparatus comprising a fixing device to rigidly couple the humidifying apparatus to the CPAP unit, the humidifying apparatus also comprises a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having respiration tube connecting members shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus, the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing in a cartridge-like manner and to be in contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, and the CPAP unit also comprises an electric terminal configured to receive an electric plug of the humidifying apparatus to electrically couple the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus, the electrical terminal being located in a recess of the CPAP unit below the respiratory gas connection portion so that the electric terminal does not extend beyond a surface defined by the side of the CPAP unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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fluidly and electrically connecting a CPAP unit and a humidifying apparatus by moving the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus laterally with respect to each other so that a side face of the CPAP unit engages a corresponding side face of the humidifying apparatus; generating a flow of respiratory gas with the CPAP unit; and humidifying the flow of respiratory gas with the humidifying apparatus, wherein the CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on the side face of the CPAP unit, and wherein the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on the side face that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit, a longitudinal axis of the connection portion being provided at an exact same vertical heightwise level on the humidifying apparatus as a longitudinal axis of the respiratory gas connection portion is provided on the CPAP unit when the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus are placed on a common flat surface such that the connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit are joined when the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus are moved laterally with respect to each other to bring the side faces of the CPAP unit and the humidifying apparatus into engagement with each other. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A humidifier assembly for a CPAP apparatus, comprising:
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a liquid container including a) a base configured to retain a body of liquid therein, at least a portion of the base being constructed of a heat conducting material, b) a top portion, and c) a seal disposed between the top portion and the base; a housing comprising a base portion to support the liquid container; a connecting structure configured to connect the housing to the CPAP apparatus and to allow communication of an outlet of the CPAP apparatus with an inlet of the housing; and a securing device configured to releasably interlock the housing to the CPAP apparatus upon engagement therebetween, wherein the base portion includes a heating element in direct contact with the heat conducting material of the base of the liquid container. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas to a patient, comprising:
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a CPAP unit configured to generate a flow of respiratory gas; and a humidifying apparatus adapted to be removably coupled to the CPAP unit and humidify the flow of respiratory gas, wherein the CPAP unit comprises a respiratory gas connection portion on a side of the CPAP unit that is configured to be coupled to a respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus to deliver the flow of respiratory gas to the respiration tube or the humidifying apparatus, respectively, the humidifying apparatus comprises a connection portion on a side thereof that is configured to connect to the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit and a respiration tube connection portion configured to connect the respiration tube to the humidifying apparatus, each of the respiration tube connection portion of the humidifying apparatus and the respiratory gas connection portion of the CPAP unit having a respiration tube connecting member shaped to permit the respiration tube to be connected to either the CPAP unit or the humidifying apparatus, the humidifying apparatus further comprises a housing, a heating element provided in a bottom portion of the housing, and a liquid storage container configured to store a supply of liquid to humidify the respiratory gas flow, the liquid storage container being configured to be inserted and removed from the housing and to be in direct contact with the heating element when inserted into the housing, and the housing defines both an inlet and an outlet in communication with an interior of the liquid storage container, the liquid storage container being positioned between the inlet and the outlet so that the flow of respiratory gas passes through the interior of the liquid storage container before exiting through the outlet, the inlet configured to receive pressurized breathable gas and the outlet configured to deliver the pressurized breathable gas with added humidity. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for supplying a respiratory gas under an increased pressure comprising:
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a blowing device to deliver the respiratory gas; a housing for the blowing device having a bottom face, a top surface face and a side face extending upwardly between the top surface region face and the bottom face; and a connecting device to fluidly and electrically connect the apparatus to a humidifier, the connecting device being arranged on the side face in such a way that facilitates laterally coupling the apparatus to the humidifier, wherein the connecting device includes a respiratory gas port structured to conduct respiratory gas to the humidifier and at least one electrical port configured to releasably connect to the humidifier and afford an electrical connection to the humidifier. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification