Method and arrangement for generating oxygen and nitric oxide

• US 8,920,539 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Hilbig, Rainer, Koerber, Achim Gerhard Rolf, Igney, Claudia Hannelore
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHUMATE, ANTHONY R
• Application Number:
  US13/822,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 95/43, 95/45, 95/54, 96/4
• US Class Current: 95/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/00 Medicinal preparations containing inorganic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/12 by mixing different gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0007 introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2202/0275 Nitric oxide [NO]
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 11/08 Bronchodilators
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 63/00 Apparatus in general for separation processes using semi-permeable membranes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0251 by making use of membranes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 21/24 Nitric oxide (NO) C01B21/203 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a Method of generating oxygen and nitric oxide. The method comprises the steps of: guiding an oxygen comprising gas to a primary side of a dense membrane (42), heating the membrane (42) to a temperature at which it is permeable for oxygen, creating a pressure difference between the primary side of the membrane (42) and a secondary side of the membrane (42), wherein a stream of oxygen is generated at the secondary side of the membrane (42) and a stream of oxygen depleted gas is generated at the primary side of the membrane (42). The method according to the invention further comprises the steps of: providing a flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas and heating the nitrous oxide comprising gas to a temperature at which nitric oxide is generated. Thereby, according to the invention, heat generated in the process of operating the membrane is used. According to the invention it is possible to generate both oxygen and nitric oxide in one device making use of several synergistic effects, thus being energy saving.

Claims

1. Method of generating a gas comprising both oxygen and nitric oxide, said method comprising the steps of:

guiding an oxygen comprising gas to a primary side of a dense membrane, wherein the dense membrane is permeable for oxygen but non-permeable for other gases,

heating the membrane to a temperature at which it is permeable for oxygen,

creating a pressure difference between the primary side of the membrane and a secondary side of the membrane, wherein a stream of oxygen is generated at the secondary side of the membrane and a stream of oxygen depleted gas is generated at the primary side of the membrane, wherein said method further comprises the steps of

providing a flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas,

heating the nitrous oxide comprising gas to a temperature at which nitric oxide is generated, thereby using heat generated in the process of operating the membrane.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas is guided into one of the stream of oxygen and the stream of oxygen depleted gas.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen comprising gas is compressed in order to create a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the membrane.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the oxygen comprising gas is compressed by a plasma pump.

5. Method according to claim 3, wherein the oxygen comprising gas is compressed to a range of ≧

2.5 bars.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the nitrous oxide comprising gas is formed by mixing nitrous oxide with at least a part of the oxygen depleted gas.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein nitric oxide is generated based on a gas in which nitrous oxide is present in a concentration in the range of ≦

2 vol-%.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein air is used as oxygen comprising gas.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen comprising gas is heated to a temperature in the range of ≧

1000K and ≦

1300K.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the generated oxygen is cooled after separation.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the reaction time of the nitrous oxide comprising gas lies in a range of ≧

10 ms to ≦

100 s.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein SATP flow rates of the nitrous oxide comprising gas of ≧

0,01 L_SATP/min to ≦

10 L_SATP/min are used.

13. Arrangement for generating a gas comprising both oxygen and nitric oxide, the arrangement comprising

a source of oxygen comprising gas,

a dense membrane having a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the dense membrane is permeable for oxygen but non-permeable for other gases,

a device for creating a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the membrane, and

a device for heating the membrane, wherein the arrangement further comprises

a source of nitrous oxide comprising gas, and

a device being designed for heating a flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas being egressed from the source of nitrous oxide comprising gas to a temperature, at which nitric oxide is generated, using heat generated in the process of operating the membrane.

14. Arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the device being designed for heating a flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas comprises a conduit being arranged to guide the nitrous oxide comprising gas to the primary side of the membrane or to the secondary side of the membrane.

15. Arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the device being designed for heating a flow of nitrous oxide comprising gas comprises a heat exchanger.