Humidifying gas for respiratory therapy

• US 9,289,572 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SunMed Group Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: CareFusion 207, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Korneff, Neil, Dixon, Paul David, Varga, Christopher M
• Primary Examiner(s): SKORUPA, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US13/251,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20130081618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 128/203.12, 128/203.14, 128/203.16, 128/203.17, 128/203.26, 128/203.27, 128/204.14, 128/204.17, 128/204.18, 128/204.21, 128/204.23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0051 with alarm devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0066 Blowers or centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/024 including calculation means, e.g. using a processor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0683 Holding devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/0875 Connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/109 the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1095 in the connecting tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/16 Devices to humidify the respiration air A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/164 including a liquid inlet valve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0039 in the inspiratory circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/14 Detection of the presence or absence of a tube, a connector or a container in an apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3389 Continuous level detection A61M2205/3393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/368 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. IR waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6018 providing set-up signals for the apparatus configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/025 : For medical applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/014 : Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 : Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/022 : Heaters specially adapted for heating gaseous material
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/032 : Heaters specially adapted for heating by radiation heating
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/54 : flexible
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/804 : Water heaters, water boilers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining

Abstract

A system for providing humidification to gas to be provided to a patient to support breathing including: a humidification component configured for adding water vapor to the gas; and a humidification component controller coupled with the humidification component and configured for receiving humidification target value information, the humidification component controller including: a humidification target value determiner configured for determining, based on received humidification target value information, a humidification target value of at least two possible humidification target values, the humidification target value identifying a humidification level setting corresponding to the patient.

Claims

1. A system for providing humidification to gas to be provided to a patient to support breathing through a breathing circuit tubing, said system comprising:

a humidification component configured for adding water vapor to said gas;

a humidification component monitoring unit producing humidification target value information;

a humidification component controller configured for receiving said humidification target value information and determining a mode of respiratory therapy and a humidification level setting based on the received humidification target value information, said humidification component controller comprising a humidification target value determiner configured for automatically determining a humidification target value, said humidification target value identifying a humidification level setting corresponding to said patient; and

a humidification mode selection module coupled with said humidification component and configured for communicating said humidification level setting to an operator of said system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component monitoring unit comprises a gas flow rate determiner coupled with said humidification component, said gas flow rate determiner configured for characterizing a rate of a flow of said gas through said breathing circuit tubing, to achieve a characterized rate of gas flow.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said characterized rate of gas flow comprises a pattern of breathing of said patient.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said characterized rate of gas flow comprises a gas flow rate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said gas flow rate comprises an average gas flow rate.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component monitoring unit comprises a breathing circuit tubing configuration information detector configured for determining breathing circuit tubing configuration information.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said breathing circuit tubing configuration information comprises a geometry of a portion of said breathing circuit tubing.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said geometry comprises a diameter of said breathing circuit tubing.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said geometry comprises a length of said breathing circuit tubing.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said geometry comprises a topology of said breathing circuit tubing.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein said breathing circuit tubing configuration information comprises a radio frequency identification of said breathing circuit tubing.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein said breathing circuit tubing configuration information comprises a wire resistance of a portion of said breathing circuit tubing.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component monitoring unit comprises a tube heater wire detector configured for detecting tube heater wire information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said tube heater wire information comprises at least one of a presence and an absence of a tube heater wire being coupled with said breathing circuit tubing.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component monitoring unit comprises a pressure sensor configured for detecting a pressure relative to atmospheric pressure of said gas in said breathing circuit tubing, thereby achieving a determined pressure.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component monitoring unit comprises an optical sensing module configured for optically sensing said humidification target value information.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gas delivery device coupled with said humidification component configured for controlling a delivery of said gas to said humidification component.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication module coupled with a gas delivery device and said humidification component, said communication module configured for communicating information between said gas delivery device and said humidification component, wherein said information comprises said humidification target value information, and wherein said gas delivery device is coupled with said humidification component and is configured for controlling a delivery of said gas to said humidification component.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a pattern of breathing of said patient.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a gas flow rate.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a geometry of a portion of said breathing circuit tubing.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said geometry comprises a diameter of said breathing circuit tubing.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein said geometry comprises a length of said breathing circuit tubing.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein said geometry comprises a topology of said breathing circuit tubing.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a radio frequency identification of said breathing circuit tubing.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a wire resistance of a portion of said breathing circuit tubing.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises tube heater wire information.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said tube heater wire information comprises at least one of a presence and an absence of a tube heater wire being coupled with said breathing circuit tubing.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a determined pressure comprising a pressure relative to atmospheric pressure of said gas in said breathing circuit tubing.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein said humidification component controller comprises a breathing circuit tubing size determiner configured for determining a size of a portion of said breathing circuit tubing based on determined breathing circuit tubing configuration information.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein said mode of respiratory therapy comprises an invasive mode and a non-invasive mode.

32. A system for providing humidification to gas to be provided to a patient to support breathing through a breathing circuit tubing, said system comprising:

a humidification component configured for adding water vapor to said gas;

a gas delivery device coupled with said humidification component, said gas delivery device configured for controlling a delivery of said gas to said humidification component;

a communication module coupled with said gas delivery device and said humidification component, said communication module configured for communicating humidification target value information between said humidification component and said gas delivery device, said humidification component and said gas delivery device configured for automatically determining, based on said humidification target value information, target operational information of said system associated with said patient, wherein said target operational information includes a mode of respiratory therapy and a humidification level setting corresponding to the patient; and

a humidification mode selection module coupled with said humidification component and configured for communicating said humidification level setting to an operator of said system.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a graphical user interface coupled with said gas delivery device, said graphical user interface configured for enabling said operator to communicate with said humidification component.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising a graphical user interface coupled with said gas delivery device, said graphical user interface configured for enabling said operator to communicate with a portion of said system.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising an alarm coupled with said gas delivery device, said alarm configured for communicating a signal, wherein said signal indicates a threshold level associated with an operation of said humidification component has been reached.

36. The system of claim 32, further comprising a gas delivery device controller coupled with said humidification component, said gas delivery device controller configured for storing said humidification target value information.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a pattern of breathing of said patient.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a geometry of said breathing circuit tubing.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said geometry comprises a diameter of said breathing circuit tubing.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said geometry comprises a length of said breathing circuit tubing.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein said geometry comprises a topology of said breathing circuit tubing.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a radio frequency identification of said breathing circuit tubing.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a wire resistance of said breathing circuit tubing.

44. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises tube heater wire information.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein said tube heater wire information comprises at least one of a presence and an absence of a tube heater wire being coupled with said patient breathing tube.

46. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises a determined pressure comprising a pressure relative to atmospheric pressure of said gas in said breathing circuit tubing.

47. The system of claim 32, wherein said humidification target value information comprises an operating parameter.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said operating parameter comprises a patient size.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein said operating parameter comprises a clinical indication.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein said operating parameter comprises a respiratory support modality.

51. The system of claim 32, wherein said target operational information comprises an operational capability of said system.

52. The system of claim 32, wherein said target operational information comprises an operational limit of said system.

53. The system of claim 32, wherein said mode of respiratory therapy comprises an invasive mode and a non-invasive mode.