Fluted heater wire

• US 9,642,979 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• 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 Alex, Varga, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOODWARD, VALERIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US14/932,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20160051789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• 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 heater wire for removing condensation from a respiratory gas conduit is provided. The heater wire includes at least one groove disposed thereon. The heater wire is positioned in a respiratory gas conduit. The groove may wick up water from a condensation region within the respiratory gas conduit and transport the wicked up water from the condensation region to a re-evaporation region. The wicked up water may be evaporated by a hot surface of the wire.

Claims

1. A respiratory gas conduit, comprising:

a condensation region;

a re-evaporation region; and

a heating wire that extends from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region, wherein the heating wire comprises;

a heating component;

a sheathing that surrounds the heating component; and

a groove in the sheathing that extends along a length of the sheathing from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region, wherein the groove is configured to;

wick water that has condensed in the condensation region into a portion of the groove in the condensation region; and

transport the wicked water along a length of said groove away from the portion of the groove in the condensation region to the re-evaporation region.

2. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 1, wherein the heating wire comprises a surface, wherein a first portion of the surface that is located in the condensation region is configured to have a lower temperature than a second portion of the surface that is located in the re-evaporation region.

3. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 1, wherein the condensation region is a portion of the respiratory gas conduit at which water accumulates and does not evaporate.

4. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 1, wherein a surface of said sheathing of said heating wire comprises a hydrophilic additive.

5. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional groove in the sheathing that extends from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region.

6. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 5, wherein the groove and the at least one additional groove comprise a plurality of grooves equally spaced around the heating component.

7. The respiratory gas conduit of claim 5, wherein the groove and the at least one additional groove comprise a plurality of grooves unequally spaced around the heating component.

8. A method, comprising:

wicking water into a first portion of a groove in a sheathing of a heater wire, wherein the heater wire extends from a condensation region of a respiratory gas conduit to a re-evaporation region of the respiratory gas conduit, wherein the groove has a length that extends along the heater wire from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region, and wherein the first portion of the groove is disposed in the condensation region; and

transporting the wicked water in the groove along the length of the groove away from the first portion of the groove in the condensation region to a second portion of the groove in the re-evaporation region in the respiratory gas conduit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

heating a first portion of a surface of the heater wire that is located in the condensation region to a first temperature; and

heating a second portion of a surface of the heater wire that is located in the re-evaporation region to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the condensation region is a portion of the respiratory gas conduit at which water accumulates and does not evaporate.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

evaporating the transported water by a hot surface along said heater wire in said re-evaporation region.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

wicking additional water into an additional groove in the sheathing of the heater wire in the condensation region; and

transporting the additional wicked water in the additional groove along a length of the additional groove away from condensation region to the re-evaporation region.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein transporting the wicked water in the groove comprises drawing the wicked water that is in the groove, through capillary action, towards an unwetted part of the groove.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising transporting additional water along a plurality of additional grooves equally spaced in the sheathing.

15. A breathing circuit comprising:

a gas conduit comprising;

a condensation region; and

a re-evaporation region; and

a heating wire that extends from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region, wherein the heating wire comprises;

a heating component;

a sheathing that surrounds the heating component; and

a groove in the sheathing that extends along a length of the sheathing from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region, wherein the groove is configured to;

wick water that has condensed in the condensation region into a portion of the groove in the condensation region; and

transport the wicked water along a length of said groove away from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region.

16. The breathing circuit of claim 15, further comprising a plasma treated surface in the groove.

17. The breathing circuit of claim 15, wherein the heating wire comprises a surface, wherein a first portion of the surface that is located in the condensation region is configured to have a lower temperature than a second portion of the surface that is located in the re-evaporation region.

18. The breathing circuit of claim 15, wherein the condensation region is a portion of the gas conduit at which water accumulates and does not evaporate.

19. The breathing circuit of claim 15, further comprising at least one additional groove in the sheathing that extends from the condensation region to the re-evaporation region.

20. The breathing circuit of claim 19, wherein the groove and the at least one additional groove comprise a plurality of grooves equally spaced around the heating component.