Portable oxygen enrichment device and method of use

• US 9,993,765 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Separation Design Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Separation Design Group, LLC
• Inventors: Galbraith, Stephen Douglas, Walker, David K., McGowan, Kenneth J., DePetris, Elise N., Galbraith, Judith C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, Frank
• Application Number:
  US15/248,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20170021302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 95130, 95148, 12820418, 12820527
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/54 Mixing with gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/00 Medicinal preparations containing inorganic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0094 Gaseous substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/10 Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/101 using an oxygen concentrator
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8262 connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8293 Solar
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 Docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/108 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/116 Molecular sieves other than zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/12 Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/102 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/40 Nitrogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4533 for medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4541 : for portable use, e.g. gas masks
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0446 : Means for feeding or distributing gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 : Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0473 : Rapid pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/053 : with storage or buffer vessel
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 : with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 : Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 : for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 : Processes

Abstract

Lightweight, small, portable devices and methods are disclosed that provide oxygen-enriched air using an ultra rapid adsorption cycle based on advanced molecular sieve materials.

Claims

1. A method of purging contaminants from a device for oxygen enrichment, comprising:

compressing in said device an ambient air flow comprising oxygen and nitrogen to form a compressed air flow;

transporting said compressed flow through at least one adsorbent bed and adsorbing at least a portion of said nitrogen in said at least one adsorbent bed to form an oxygen-enriched gas flow;

removing said oxygen-enriched gas flow to form an oxygen-enriched product;

transporting said oxygen-enriched product to a first vessel; and

purging said adsorbent bed using said oxygen-enriched product in said first vessel upon shutdown of said device to remove said contaminants without permitting entry of material from the external environment;

wherein said oxygen-enriched product passes through an orifice between said first vessel and said at least one adsorbent bed; and

wherein said oxygen-enriched product does not pass through a check valve, mechanical valve, or electromechanical valve between said first vessel and said at least one adsorbent bed.

2. A method of purging contaminants from a device for oxygen enrichment, comprising:

compressing in said device an ambient air flow comprising oxygen and nitrogen to form a compressed air flow;

transporting said compressed flow through an air delivery manifold and then at least one adsorbent bed and adsorbing at least a portion of said nitrogen in said adsorbent bed to form an oxygen-enriched gas flow and adsorbed nitrogen;

removing said oxygen-enriched gas flow to form an oxygen-enriched product;

transporting said oxygen-enriched product to a first vessel;

optionally, desorbing from said adsorbent bed said adsorbed nitrogen and exhausting said nitrogen; and

purging said at least one adsorbent bed and said air delivery manifold using said oxygen-enriched product in said first vessel upon shutdown of said device to remove said contaminants without permitting entry of material from the external environment;

wherein said oxygen-enriched product passes through an orifice between said first vessel and said at least one adsorbent bed; and

wherein said oxygen-enriched product does not pass through a check valve, mechanical valve, or electromechanical valve between said first vessel and said at least one adsorbent bed.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein said contaminant is moisture.

4. The method of claim 2,

wherein said air delivery manifold is an air storage vessel.

5. The method of claim 2,

wherein said air delivery manifold comprises a dryer material.

6. A method of purging contaminants from a device for oxygen enrichment, wherein said device comprises:

a compressor (129);

an air storage vessel (113) having a system purge valve (125);

at least one pressure swing adsorption unit (111) comprising at least one adsorbent bed;

an oxygen purge storage vessel (117);

an oxygen bolus storage vessel (119);

a first passageway (A) connecting said compressor (129) and said air storage vessel (113);

a second passageway (B) connecting said air storage vessel (113) and said pressure swing adsorption unit (111);

a third passageway (C) connecting said pressure swing adsorption unit (111) and said oxygen purge storage vessel (117);

a fourth passageway (D) connecting said oxygen purge storage vessel (117) and said oxygen bolus storage vessel (119);

a first pressure swing adsorption valve (123) associated with said second passageway (B), pressure swing adsorption unit (111), and exhaust to ambient pressure;

wherein said first pressure swing adsorption valve is a three-way valve or two two-way valves;

a restrictor assembly (120) positioned between said pressure swing adsorption unit (111) and said oxygen purge storage vessel (117) and connected to said third passageway (C);

wherein said restrictor assembly is an orifice;

a check valve/restrictor (135) positioned between said oxygen purge storage vessel (117) and said oxygen bolus storage vessel (119); and

a delivery valve (127) positioned between said oxygen bolus storage vessel (119) and a delivery nozzle (103);

said method comprising the steps of;

operating said device to store product gas in said oxygen purge storage vessel (117);

closing said delivery valve (127);

ceasing operation of said compressor (129);

opening said system purge valve (125) for a predetermined period of time to the atmosphere thereby permitting said product gas stored in said oxygen purge storage vessel (117) to flow through said passageway C, said at least one pressure swing adsorption unit (111), said passageway B and said air storage vessel (113) out to the atmosphere through said system purge valve (125) to at least partially purge said device and expel at least one contaminant without permitting entry of material from the external environment;

wherein said product gas passes through said orifice between said oxygen purge storage vessel and said pressure swing adsorption unit; and

wherein said product gas does not pass through a check valve, mechanical valve, or electromechanical valve between said oxygen purge storage vessel and said pressure swing adsorption unit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

closing said system purge valve (125) to retain said product gas in said device;

wherein said product gas is dry.

8. The method of claim 6,

wherein said product gas is oxygen-enriched air having less than 1 ppm water.

9. The method of claim 6,

wherein said product gas retained in said device is supra atmospheric.

10. The method of claim 6,

wherein said system purge valve (125) is placed adjacent to said first passageway (A).

11. The method of claim 6,

wherein said contaminant is moisture.

12. The method of claim 6,

wherein said steps of closing said delivery valve, ceasing operation of said compressor, and opening said system purge valve happen substantially simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 6,

wherein said steps of closing said delivery valve and ceasing operation of said compressor happen in any order.

14. The method of claim 6,

wherein said at least one pressure swing adsorption unit (111) comprising two adsorbent beds.