METHOD TO DETERMINE AN INITIAL WATER VOLUME IN A HUMIDIFIER AND PREDICTING THE WATER VOLUME OVER TIME

    公开(公告)号:US20240325673A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-10-03

    申请号:US18610510

    申请日:2024-03-20

    Abstract: A humidifier (52) of a heated pass-over type comprises a heater plate (70), water reservoir (62), sensors (86), and a controller (88). The water reservoir (62) houses a volume of water (66) and includes a heater plate contact surface (68). The sensors (86) generate signals for conveying humidifier operating status and ambient conditions. The controller (88) is configured to: (i) predict a water mass within the water reservoir (62) based on predetermined heat and water mass transfer functions of a given humidifier design, the sensor signals, and heater plate power; (ii) determine a length of time to evaporate all water of the predicted water mass; and (iii) (a) output a warning signal in response to predicted water mass being insufficient for a remainder of the treatment duration, or (iii) (b) adapt a power setting to change the evaporation rate of the current predicted water mass to ensure that it is sufficient to last for a remainder of the treatment duration and prevent the water reservoir from running dry.

    CONTROLLING THE EVAPORATION RATE OF A HUMIDIFIER WITH ADAPTIVE POWER CONTROL AND METHOD

    公开(公告)号:US20240001059A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-01-04

    申请号:US18215247

    申请日:2023-06-28

    CPC classification number: A61M16/022 A61M16/1075 A61M16/0003 A61M16/0066

    Abstract: A humidifier (12) of a heated pass-over type for use in a respiratory therapy device (54) comprises a heater plate (70), a water reservoir (62), one or more sensors (86), and a controller (88). The water reservoir (62) houses a volume of water (66) and includes one surface for contacting the heater plate (70). The sensors (86) generate output signals conveying information about an operating status of the humidifier (54) and ambient conditions. The controller (88) controls an evaporation rate of the volume of water housed in the water reservoir (62) with a power control according to a power control algorithm for humidifying the flow of breathable gas (60) received at the breathable gas inlet (72) of the water reservoir (62) into a flow of humidified breathable gas (78) at the humidified breathable gas outlet (74) of the water reservoir (62). The power control algorithm includes a transfer function in which a required power input to the heater plate is a function of a desired evaporation rate based upon generated sensor output signals.

Patent Agency Ranking