Multistage vaporizer for medical treatment system
Inventors
Hutchins, IV, Loren Havener • Weber, Wesley Joseph
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11730896-B2
Publication Date
2023-08-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
Multistage vaporizers, such as for use in medical treatment systems, as well as related methods are described. In one example, a multistage vaporizer includes a first reservoir configured to hold a liquid and one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir. The multistage vaporizer also includes a second reservoir and one or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir. The one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir are configured to generate and move droplets of a liquid in the first reservoir to the second reservoir, and the one or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir are configured to create a vapor of the liquid in the second reservoir.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a multistage vaporizer that includes a first reservoir configured to hold a liquid and one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir. A second reservoir is positioned above the first reservoir, and a top cover having a sloped surface is positioned over the first reservoir and the second reservoir.
The pumping transducers generate and move droplets of a liquid upwards so the droplets adhere to the sloped surface. The sloped surface directs the droplets of liquid toward a position over the second reservoir, where the droplets fall into the second reservoir. One or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir generate a vapor of the liquid in the second reservoir.
The multistage arrangement is configured to transfer liquid through droplet movement and deposition into a separate vaporizing stage. The disclosure further describes maintaining constant liquid height in the second reservoir using a cleft/opening in a wall and reducing surface wake associated with a drip ring using a mote wall/barrier.
Claims Coverage
The document includes two independent claims covering a multistage vaporizer apparatus and a corresponding multistage method. The independent claims share a common inventive sequence of pumping droplets to a sloped surface, directing them into a second reservoir, and vaporizing the liquid using vaporizing transducers.
Stacked multistage vaporizer with first and second reservoirs
A multistage vaporizer comprising a first reservoir configured to hold a liquid, a second reservoir positioned above the first reservoir, and a top cover having a sloped surface positioned over the first reservoir and the second reservoir.
Pumping transducers for upward droplet movement to sloped surface
One or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir configured to generate and move droplets of a liquid in the first reservoir upwards to adhere to the sloped surface.
Sloped surface directing droplets to position over second reservoir
The sloped surface configured to direct the droplets of liquid towards a position over the second reservoir where the droplets of liquid fall into the second reservoir.
Vaporizing transducers in second reservoir to create vapor
One or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir configured to create a vapor of the liquid in the second reservoir.
Method of generating and moving droplets upward then vaporizing
A method comprising generating and moving droplets of a liquid upwards from a first reservoir to a sloped surface on a top cover using one or more pumping transducers positioned in the first reservoir, directing droplets downward along the sloped surface to a position over a second reservoir, dropping droplets downward from the position over the second reservoir into the second reservoir, and generating a vapor of the liquid in the second reservoir using one or more vaporizing transducers positioned in the second reservoir.
Across the independent claims, the core coverage is a multistage conversion architecture: pumping transducers move droplets upward to a sloped top cover, the sloped surface directs those droplets into a second reservoir, and vaporizing transducers in the second reservoir generate the vapor. The independent method claim mirrors this sequence as a method for generating and moving droplets and then generating vapor in the second reservoir.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
A medical treatment system including an airway that directs vapor into a disposable treatment chamber configured for treating a portion of a body of a patient, including a foot/lower leg such as diabetic foot ulcer treatment.
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