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Publication Number
US-12377238-B1
Publication Date
2025-08-05
Expiration Date
Abstract
A ventilator (10), including: a housing (12); a reservoir (62) within the housing, wherein the reservoir has an internal chamber, an air inlet port (55), configured to place in fluid communication the internal chamber with atmospheric air outside the reservoir (62), and an oxygen inlet port (68), configured to place in fluid communication the internal chamber with a source of oxygen; and a primary blower (64) having an air inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the reservoir (62), and an air outlet configured to be placed in fluid communication with an inspiration tube (26) external of the ventilator housing, wherein the internal chamber of the reservoir (62) presents a volume for gas mixing extending at least between the air inlet port, the oxygen inlet port and the primary blower air inlet, said volume being configured for allowing mixing of air entering in the reservoir via the air inlet port (55) with oxygen entering in the reservoir via the oxygen inlet port (68) before any gas reaches the primary blower air inlet.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an automated portable ventilator with a housing that contains a reservoir having an internal chamber for gas mixing. The reservoir includes an air inlet port configured to place the internal chamber in fluid communication with atmospheric air outside the reservoir, and an oxygen inlet port configured to place the internal chamber in fluid communication with a source of oxygen. An oxygen switch valve regulates a flow of oxygen from the source of oxygen to the oxygen inlet port.
The internal chamber presents a volume for gas mixing extending at least between the air inlet port, the oxygen inlet port, and the primary blower gas inlet. The volume is configured to allow mixing of air entering the reservoir via the air inlet port with oxygen entering the reservoir via the oxygen inlet port before any gas reaches the primary blower gas inlet. In related configurations, the reservoir internal chamber volume is constrained to extend at least between the specified inlet ports and the primary blower inlet, including configurations where the oxygen inlet portion geometry can have a cross-sectional area substantially smaller than a cross-sectional area of a flow passage at the air inlet port to the reservoir.
The ventilator also includes components to manage inspiration and exhalation and to support safety and control. An exhalation port is configured for fluid communication with an exhalation tube receiving exhaled air, and an exhalation valve opens or obstructs flow through the exhalation port or through an exhalation conduit depending on whether the ventilator is in an inspiration phase or an exhalation phase. The exhalation valve structure includes an exhalation flow passage with an opening in a sidewall, and a selecting element selectively moves between a closed position and an open position to close or leave the opening open, thereby controlling air passage. In addition, a pressure relief line and pressure relief valve are provided downstream of the primary blower, with the pressure relief valve configured to open when a pressure difference across the pressure relief valve exceeds a threshold pressure value and close when the pressure difference is lower than the threshold pressure value.
Claims Coverage
The partial record includes five independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00008, clm-00014, clm-00026, and clm-00036) plus a further independent claim (clm-00045) focused on pressure relief. Collectively, they define a ventilator architecture centered on reservoir-based mixing of atmospheric air and oxygen upstream of a primary blower, with variations that add oxygen-flow regulation, exhaust/exhalation flow control, and pressure relief.
Reservoir mixing of atmospheric air and oxygen upstream of primary blower
A ventilator comprising a housing; a reservoir within the housing with an internal chamber including an air inlet port configured to place the internal chamber in fluid communication with atmospheric air outside the reservoir, and an oxygen inlet port configured to place the internal chamber in fluid communication with a source of oxygen; and a primary blower having a gas inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber of the reservoir and a gas outlet configured to be placed in fluid communication with an inspiration tube external of the housing, wherein the internal chamber presents a volume for gas mixing extending at least between the air inlet port, the oxygen inlet port, and the primary blower gas inlet, and wherein the volume is configured to allow mixing of air entering the reservoir via the air inlet port with oxygen entering the reservoir via the oxygen inlet port before any gas reaches the primary blower gas inlet.
Oxygen switch valve regulating oxygen flow to oxygen inlet port
A ventilator further comprising an oxygen switch valve configured to regulate a flow of oxygen from the source of oxygen to the oxygen inlet port.
Primary blower located in reservoir with mixing volume not occupied by blower
The primary blower is located in the reservoir and the gas mixing volume of the internal chamber of the reservoir comprises a volume of the internal chamber not occupied by the primary blower.
Oxygen inlet flow passage having substantially smaller cross-sectional area than air inlet flow passage
At least one of the oxygen inlet port, the conduit, and the oxygen inlet has a flow passage with a cross-sectional area that is substantially smaller than a cross-sectional area of a flow passage at the air inlet port to the reservoir.
Exhalation valve opening/obstructing exhalation based on inspiration vs exhalation phase
An exhalation port configured for fluid communication with an exhalation tube receiving exhaled air, and an exhalation valve that opens or obstructs flow through the exhalation port or through an exhalation conduit connected to the exhalation port depending on whether the ventilator is in an inspiration phase when the exhalation valve is closed or in an exhalation phase when the exhalation valve is open.
Exhalation flow passage with sidewall opening selectively closed or left open by selecting element
The exhalation valve comprises an exhalation flow passage that has an inlet coupled to and in fluid communication with the exhalation conduit or with the exhalation port to receive exhalation air, an outlet to discharge exhalation air, and an opening in a sidewall of the exhalation flow passage allowing fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet, and a selecting element comprising a surface selectively movable between a closed position where the selecting element closes the opening and prevents passage of air through the exhalation flow passage and an open position where the selecting element leaves said opening in the sidewall open and allows passage of air through the exhalation flow passage.
Pressure relief line and pressure relief valve opening/closing based on threshold pressure difference
A pressure relief line including an inlet connected to the inspiration conduit and located downstream of the primary blower and an outlet in communication with atmospheric air, and a pressure relief valve within the pressure relief line configured to open to allow gas to flow through the pressure relief line if a pressure difference across the pressure relief valve exceeds a threshold pressure value and configured to close the pressure relief line if the pressure difference across the pressure relief valve is lower than the threshold pressure value.
Across the independent claims, coverage is grounded in reservoir-based upstream mixing of atmospheric air and oxygen before a primary blower, with an oxygen switch valve regulating oxygen flow. Additional claim scope covers structural/flow-path constraints for the oxygen inlet path, phase-dependent exhalation valve operation with a selectively controlled exhalation flow passage, and pressure relief opening/closing based on a threshold pressure difference.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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