Systems and methods for ventilation humidification

Inventors

Novkov, Donald J.

Assignees

Covidien LP

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for humidifying ventilator delivered breathing gases. These systems and methods utilize a hollow cone atomizer (e.g., a pressure swirl atomizer) and/or a heating element associated with a heating circuit and/or a heating tube. In some aspect, the systems and methods utilize received flow, temperature, and/or humidity information to determine an amount of water to add to breathing gases to reach a desired humidity of the breathing gases delivered to the patient. In further aspects, the humidification system can serve as a nebulization system for delivering nebulized medicine.

Core Innovation

The disclosed invention relates to humidifying ventilator delivered breathing gases by controlling humidification based on inspiratory flow information upstream of an atomizer and humidity information for the breathing gases upstream of the atomizer. The humidifier calculates, based on the inspiratory flow information and the humidity information, an amount of liquid to add to the breathing gases to reach a desired humidity, and delivers the amount of liquid in bursts of atomized liquid directly into a flow path of the breathing gases.

A further part of the invention introduces downstream vaporization of the atomized liquid. The humidifier vaporizes an atomized liquid by heating it using a heating tube or a heating element commanded to heat a thermally conductive material in the flow path downstream of the atomizer, including configurations where a heating circuit made of thermally conductive material is positioned downstream of the humidifier and the heating tube is located downstream of the atomizer.

The invention is also characterized by sensors and control to regulate the humidification delivered to ventilated patients. The humidifier includes a first sensor monitoring an inspiratory flow upstream of the atomizer and a second sensor monitoring humidity information upstream of the atomizer, with a processor calculating the amount of water to add to reach a desired humidity and a controller commanding the atomizer to deliver the amount of liquid in bursts of atomized liquid directly into the flow path.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes three independent claims. Across these claims, inventive features are centered on upstream inspiratory flow and upstream humidity sensing, calculation of an amount of water to reach a desired humidity, burst delivery of atomized liquid directly into a breathing-gas flow path, and downstream heating for vaporization using a thermally conductive material.

The independent claims collectively cover using upstream inspiratory flow information and upstream humidity information to calculate a liquid amount for a desired humidity, delivering that liquid as bursts of atomized liquid directly into the breathing-gas flow path, and humidifier embodiments that further include a downstream heating element to heat thermally conductive material to vaporize the atomized liquid.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications