Medical ventilator air path
Additive manufacturing of interconnected ducts in medical ventilators addresses sealing issues in gas paths by creating a seamless polymer structure, enhancing assembly efficiency and fluid integrity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2024005300
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-24
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing medical ventilator gas paths face sealing challenges due to the assembly of separate conduit elements, leading to complex and time-consuming assembly processes.
A gas path is manufactured using additive manufacturing to create a set of interconnected ducts or sections of interconnected ducts or sections of ducts, made from polymer materials, which can be a single piece or assembled subunits, using methods like MJF, SLS, or photopolymerization, ensuring fluid communication and simplified assembly.
The solution provides a seamless and efficient gas path assembly, reducing assembly time and complexity while maintaining fluid integrity.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Medical ventilator air path
[0001] The invention relates to an additive manufacturing method for the gas path, typically an air path, for a medical ventilator.
[0002] Medical assisted ventilation devices or appliances, also called medical ventilators, may include an internal chassis forming a support structure for all or part of the elements composing the medical ventilator, in particular a turbine supplying the gas, one or more electronic boards, the air path, the external casing of the ventilator, and sometimes a support arm carrying a display screen... An example is given by EP4043776.
[0003] A gas path, e.g. of air, is generally formed of conduit elements, i.e. conduits or sections of conduits, of more or less complex shapes, assembled together.
[0004] However, these assemblies of separate elements pose sealing problems since fluid sealing must be ensured at each connection, which is not easy. The assembly itself can therefore be long and tedious, especially when the number of elements or parts to be assembled is large.
[0005] The problem is therefore to propose a gas path, e.g. of air, formed of a set of passages or ducts / sections of gas of simpler design, i.e. not posing the aforementioned problems.
[0006] The invention then relates to a method of manufacturing a gas path, preferably of air, for a medical ventilator comprising a set of ducts or sections of gas ducts in fluidic communication with each other, characterized in that at least a part of said set of ducts or sections of gas ducts is made by implementing an additive manufacturing process.
[0007] Depending on the embodiment considered, the process of the invention may comprise one or more of the following features: - the additive manufacturing process uses a wire or a powder. - the yarn or powder includes a polymer. - the set of gas conduits or sections of gas conduits constitutes a three-dimensional structure comprising one or more passages for gas, preferably rigid. - the three-dimensional structure forming the set of gas conduits or sections of conduits is entirely made of polymer, i.e. plastic. - the three-dimensional structure is convoluted. - the three-dimensional structure is formed from a single piece. - Alternatively, the three-dimensional structure is formed of several subunits or sub-parts assembled together. - the gas conduits or sections of conduits have similar or different shapes, including cylindrical, parallelepiped or other. - gas conduits or sections of conduits may include one or more fittings or connectors used for connecting flexible hoses. - gas conduits or sections of conduits may include one or more pressure tapping ports or similar.
[0008] The invention also relates to a medical ventilator comprising an air path according to the invention.
[0009] According to the embodiment considered, the medical ventilator of the invention may include one or more of the following features: - it includes an internal chassis. - the three-dimensional structure forming the set of gas conduits or sections of gas conduit in the gas path is arranged on the internal frame - it includes a gas-delivering turbine arranged on the chassis. - it includes control means, for example an electronic board microprocessor. - it includes a rechargeable battery, preferably arranged on the chassis. - the chassis includes a support arm surmounting the three-dimensional structure. - the support arm carries a display screen. - It includes an internal battery arranged on the chassis.
[0010] The invention will now be better understood with reference to the following detailed description, given by way of illustration but not limitation, with reference to the attached figure:
[0011] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates an embodiment of an air path for a medical ventilator obtained by an additive manufacturing process according to the invention.
[0012] [Fig.1] schematically illustrates an embodiment of an air path 1 for a medical ventilator (not shown) obtained by an additive manufacturing process according to the invention.
[0013] We see that the three-dimensional structure 2 forming this air path 1 is tortuous. It is formed of a set of conduits 3 or sections of conduits 3 of gas in fluidic communication with each other and ensuring the path of the gas flows.
[0014] The three-dimensional structure 2 is here made of polymer, i.e., plastic material. It can be formed from a single piece or from several assembled subunits or parts. Here, it is formed from two subunits 2a, 2b connected to each other in a sealed manner.
[0015] The various conduits or conduit sections 3 may have identical or different shapes. Thus, as can be seen in [Fig. 1], some are cylindrical, others parallelepiped-shaped, and still others have more complex shapes, notably forming connectors or fittings 4 used for connecting flexible hoses, for example.
[0016] In addition, some conduits or conduit sections 3 may also include ports 5 or similar for pressure tapping or allowing other measurements.
[0017] Such an air path 1 is obtained by implementing an additive manufacturing (AM) process from polymer powder or wire.
[0018] More specifically, an AM process can be used that is based on: - either MJF (multi-jet fusion or multi-jet fusion) and / or SLS (selective laser sintering or powder bed fusion) type powder with polyamide type plastic material (PA12 or PAU), - either the photopolymerization of 'DLP' type resin (digital light processing or digital light process) with materials of the type of photosensitive resins based on acrylates, polyacrylates or others. - either on hot wire extrusion or FDM (fused deposition modeling) with materials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate (PC).
Claims
Demands
1. A method for manufacturing a gas path, preferably air, for a medical ventilator comprising a set of gas ducts or sections of ducts in fluidic communication with each other, characterized in that at least a part of said set of ducts or sections of gas ducts is made by implementing an additive manufacturing process.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the additive manufacturing method uses a wire or a powder.
3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the yarn or powder comprises a polymer.
4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the set of gas conduits or sections of conduits constitutes a three-dimensional structure comprising one or more passages for the gas.