Systems and methods for generating concentrated oxygen - Patents.com

Abstract

The present technology is directed to systems and methods for generating concentrated oxygen for therapeutic purposes. For example, in some embodiments, the systems described herein include an oxygen assembly that can provide pulses of oxygen and / or a continuous flow of oxygen to a patient. The oxygen assembly can include one or more media or adsorption beds configured to generate concentrated oxygen from ambient air, such as by removing nitrogen from ambient air flowing through the media bed. One or more media beds can be removed from the system to facilitate replacement of the media bed by a user. The oxygen assemblies and media beds described herein can also include various additional features that are expected to improve the oxygen generation process and / or operation of the oxygen generation system.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 266,403, filed January 4, 2022, and entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING CONCENTRATED OXYGEN," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present technology is directed generally to systems and methods for generating concentrated oxygen for therapeutic use. [Background technology]

[0003] Concentrated oxygen is used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions in a wide variety of patients. For example, some patients may require oxygen therapy while at home, some patients may require oxygen therapy while ambulatory, etc. These and other patients often use portable oxygen concentrators. Such oxygen concentrators are convenient because they can generate concentrated oxygen from ambient air and therefore do not need to be connected to an external (e.g., high pressure) oxygen source. However, conventional oxygen concentrators may exhibit limited life spans, high power requirements, and other inefficiencies. Thus, a need exists for improved systems for generating concentrated oxygen. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Detailed Description The present technology is directed to systems and methods for generating concentrated oxygen for therapeutic purposes. For example, in some embodiments, the systems described herein include an oxygen assembly that can provide pulses of oxygen and / or a continuous flow of oxygen to a patient. The oxygen assembly can include one or more media or adsorption beds configured to generate concentrated oxygen from ambient air, such as by removing nitrogen from ambient air flowing through the media bed. As described in more detail herein, in some embodiments, the one or more media beds can be removed from the system to facilitate replacement of the media bed by a user. The oxygen assemblies and media beds described herein can also include various additional features that are expected to improve the oxygen generation process and / or operation of the oxygen generation system. For example, the systems described herein can exhibit one or more of increased efficiency, increased oxygen output, more consistent oxygen output, increased life span, reduced power requirements, or other advantages. Thus, further aspects and advantages of the present devices, methods, and uses will become apparent from the ensuing description, given by way of example only.

[0005] As one skilled in the art will appreciate from the following description, the oxygen generation systems described herein include both stand-alone oxygen concentrators and ventilator systems with integrated oxygen production. Thus, in some embodiments, the various features described below can be implemented to improve the performance of a conventional oxygen concentrator. In other embodiments, the various features described herein can be integrated into a ventilator system configured to provide both ventilator therapy and oxygen therapy. For example, the systems described herein may include a ventilator assembly in addition to the oxygen assembly. The ventilator assembly can provide inhaled gas to support the patient's breathing in addition to or instead of oxygen therapy. Thus, the present technology includes both stand-alone oxygen concentrators and ventilator systems including integrated oxygen concentrators.

[0006] The terminology used in the description presented below is intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even if it is used in conjunction with the detailed description of a specific embodiment of the present technology. Certain terms may even be emphasized below, however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any limited manner will be so clearly and specifically defined in this detailed description section. In addition, the present technology can include other embodiments that are within the scope of the examples but are not described in detail with respect to Figures 1-9.

[0007] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0008] References throughout this specification to relative terms such as, for example, "generally," "approximately," and "about" are used herein to mean ±10% of the stated value. The term "substantially" or grammatical variations thereof refers to at least about 50%, e.g., 75%, 85%, 95%, or 98%.

[0009] The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the claimed technology. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present technology.

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a ventilator and patient circuit, each of which is configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0012] [Figure 2A] 2A-2D are a series of perspective views illustrating another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 2B] 2A-2D are a series of perspective views illustrating another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 2C] 2A-2D are a series of perspective views illustrating another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 2D] 2A-2D are a series of perspective views illustrating another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0013] [Figure 3A] 3A and 3B are perspective views of another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 3B] 3A and 3B are perspective views of another ventilator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0014] [Figure 3C] FIG. 3C is a front perspective view of the sorption bed assembly of the ventilator of FIGS. 3A and 3B, removed from the ventilator.

[0015] [Figure 3D] FIG. 3D is another front perspective view of the adsorption bed assembly of FIG. 3C in which selected sides of the adsorption bed assembly are omitted to better show additional features of the adsorption bed assembly.

[0016] [Figure 3E] FIG. 3E is a rear perspective view of the adsorption bed assembly of FIG. 3C.

[0017] [Figure 3F] FIG. 3F is yet another front perspective view of the adsorption bed assembly of FIG. 3C in which selected sides of the adsorption bed assembly are omitted to better show additional features of the adsorption bed assembly.

[0018] [Figure 3G] 3G and 3H are perspective views of another adsorption bed assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 3H] 3G and 3H are perspective views of another adsorption bed assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0019] [Figure 3I] 3I and 3J are perspective views of another adsorption bed assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 3J] 3I and 3J are perspective views of another adsorption bed assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0020] [Figure 4A] 4A and 4B are schematic illustrations of an oxygen assembly including an adsorption bed and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 4B] 4A and 4B are schematic illustrations of an oxygen assembly including an adsorption bed and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0021] [Figure 5A] 5A-5D are a series of partially schematic diagrams illustrating an adsorption bed including a spiral insert and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 5B]5A-5D are a series of partially schematic diagrams illustrating an adsorption bed including a spiral insert and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 5C] 5A-5D are a series of partially schematic diagrams illustrating an adsorption bed including a spiral insert and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 5D] 5A-5D are a series of partially schematic diagrams illustrating an adsorption bed including a spiral insert and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0022] [Figure 6A] 6A-6C are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of an adsorption bed configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology during an oxygen generation process. [Figure 6B] 6A-6C are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of an adsorption bed configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology during an oxygen generation process. [Figure 6C] 6A-6C are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of an adsorption bed configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology during an oxygen generation process.

[0023] [Figure 7A] 7A and 7B are schematic illustrations of an oxygen assembly having a variable flow path and including an adsorption bed, constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 7B] 7A and 7B are schematic illustrations of an oxygen assembly having a variable flow path and including an adsorption bed, constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0024] [Figure 8A] 8A-8D illustrate an adsorption bed having a tapered flow path and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 8B] 8A-8D illustrate an adsorption bed having a tapered flow path and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 8C]8A-8D illustrate an adsorption bed having a tapered flow path and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 8D] 8A-8D illustrate an adsorption bed having a tapered flow path and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

[0025] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating the volume and pressure characteristics for the tapered adsorbent bed of FIGS. 8A-8D. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] I. Selected embodiments of a ventilator system with integrated oxygen production FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 10 including a ventilator 100 and a patient circuit 20 for delivering artificial respiratory therapy and / or oxygen therapy to a patient 30, configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The ventilator 100 may be configured to be portable and powered by an internal battery (not shown) and / or an external power source (not shown), such as a conventional wall outlet. The ventilator 100 may include a ventilator assembly 102 for providing artificial respiratory gas (e.g., "air 12") to the patient 30. The air 12 is received by the ventilator 100 via a patient air intake 104, which is coupled to the ventilator assembly 102. Although identified as being "air," those skilled in the art will understand that the air 12 may include ambient air or pressurized air obtained from any source external to the ventilator 100. The ventilator assembly 102 may provide the air 12 to a primary ventilator connection 106 during the inhalation and / or exhalation phases of breathing. In some embodiments, the ventilator 100 may receive exhaled gases during the exhalation phase of breathing. The ventilator 100 may therefore have an outlet port 107 coupled to the ventilation assembly 102 for ventilating the patient exhaled gases or exhaled gases 14 to the environment external to the ventilator 100. In some embodiments, some or all of the patient exhaled gases or exhaled gases 14 may be vented at another suitable location in the system 10 rather than being routed back to the ventilator 100, such as via an exhaust valve (not shown) located at the patient connection 40 or along the patient circuit 20, both of which are described in detail below.

[0027] The ventilator 100 may also include an oxygen assembly 110 (which may also be referred to herein as an "oxygen generation assembly" or "oxygen generation module") for providing concentrated oxygen 18 to the patient 30. The oxygen assembly 110 may include an adsorption bed 120 (which may also be referred to as an "adsorber," "media bed," "sieve bed," or the like) containing a nitrogen adsorbent material (e.g., zeolite). The adsorption bed 120 may thus preferentially adsorb nitrogen from air 12 received by the oxygen assembly 110 via a patient air intake 104 (although shown as receiving air via the same patient air intake 104 as the ventilator assembly 102, in other embodiments the oxygen assembly 110 may be coupled to a separate air intake). The nitrogen adsorbent material may be regenerated during a desorption phase in which oxygen 18 or another gas flows through the adsorption bed 120 to purge the adsorbed nitrogen from the nitrogen adsorbent material in the form of a nitrogen-rich gas 16, described below. Also, as described in more detail below, the sorption bed 120 may be releasably received by the ventilator 100 (e.g., the oxygen assembly 110 of the ventilator 100) such that the sorption bed 120 may be removed and replaced (e.g., by the patient 30 and / or another user). Also, although described as a single sorption bed 120, the oxygen assembly 110 may include one or more sorption beds 120, such as two, three, four, etc.

[0028] The oxygen assembly 110 can thus generate concentrated oxygen 18 within the ventilator 100 by flowing air 12 through the adsorption bed 120. As used herein, the term "concentrated oxygen" refers to a gas containing 80% to 96% pure oxygen (O2). The oxygen assembly 110 can operate using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, a vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process, or via another suitable technique. The oxygen assembly 110 can optionally include an oxygen chamber 121 for at least temporarily holding the concentrated oxygen 18 generated by the adsorption bed 120. In some embodiments, the oxygen assembly 110 can further include a valve 122 (e.g., a regulator) positioned between the adsorption bed 120 and the oxygen chamber 121 to control the flow of oxygen 18 therebetween. For example, during an adsorption phase in which enriched oxygen 18 is produced by flowing air 12 through the adsorption bed 120, the valve 122 can allow oxygen 18 to flow out of the adsorption bed 120 and into the oxygen chamber 121 only after a sufficient pressure has been reached within the adsorption bed 120, thereby ensuring that the oxygen 18 has reached a sufficient purity. Similarly, during a desorption phase in which nitrogen is desorbed and purged from the adsorption bed 120 by flowing enriched oxygen 18 or another gas through the adsorption bed 120, the valve 122 can allow oxygen 18 to flow therethrough from the oxygen chamber 121 back into the adsorption bed 120, purging the nitrogen from the adsorption bed 120. In some embodiments, the oxygen assembly 110 can also include certain additional features to further control the operation of the adsorption bed 120, such as additional valves, flow conduits, or the like, including those described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,046,134, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. The ventilator 100 may output exhaust gas (e.g., nitrogen-rich gas 16 produced during the desorption phase by flowing oxygen 18 through the adsorption bed 120) from the oxygen assembly 110 to the environment external to the ventilator 100 via an outlet vent 112 coupled to the oxygen assembly 110.

[0029] The ventilator 100 can be coupled to a patient 30 via a patient circuit 20 and a patient connection 40. The patient circuit 20 can include a ventilation gas delivery circuit 22 and an oxygen delivery circuit 24. The ventilation gas delivery circuit 22 is configured to be fluidly coupled to a main ventilator connection 106 and can include a conduit or lumen (e.g., tubing) for transporting gas (e.g., air 12 during an inspiration phase and patient exhaled gas 14 during an expiration phase) to and / or from the patient 30. The oxygen delivery circuit 24 is configured to be fluidly coupled to an oxygen outlet port 108 and can also include a conduit or lumen (e.g., tubing) for transporting concentrated oxygen 18 to and / or from the patient 30. In some embodiments, the ventilation gas delivery circuit 22 and the oxygen delivery circuit 24 are fluidly isolated along the entirety or a substantial portion of their respective lengths such that the concentrated oxygen 18 from the oxygen assembly 110 and the air 12 from the ventilation assembly 102 do not mix until at or near the patient connection 40. Thus, the ventilation gas delivery circuit 22 and the oxygen delivery circuit 24 can be formed by a multi-lumen tube having a coaxial arrangement, two or more separate tubes joined together, and / or two distinct circuits that are not joined together. In some embodiments, the patient circuit 20 can be a passive or active patient circuit such as those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,518,059 and 10,105,509, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes. The patient circuit 20 can also be connected to a breath sensing port 114, described below. The patient connection 40 may be any suitable interface that is coupled to the patient circuit 20 for delivering air 12 and concentrated oxygen 18 to the patient 30, such as a full rebreather mask, a partial rebreather mask, a nasal mask, a mouthpiece, a nosepiece (e.g., a cannula), a tracheal tube, or the like. In some embodiments, the system 10 may optionally include one or more bacterial filters positioned in-line between the ventilator 100 and the patient 30, such as in the patient circuit 20 or in another suitable location.

[0030] The breath sensing port 114 can include one or more transducers or sensors 115 for measuring one or more parameters (e.g., flow, pressure, volume, etc.) of the patient's breath and / or within the system 10. For example, the breath sensing port 114 can be coupled to a portion of the patient circuit 20 configured to transmit a patient signal (e.g., a pressure signal) to the one or more sensors 115. The one or more sensors 115 can measure the transmitted patient signal, which can be used to trigger the delivery of a pulse of respiratory gas through the primary ventilator connection 106 and / or concentrated oxygen 18 through the oxygen outlet port 108 (e.g., to synchronize the delivery of respiratory gas and / or oxygen to the patient's inspiratory effort). In some embodiments, the breath sensing port 114 can be a multi-lumen tubing connection, such as the multi-lumen tubing connections described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,245,406 and 10,315,002, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and for all purposes.

[0031] In some embodiments, the ventilator 100 can deliver oxygen to the patient 30 independently of and / or in combination with artificial ventilation therapy, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022 / 0193354, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. For example, the system 10 can operate in an oxygen mode, in which it provides pulses of supplemental enriched oxygen 18 to the patient 30, a ventilation mode, in which it provides inspiration gas (e.g., air 12) to the patient 30, and / or a combination mode, in which it provides both inspiration gas (e.g., air 12) and pulses of enriched oxygen 18 to the patient 30. Thus, the ventilator 100 can provide supplemental oxygen to the patient 30, can provide mechanical ventilation to the patient 30, and / or can provide mechanical ventilation in combination with enriched oxygen 18 to the patient 30.

[0032] The ventilator 100 may include a control module 116 for controlling operation of the ventilator 100. For example, the control module 116 may generate one or more signals to control operation of the ventilation assembly 102 and / or the oxygen assembly 110. For example, the control module 116 may transition the ventilator 100 between a ventilation mode, an oxygen mode, and / or a combination mode. This may be done automatically or in response to a user input. The control module 116 may also synchronize operation of the ventilator 100 with the patient's breathing. For example, in some embodiments, the control module 116 receives one or more measured parameters from a sensor 115 at the breath sensing port 114. The ventilator 100 may thus be configured to provide volume-controlled ventilation, pressure-controlled ventilation, and / or flow-controlled ventilation. For example, the control module 116 may analyze the measured parameters received from the breath sensing port 114 and, based on the analysis, trigger the delivery of a breath via the patient circuit 20 and / or trigger the delivery of a pulse of concentrated oxygen 18 via the oxygen delivery circuit 24. The control module 116 may also be configured to control the operation of the ventilator 100 without requiring a trigger signal (e.g., for a patient not exhibiting detectable spontaneous breathing). In such an embodiment, the control module 116 may operate the ventilator 100 according to preset timing or other suitable techniques. The control module 116 may also receive feedback signals from the ventilation assembly 102 and / or the oxygen assembly 110 to monitor and / or control various aspects of the ventilator 100.

[0033] The ventilator 100 may further include a user interface 118. The user interface 118 is configured to receive input from a user (e.g., the patient 30 or a caregiver, clinician, or equivalent associated with the patient 30) and provide the input to the control module 116. The input received via the user interface 118 may include ventilator settings, parameters of operation, modes of operation, and the like. In certain examples, a user may use the user interface 118 to select between a ventilation mode, an oxygen mode, and / or a combination mode. The user interface 118 may further be configured to display information to the user and / or patient, including ventilator settings, parameters of operation, modes of operation, status of the suction beds 120, an estimated remaining life of the suction beds 120, alerts to replace the suction beds 120, and the like. The user interface 118 may be any suitable user interface known in the art, such as a touch screen with a digital display.

[0034] Ventilator 100 may optionally include additional functionality beyond artificial ventilation and oxygen delivery as described herein. For example, ventilator 100 may optionally include a nebulizer connection for coupling to a nebulizer assembly, a suction connection for coupling to a suction assembly, and / or a cough assist module for providing cough assistance to a patient, as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,956,371, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0035] As described above, the ventilators described herein can include a removable and replaceable sorbent bed for producing concentrated oxygen from ambient air. For example, Figures 2A-2C are a series of perspective views illustrating a ventilator 200 having a removable sorbent bed 220 and configured in accordance with selected embodiments of the present technology. With reference to Figure 2A, the ventilator 200 can have a housing 230, a primary ventilator connection 206 (which can be the same as or similar to the primary ventilator connection 106 described with reference to Figure 1), an oxygen outlet port 208 (which can be the same as or similar to the oxygen outlet port 108 described with reference to Figure 1), and a breath sensing port 214 (which can be the same as or similar to the breath sensing port 114 described with reference to Figure 1).

[0036] The housing 230 can include an access door or panel 232 that can be selectively moved between a closed position shown in FIG. 2A and an open position shown in FIG. 2B. The access door 232 can be coupled to the housing 230 via any suitable arrangement that allows the access door 232 to be repeatedly moved between the open and closed positions. For example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the access door 232 can be coupled to the housing 230 via a coupling member 234 (e.g., a tether) that keeps the access door 232 coupled to the housing when in the open position. In other embodiments, the access door 232 can be coupled to the housing 230 via a hinge that can be optionally biased to keep the access door 232 in the closed position. In some embodiments, the access door 232 can be releasably secured to the housing 230 in the closed position via a friction fit, a snap fit, a magnetic connection, or other suitable connection known in the art.

[0037] The access door 232 can be configured to provide access to at least a portion of the oxygen assembly 210, which is positioned within the interior of the ventilator 200 and configured to generate concentrated oxygen. In particular, the access door 232 can be aligned with the sorbent bed 220 of the oxygen assembly 210. When the access door 232 is in an open position, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2B and 2C, a user (not shown) can partially or completely remove the sorbent bed 220 from the oxygen assembly 210, for example, by moving the sorbent bed 220 in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG. 2C. In some embodiments, the sorbent bed 220 can be removed from the ventilator 200 without the use of any tools (e.g., a user can simply use their hands to completely remove the sorbent bed 220). In other embodiments, one or more readily available tools (e.g., an Allen wrench, a Phillips head screwdriver, etc.) may be required for a user to remove the sorbent bed 220 from the ventilator 200, such as for the embodiments described below with reference to FIGS. 3I and 3J. Once the user has removed the suction bed 220 from the ventilator 200, the user can insert a new suction bed (not shown) into the ventilator 200 by sliding the new suction bed into the same slot previously occupied by the suction bed 220. In some embodiments, the new suction bed can be disposed in the ventilator 200 without the use of any tools (e.g., the user can simply use their hands to completely dispose the new suction bed). In other embodiments, one or more readily available tools (e.g., an Allen wrench, a Phillips head screwdriver, etc.) may be required for the user to dispose the new suction bed in the ventilator 200. The user can then move the access door 232 to the closed position (FIG. 2A) to retain the new suction bed in the housing 230.As shown in most detail in FIG. 2A, in some embodiments, the access door 232 may further include one or more vents or exhaust openings 212 (which may be the same as or similar to the exit vent 112 described with respect to FIG. 1) so that the oxygen assembly 210 may purge by-product gases (e.g., nitrogen-rich gas) to the environment external to the ventilator 200.

[0038] 2D is an individual cross-sectional view of an sorbent bed 220 positioned within a ventilator 200. As shown in FIG. 2D, the sorbent bed 220 can include a seal assembly 222 having an annular fluid channel 224 ("annular channel 224") that extends at least partially or completely around the circumference (e.g., circumference) of the seal assembly 222. In some embodiments, the annular channel 224 is formed partially or completely between a first annular ridge or seal element 228a (e.g., a first O-ring, a first peripheral seal, etc.) and a second annular ridge or seal element 228b (e.g., a second O-ring, a second peripheral seal, etc.) (collectively referred to as seal elements 228), both of which also extend at least partially or completely around the circumference (e.g., circumference) of the seal assembly 222. The sealing element 228 can be configured to form a substantially airtight seal with an interior portion or surface of the ventilator 200 configured to receive the sorbent bed 220 such that when the sorbent bed 220 is inserted into the ventilator 200, the annular channel 224 forms a toroidal chamber that extends around the exterior circumference of the sorbent bed 220. In some embodiments, the annular channel 224 and the sealing element 228 are generally circular, while in other embodiments, the annular channel 224 and the sealing element 228 can be triangular, square, or any other suitable shape that generally corresponds to the shape formed by the interior surface of the ventilator 200 configured to receive the sorbent bed 220. Additionally, the annular channel 224 and the sealing element 228 can be shaped to correspond to the cross-sectional shape of the sorbent bed 220.

[0039] The annular channel 224 can be in fluid communication with the interior 221 of the sorbent bed 220 via one or more flow passages 226 that extend, at least in part, through the seal assembly 222. Although only one flow passage 226 is shown in FIG. 2D, in other embodiments, the seal assembly 222 can include two, three, four, five, or any other suitable number of flow passages 226. When inserted into the ventilator 200, the annular channel 224 can also be in fluid communication with one or more ports (not shown) in the interior surface of the ventilator 200 that receives the sorbent bed. The ports can be fluidly coupled to an oxygen chamber (e.g., the oxygen chamber 121 shown in FIG. 1) or an oxygen outlet port (e.g., the oxygen outlet port 108 shown in FIG. 1). Thus, oxygen generated within the interior 221 of the adsorption bed 220 can flow through the flow path 226 into the annular channel 224 and from the annular channel 224 into downstream portions of the oxygen assembly 210 and / or ventilator 200 for delivery to the patient.

[0040] Adsorbent beds that include annular channels, such as annular channel 224, are expected to offer several advantages. For example, sorbent bed 220 may be easier to properly position within ventilator 200. Many conventional sorbent beds must be inserted into an associated oxygen assembly in a specific orientation (e.g., with the sorbent bed in a specific radial orientation relative to the ventilator) and / or with a tapered portion of the sorbent bed positioned to be received by a correspondingly tapered portion of an associated oxygen concentrator, for example, to ensure proper alignment between the airflow ports of the oxygen assembly and the sorbent bed. In contrast, the annular channel 224 of the sorbent bed 220 can extend around the entire circumference of the seal assembly 222 such that the sorbent bed 220 can be inserted into the ventilator 200 in any radial orientation while still forming a fluid connection that allows gas to flow through the sorbent bed (e.g., the flow passage 226 will be fluidly coupled to one or more ports (not shown) in the interior surface of the ventilator 200 regardless of the radial orientation in which the sorbent bed 220 is inserted therein). In addition, because the annular channel 224 can be fluidly coupled to the interior 221 of the sorbent bed 220 via one or more fluid pathways 226, one or more dimensions (e.g., length, width, cross-sectional area, etc.) of individual ones of the fluid pathways 226 can be reduced, which in turn can increase the pressure integrity of the sorbent bed 220 compared to other conventional sorbent beds.

[0041] 3A and 3B illustrate another ventilator 300 having a removable sorbent bed 320 and configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The ventilator 300 may be generally similar to the ventilator 100 (FIG. 1) and / or the ventilator 200 (FIGS. 2A-2C). However, unlike the ventilator 200, which has an access door 232 that forms part of the ventilator housing 230, the ventilator 300 includes an sorbent bed 320 (FIG. 3B) having an integral panel 332 that forms part of the housing 330 of the ventilator 300 (the sorbent bed 320 and the integral panel 332 collectively form an "sorbent bed assembly 322" or simply an "oxygen assembly 322"). As shown in FIG. 3A, the integral panel 332 is aligned with the exterior surface of the housing 330. The integrated panel 332 can include an attachment or latching mechanism 310 operable to releasably couple the integrated panel 332 (and thus the sorbent bed 320) to the housing 330. As described in more detail with respect to FIG. 3D, the attachment mechanism 310 can be actuated by a user to uncouple the integrated panel 332 from the housing 330 such that the sorbent bed assembly 322 may be removed from the ventilator 300 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 3B). Without being bound by theory, it is expected that integrating the panel 332 with the sorbent bed 320 will reduce the volume within the ventilator 300 that the panel 332 occupies, which in turn allows a larger sorbent bed 320 to be utilized. This is expected to be advantageous because, as one skilled in the art will recognize, a relatively larger sorbent bed generally has a longer usable life and therefore allows a user to generate concentrated oxygen for a longer period of time before needing to replace the sorbent bed assembly 322.

[0042] 3C is a front perspective view of the sorbent bed assembly 322 removed from the ventilator 300. As shown, the sorbent bed assembly 322 can have a first end portion 322a and a second end portion 322b opposite the first end portion 322a. The second end portion 322b can include all or a portion of the integration panel 332.

[0043] 3D is another perspective view of the suction bed assembly 322 in which selected sides of the integral panel 332 are omitted to better show additional features of the attachment mechanism 310. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the attachment mechanism 310 includes a biasing element 311 operably coupled to the latching member 313. In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing element 311 is a compression spring configured to bias the latching member 313 in the first direction D1. In other embodiments, the biasing element 311 can include any other suitable biasing element and / or can be configured to bias the latching member 313 in any other suitable direction. The latching member 313 can include a protrusion 315 configured to be releasably received by a retaining feature (not shown) of the housing 330 of the ventilator 300 (FIGS. 3A and 3B). The latching member 313 can be slidably coupled to the suction bed assembly 322 such that it can move relative to the integration panel 332 in a first direction D1 and a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. In some embodiments, the latching member 313 can further include a switch or actuator 317 to allow a user to operate the attachment mechanism 310. In operation, the biasing element 311 can apply a force to the latching member 313 in the first direction D1, for example, to bias the latching member 313 in the first direction D1 toward the ventilator housing 330 (FIGS. 3A and 3B) such that the protrusion 315 is releasably received by a retaining feature of the housing 330. Using the biasing element 311 in this configuration, the suction bed assembly 322 can be retained within the ventilator 300. To remove the sorption bed assembly 322 from the ventilator 300, the latching member 313 can be moved in a second direction D2, for example, by a user sliding the actuator 317 in the second direction D2 to counter the force applied to the latching member 313 by the biasing element 311.As the latching member 313 moves in the second direction D2, the protrusion 315 can release / disengage from the retaining feature of the ventilator housing 330, which in turn can allow the suction bed assembly 322 to be removed from the ventilator 300, as described above with respect to Figures 3A and 3B. In some embodiments, the latching member 313 must be press-fit (e.g., in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suction bed 320) before it can slide in the second direction D2 to provide an additional level of security to reduce the risk of accidental dislodging or removal of the suction bed assembly 322. Although Figure 3D illustrates the use of the biasing element 311 and the protrusion 315, other suitable user-operable attachment mechanisms can also be used to removably secure the suction bed assembly 322 to the ventilator 300.

[0044] The sorbent bed assembly 322 is configured to be fluidly coupled to other portions of the ventilator 300 when inserted into the ventilator 300 to complete a pathway through an oxygen assembly (not shown) within the ventilator 300. For example, FIG. 3E is a rear perspective view of the sorbent bed assembly 322 illustrating airflow ports for fluidly connecting the sorbent bed assembly 322 to the ventilator 300. In some embodiments, the first end portion 322a can include a first opening or port 324 that aligns with an air intake (e.g., patient air intake 104 shown in FIG. 1) of the oxygen assembly or ventilator 300. Thus, the first port 324 can place the interior of the sorbent bed 320 in fluid communication with the air intake such that ambient air (e.g., air 12) can flow into the sorbent bed 320 via the first port 324. In addition, the second end portion 322b may include a second opening or port 326 that is also in fluid communication with the interior of the adsorption bed 320 such that the concentrated oxygen 18 may flow out of the adsorption bed 320 via the second port 326. The second port 326 may be configured to align with or otherwise be fluidly coupled to an oxygen chamber (e.g., the oxygen chamber 121 shown in FIG. 1 ) or another oxygen outlet (e.g., the oxygen outlet port 108 shown in FIG. 1 ). Thus, gas may flow through the adsorption bed 320 from the first port 324 to the second port 326 (e.g., during an adsorption phase). In other embodiments, the direction of gas flow may be reversed such that gas flows through the adsorption bed 320 from the second port 326 toward the first port 324 (e.g., during a desorption phase). In the illustrated embodiment, the first port 324 and the second port 326 are generally parallel, e.g., configured to direct the flow of gas (e.g., air 12, enriched oxygen 18, etc.) along axes that are generally parallel to one another. In other embodiments, the ports 324 and 326 can have any other suitable orientation relative to one another, such as vertical (e.g., as illustrated with respect to FIG. 2D ) or angled.

[0045] 3F is yet another front perspective view of the adsorbent bed assembly 322 in which selected sides of the integrating panel 332 and the mounting mechanism 310 are omitted to better illustrate the flow paths through the adsorbent bed assembly 322. In particular, the integrating panel 332 can include a recessed or fluid transfer area 334. The fluid transfer area 334 can be in fluid communication with the interior of the adsorbent bed 320 via one or more vents or openings 336 in the fluid transfer area 334. The fluid transfer area 334 can further include an opening 338 that is fluidly coupled to the second port 326 (FIG. 3E). Thus, in at least some embodiments, fluid (e.g., oxygen) can exit the adsorbent bed 320 via one or more of the vents 336, pass through the fluid transfer area 334, enter the opening 338, and exit the adsorbent bed assembly 322 via the second port 326 (the direction of flow is reversed during the desorption phase). This fluid transfer can occur, at least in part, within the integrated panel 332, which can increase the effective length of the sorbent bed 320. For example, reducing (e.g., minimizing) the volume of the sorbent bed 320 used for fluid transfer within the ventilator 300 can correspondingly increase the volume within the interior (not shown) of the sorbent bed 320 such that the sorbent bed 320 can carry an increased amount of nitrogen sorbent material compared to other sorbent beds. Although not shown in FIG. 3F, the second end portion 332b can include one or more plates or seal members configured to form a substantially airtight seal with the fluid transfer area 334 such that substantially all of the fluid (e.g., oxygen) generated within the sorbent bed 320 can exit the sorbent bed assembly 322 via the opening 338 and associated second port 326.

[0046] 3G and 3H are perspective views of another suction bed assembly 372 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The suction bed assembly 372 may be generally similar to the suction bed assembly 322 of FIGS. 3A-3F and may be configured for use with the ventilator 300. However, the suction bed assembly 372 includes an attachment mechanism 360 having a latching member 363 pivotally coupled to the integration panel 332. In the illustrated embodiment, the latching member 363 is generally T-shaped, although the latching member 363 may have other shapes. In operation, the latching member 363 may be pivoted from a first position (FIG. 3G) relative to the integration panel 332 to and / or toward a second position (FIG. 3H) relative to the integration panel 332 to allow the suction bed assembly 372 to be removed from the ventilator 300 (FIGS. 3A and 3B), for example, as described above. In some embodiments, transitioning the latching member 363 from the first position to the second position unlocks or releases a flange, tongue, or other retaining element (not shown) that secures the suction bed assembly 372 to the housing 330 of the ventilator 300. In some embodiments, in the second position, the latching member 363 can act as a handle, for example, to assist a user in removing the suction bed assembly 372 from the ventilator 300. In some embodiments, the latching member 363 must be rotated (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) after it is moved to the second position to unlock the flange, tongue, or other retaining element (not shown) to provide an additional level of safety to reduce the risk of accidental dislodgment or removal of the suction bed assembly 372. In the illustrated embodiment, the latching member 363 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suction bed assembly 372 in the first position and approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suction bed assembly 372 in the second position. In other embodiments, the latching member 363 can have any other suitable orientation relative to the adsorption bed assembly 372 in the first and second positions.

[0047] Figures 3I and 3J are perspective views of another suction bed assembly 382 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The suction bed assembly 382 may be generally similar to the suction bed assembly 322 of Figures 3A-3F and the suction bed assembly 372 of Figures 3G and 3H, and thus may be configured for use with a ventilator 300. However, the suction bed assembly 382 includes a locking / unlocking or attachment mechanism 381 including a wire bail 386 and a keyhole 388, and an elastomeric cover 384 for covering the attachment mechanism 381 (the cover 384 is shown removed from the attachment mechanism 381 in Figures 3I and 3J for illustrative purposes, thus providing access thereto). Both the keyhole 388 and the wire bail 386 are movable between respective locked (Figure 3I) and unlocked (Figure 3J) positions. In some embodiments, both the keyhole 388 and the wire bail 386 must be in their respective unlocked positions to remove the suction bed assembly 382 from the ventilator (e.g., ventilator 300). For example, in operation, a user can remove the suction bed assembly 382 from the ventilator / ventilator housing by removing the cover 384 to access the attachment mechanism 381. With the attachment mechanism 381 exposed, a user can insert a tool (e.g., flat head screwdriver, hex head screwdriver, etc., not shown) into the keyhole 388 and rotate it approximately 90 degrees counterclockwise to the configuration shown in FIG. 3J to at least partially unlock or disengage an internal latching mechanism (not shown) that mechanically holds the suction bed assembly 382 to the ventilator 300. To fully unlock or disengage the internal latching mechanism, the user can then flip the wire bail 386 to the configuration shown in FIG. 3J. The user can then pull the sorbent bed assembly 382 out of the ventilator housing (not shown) using the wire bail 386. Once the sorbent bed assembly 382 has been withdrawn from the ventilator housing, a replacement cartridge can be installed by performing the steps recited above in reverse.

[0048] Although the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3J is described in the context of a ventilator system that includes an integrated oxygen concentrator or oxygen assembly, one skilled in the art will understand that certain features described with respect to Figures 1-3J may be implemented in an oxygen concentrator that is not part of a ventilator system. For example, oxygen assembly 110 or components thereof (Figure 1), oxygen assembly 210 or components thereof (Figures 2A-2D), and / or sorbent bed assembly 322 or components thereof (Figures 3A-3J) may be integrated into a stand-alone oxygen concentrator that also does not provide ventilatory therapy. Thus, the present technology also includes oxygen concentrators having removable sorbent beds and oxygen assemblies that may be identical to or generally similar to the corresponding removable sorbent beds and oxygen assemblies described above.

[0049] II. Additional Features of the Oxygen Assembly with Adsorbent Bed 4A is a schematic illustration of an oxygen assembly 410 including an adsorption bed 420 and configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The oxygen assembly 410 and the adsorption bed 420 may be generally similar to or identical to the oxygen assembly and adsorption bed described with reference to FIGS. 1-3J and thus may be used with the ventilators 100-300 described above, other ventilators with integrated oxygen production, and / or stand-alone oxygen concentrators. The adsorption bed 420 may include a first end 420a and a second end 420b opposite the first end 420a. The adsorption bed 420 may further include a fluid inlet portion 422, a moisture capture or desiccant material portion 424 for capturing and retaining moisture or humidity in the air entering the adsorption bed 420 via the inlet portion 422, a shutoff valve portion 426, and a nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428 for capturing and retaining nitrogen from the dehumidified air. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet portion 422 is positioned proximate to the first end 420a of the adsorption bed 420, the desiccant material portion 424 is positioned between the inlet portion 422 and the shut-off valve portion 426, the shut-off valve portion 426 is positioned between the desiccant material portion 424 and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428, and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428 is positioned between the shut-off valve portion 426 and the second end 420b.

[0050] Fluid inlet portion 422 can include one or more fluid inlets 423, each of which can be fluidly coupled to an air intake 404 (e.g., patient air intake 104 shown in FIG. 1 ) and selectively and / or independently configured to allow air 12 received via patient air intake 404 to flow into sorbent bed 420. Desiccant material portion 424 can include one or more moisture trapping or desiccant materials 425 (e.g., alumina) configured to preferentially trap moisture (e.g., water) from air 12 as air 12 passes through desiccant material portion 424, thereby at least partially dehumidifying air 12 before it flows into nitrogen sorbent material portion 428. The shut-off valve portion 426 can include one or more shut-off valves 427, each of which can be selectively and / or independently transitioned between (i) a first (e.g., open) configuration in which the shut-off valve 427 allows air to flow through the shut-off valve portion 426 between the desiccant material portion 424 and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428, and (ii) a second (e.g., closed) configuration in which the shut-off valve 427 at least partially or completely prevents air 12 from flowing through the shut-off valve portion 426 between the desiccant material portion 424 and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428. The nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428 can include one or more nitrogen adsorbent materials 429 (e.g., zeolites) configured to preferentially adsorb nitrogen from the air 12 as the air 12 passes through the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428, for example, to generate concentrated oxygen 18, which can then flow into the oxygen chamber 421 and / or directly to the oxygen outlet port 408.

[0051] In some embodiments, the oxygen assembly 410 may further include one or more regulators 430 fluidly coupled to the second end 420b of the adsorption bed 420. Individual ones of the regulators 430 can be configured to selectively and / or independently control the flow of fluid (e.g., oxygen 18) through the second end 420b of the adsorption bed 420. In addition, one or more of the regulators 430 can be fluidly coupled to the oxygen chamber 421 and / or the oxygen outlet port 408. The oxygen assembly 410 may also include one or more airflow valves (not shown) positioned between the air intake 404 and the inlet 423. The airflow valves can be selectively actuated to allow gas to flow between the air intake 404 and the inlet 423 (e.g., during use of the oxygen assembly 410) and to block gas flow between the air intake and the inlet 423 (e.g., when the oxygen assembly is not in use). In some embodiments, the air flow valve can be coupled to the adsorption bed 420 , while in other embodiments, the air flow valve is separate from the adsorption bed 420 .

[0052] In operation, the adsorbent bed 420 can receive air 12 from the patient air intake 404 via one or more of the inlets 423. The air 12 can flow through the inlet portion 422 and enter the desiccant material portion 424, in which the desiccant material 425 can preferentially capture and retain moisture from the air 12, for example, to dehumidify the air 12. When one or more of the shut-off valves 427 are in a first (e.g., open) configuration, the dehumidified air can flow from the desiccant material portion 424, through the shut-off valve 427, and enter the nitrogen sorbent material portion 428. When the dehumidified air is in the nitrogen sorbent material portion 428, the nitrogen sorbent material 429 can preferentially capture and retain nitrogen from the air 12. Adsorption of nitrogen from air 12 in nitrogen sorbent material portion 428 can generate enriched oxygen 18, which can flow through one or more of regulators 430 toward oxygen outlet port 408, for delivery to a patient, for example. When adsorption bed 420 is no longer in use, all or a subset of isolation valves 427 can be transitioned to and / or toward a second configuration to fluidly isolate desiccant material portion 424 from nitrogen sorbent material portion 428.

[0053] Some nitrogen adsorbent materials, such as zeolites, can deteriorate when exposed to moisture. To reduce this deterioration, some adsorbent beds include a desiccant material positioned immediately upstream of the nitrogen adsorbent material to at least partially prevent moisture from reaching the nitrogen adsorbent material as air flows through the adsorbent bed. However, when air is not flowing through the adsorbent bed (e.g., when the oxygen assembly is turned off or in storage), some of the moisture within the desiccant material can migrate into the nitrogen adsorbent material and contribute to the deterioration of the nitrogen adsorbent material therein. Because the desiccant material is positioned within the same housing as the nitrogen adsorbent material, this moisture migration can occur even when the adsorbent bed is fluidly sealed from the outside environment during storage periods. In contrast, the shut-off valve portion 426 of the adsorption bed 420 includes one or more shut-off valves 427 positioned between the desiccant material portion 424 and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428, and individual ones of the one or more shut-off valves 427 can be closed to reduce and / or prevent moisture captured by the desiccant material 425 from migrating to and degrading the nitrogen adsorbent material 429. For example, when the adsorption bed 420 is not in use, the one or more (e.g., all) shut-off valves 427 can be transitioned from a first (e.g., open) configuration to and / or toward a second (e.g., closed) configuration such that the shut-off valves 427 at least partially or completely separate (e.g., fluidly isolate) the desiccant material 425 (and any moisture captured by the desiccant material 425) from the nitrogen adsorbent material 429. Thus, adsorption beds configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology are expected to reduce moisture transfer between the desiccant material and the nitrogen adsorbent material, which may reduce degradation of the nitrogen adsorbent material and / or improve the operational life of these adsorption beds.

[0054] The adsorption bed 420 prevents, or at least reduces, moisture from entering the nitrogen adsorbent material 429 during the adsorption stage of the oxygen generation process. In some embodiments, a desiccant material is also positioned between the nitrogen adsorbent material 429 and the regulator 430 to prevent, or at least reduce, moisture in the gas used during the desorption stage of the oxygen generation process from entering the nitrogen adsorbent material. For example, FIG. 4B illustrates an oxygen assembly 460 having an adsorption bed 470 and configured in accordance with selected embodiments of the present technology. The oxygen assembly 460 may be generally similar to the oxygen assembly 410 (FIG. 4A). For example, the adsorption bed 470 can have a first end 470a, a second end 470b opposite the first end, a first desiccant material portion 424 having a first desiccant material 425, a first shutoff valve portion 426 having a first shutoff valve 427, and a nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428 having a nitrogen adsorbent material 429. However, relative to the oxygen assembly 410, the oxygen assembly 460 further includes a second desiccant material portion 474 containing a desiccant material 475 positioned between the nitrogen adsorbent portion 428 and the second end 470b. The desiccant material 475 can be the same as the desiccant material 425, or can be a combination of a nitrogen adsorbent material and a desiccant material. During the desorption phase, gas (e.g., oxygen 18) flows through the adsorption bed 420 from the second end 470b toward the first end 470a, regenerating the nitrogen adsorbent material 429. Nitrogen-rich gas 16 flows out of the inlet 423 and is purged to the external environment via one or more vents (not shown). However, especially after a period of non-use, the oxygen 18 in the oxygen chamber 421 may have an increased water content (e.g., due to a leak in the oxygen chamber 421). Thus, the desiccant material 475 in the second desiccant material portion 474 captures and retains any water in the oxygen 18 used during the desorption phase before the oxygen 18 enters the nitrogen adsorbent material 429.

[0055] In addition to or instead of having the second desiccant material portion 474, the oxygen assembly 460 and / or the oxygen chamber 421 can be made of a material having a relatively low moisture vapor transmission rate ("MVTR") to further minimize or at least reduce unwanted moisture ingress into the system, thereby minimizing or at least reducing moisture that can be pushed back through the adsorption bed 470 during the desorption phase. For example, the oxygen assembly 460, the oxygen chamber 421, any conduits or channels connecting the oxygen assembly 460 and the oxygen chamber 421, and / or any other intervening structures can be made of a material that allows little or no water vapor to leak / permeate therethrough. As a result, the oxygen stored in the oxygen chamber 421 and used for the desorption phase is expected to retain a low moisture content, even during long storage periods, regardless of the humidity of the environment in which the system is stored or used. Suitable materials having a relatively high MVTR include, but are not limited to, metals (e.g., aluminum, titanium, copper, nickel, etc.), alloys (e.g., stainless steel, brass, bronze, etc.), and / or metal plating. For optically transparent components, relatively high MVTR transparent plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), or cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) can be used. For O-rings or other rubber components, relatively high MVTR rubber materials such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) can be used. Additional materials can include polymers such as polyethyleneimine (PEI) and / or high density polyethylene (HDPE). In some embodiments, the material has a viscosity of 6 g / m 2 or less, 5 g / m 2 or less than 4.5 g / m 2 or less, 4 g / m 2 or less than 3.5 g / m 2 or less than 3 g / m 2 Or less than 8g / m 2 or has an MVTR value less than or equal to that.

[0056] The adsorption bed 470 may further include a second shutoff valve portion 476 having a second shutoff valve 477 positioned between the nitrogen adsorbent material portion 428 and the second desiccant material portion 474. The second shutoff valve 477 may be generally similar to the first shutoff valve 427 described in detail with respect to FIG. 4A, except that the second shutoff valve 477 prevents, or at least reduces, moisture trapped within the second desiccant material portion 474 from migrating into the nitrogen adsorbent material portion when the oxygen assembly 460 is not in use.

[0057] The present technology also includes adsorption beds with improved aspect ratios. For example, Figures 5A-5D illustrate individual adsorption beds 520a-d with associated spiral or helical inserts 540a-d configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. Specifically, Figure 5A is a perspective view of adsorption bed 520a including helical insert 540a, Figure 5B is a side view of adsorption bed 520b including helical insert 540b with a relatively low pitch, Figure 5C is a side view of adsorption bed 520c including helical insert 540c with a relatively high pitch, and Figure 5D is a side view of adsorption bed 520d having helical insert 540d with a longitudinally varied pitch. The following description of Figures 5A-5D refers to selected sides of each of the individual adsorption beds 520a-d and associated helical inserts 540a-d. These aspects are described with reference to a particular adsorption bed and / or a particular helical insert for clarity of illustration, but it should be understood that any description of one helical insert (e.g., helical insert 540a of FIG. 5A) may equally apply to one or more of the other helical inserts of the present technology (e.g., one or more of helical inserts 540b-d of FIGS. 5B-D), and vice versa.

[0058] Each of the spiral inserts 540a-d can be positioned within a corresponding interior 521a-d of an individual adsorbent bed 520a-d and can extend, for example, at least partially or completely along the length of the individual interior 521a-d in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the individual adsorbent bed 520a-d. As explained above, each of the interiors 521a-d of the adsorbent beds 520a-d can be filled with nitrogen adsorbent material (not shown). In operation, each of the spiral inserts 540a-d directs air traveling through the individual adsorbent beds 520a-d along a generally spiral or spiral path (e.g., as illustrated by air 12 traveling through adsorbent beds 520b and 520c in Figures 5B and 5C). As a result, the spiral inserts 540a-d provide an air flow path through the individual adsorbent beds that is longer than the length of the adsorbent beds themselves. Thus, utilizing a spiral insert 540a-d with an sorbent bed 520a-d effectively increases the aspect ratio (e.g., length to diameter) of the sorbent bed 520a-d without increasing the overall length of the sorbent bed. For example, using a spiral insert can increase the aspect ratio of the sorbent bed by at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 100%, at least 200%, or more. Without being bound by theory, this is expected to (1) increase the oxygen generated by the sorbent bed for a given sorbent bed size, and / or (2) enable the use of a relatively more compact sorbent bed while maintaining oxygen generation capacity, which in turn can reduce the size of the oxygen generation assembly and therefore the ventilator.

[0059] Referring initially to FIG. 5A, the spiral insert 540a can create one or more chambers, and thus one or more flow paths, within the adsorption bed 520a. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the spiral insert 540a creates a first chamber 544a1 and a second chamber 544a2 through the adsorption bed 520a. In other embodiments, the spiral insert 540a can be configured to create at least three, four, five, or more chambers. The chambers 544a can be fluidly isolated from one another such that each of the chambers 544a can define a separate flow path through the interior 521a of the adsorption bed 520a. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the first chamber 544a1 defines a first flow path 542a1 through the adsorption bed 520a, and the second chamber 544a2 defines a second flow path 542a2 through the adsorption bed 520a. In embodiments in which the spiral insert 540a creates more than two chambers, the spiral insert 540a will also define more than two flow paths 542a (e.g., three, four, five, or more flow paths).

[0060] The helical insert 540a can be sized such that it has an outer circumference configured to fit within but abut or nearly abut the inner surface of the adsorption bed 520a. For example, the outer circumference of the helical insert 540a can be the same as or very slightly smaller than the inner circumference of the inner surface such that the helical insert 540a generally has an outer dimension D1 (e.g., width, diameter, etc.) similar to or very slightly smaller than the inner dimension D2 (e.g., width, diameter, etc.) of the adsorption bed 520a. Because the helical insert 540a is sized to fit snugly within the adsorption bed 520a, the first chamber 544a1 and the first flow channel 542a1 can be substantially or completely fluidly isolated from the second chamber 544a2 and the second flow channel 542a2. In some embodiments, a portion of the spiral insert 540a configured to abut the interior surface of the adsorption bed 520a can be sealed (e.g., glued, taped, adhered, etc.) to the interior surface to further fluidly isolate the first flow path 542a1 and the second flow path 542a2.

[0061] In some embodiments, one or more of the chambers of the adsorption bed 520a can be connected in series, for example, to form multiple passages within a single adsorption bed and / or to further increase the aspect ratio of the adsorption bed. In at least some embodiments, for example, the first chamber 544a1 can be fluidly coupled to the second chamber 544a2 at an end (not shown) of the adsorption bed 520a such that gas can enter the adsorption bed 520a, flow through the first chamber 544a1 via the first flow path 542a1, and then flow through the second chamber 544a2 via the second flow path 542a2. The spiral inserts 540b-d of Figures 5B-D can generally include chambers and flow paths similar to or identical to the chambers 544a and flow paths 542a of the spiral insert 540a.

[0062] The pitch of the helical inserts 540a-d can also be varied to achieve different aspect ratios and flow characteristics. For example, Figures 5B and 5C illustrate helical inserts 540b, 540c having different pitches (as used herein, the term "pitch" refers to a single full turn of the helical insert). In the illustrated embodiment, for example, the helical insert 540b has a first pitch P1 and the helical insert 540c has a second pitch P2 that is greater than / closer than the first pitch P1. The degree of pitch changes the effective length of the flow path extending through the adsorbent bed. For example, for a given length of helical insert and adsorbent bed, a higher / tighter pitch corresponds to more turns, longer flow paths, and therefore a higher aspect ratio, while a smaller / sparser pitch corresponds to fewer turns, shorter flow paths, and therefore a lower aspect ratio. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, sorbent bed 520b has a shorter flow path, and therefore a lower aspect ratio, compared to sorbent bed 520c (for a given length of the sorbent bed). The pitch of the helical inserts 540a-d can be selected based, at least in part, on the desired aspect ratio, the design criteria of the associated ventilator or oxygen concentrator, the manufacturing constraints of the associated sorbent bed, the amount of backpressure generated by the nitrogen sorbent material carried by the sorbent bed, and the like. For a bed having a given length and diameter, a tighter pitch (e.g., FIG. 5C) will increase the length of the flow paths and thus increase the backpressure generated by the nitrogen sorbent material, while a looser pitch (FIG. 5B) will decrease the length of the flow paths and thus decrease the backpressure generated by the nitrogen sorbent material. Thus, the pitch can be selected to "fine-tune" the backpressure generated by the nitrogen sorbent material to optimize the function of the sorbent bed. In some embodiments, the pitch can also be selected based on the compressor (not shown), e.g., to adjust the effective flow generated by the compressor without having to change the settings (e.g., speed) of the compressor itself.

[0063] In some embodiments, an adsorption bed configured according to embodiments of the present technology includes a helical insert having an overall pitch VP that is varied or non-uniform, for example to include two or more differently sized sub-pitches SP. With reference to FIG. 5D, the overall pitch VP of the helical insert 540d varies along the longitudinal axis of the adsorption bed 520d, for example from a first (e.g., air inlet) end 520d1 of the adsorption bed 520d to a second (e.g., oxygen outlet) end 520d2 of the adsorption bed 520d. In the illustrated embodiment, the overall pitch VP includes four sub-pitches SP1-SP4 (e.g., a first sub-pitch SP1, a second sub-pitch SP2, a third sub-pitch SP3, and a fourth sub-pitch SP4). The first sub-pitch SP1 is less than the second sub-pitch SP2, which is less than the third sub-pitch SP3, which is less than the fourth sub-pitch SP4, and thus the overall pitch VP increases along the longitudinal axis of the adsorbent bed 520d from the first end 520d1 to the second end 520d2. In other embodiments, the overall pitch VP can include more or fewer sub-pitches, such as at least two, three, five, six, or any other suitable number of pitches. In these and other embodiments, individual ones of the sub-pitches can have any other suitable relationship to one or more of the other sub-pitches.

[0064] In operation, air (e.g., air 12 in FIG. 1) can enter the adsorption bed 520d through the first end 520d1 and flow through the interior 521d toward the second end 520d2. As the air flows toward the second end 520d2, the nitrogen adsorbent material (e.g., nitrogen adsorbent material 429 in FIG. 4) in the interior 521d can preferentially adsorb nitrogen from the air, which in turn reduces the amount of nitrogen in the air (and the volume of air) as it flows toward the second end 520d2. Thus, the air at or near the second end 520d2 is expected to have less nitrogen content than the air at or near the first end 520d1, and thus a reduced amount of nitrogen adsorbent material can be positioned at or near the second end 520d2 compared to the first end 520d1. Also, the volume of air decreases as it flows from first end 520d1 toward second end 520d2. The overall pitch VP of helical insert 540d can thus be increased at or near second end 520d2, for example, based at least in part on accommodating the reduced amount of nitrogen adsorbent material needed at or near second end 520d2 and / or the reduced volume of air traveling to second end 520d2.

[0065] Varying the overall pitch VP of the helical insert 540d can result in the adsorption bed 520d operating similarly or similarly to an adsorption bed having a generally tapered or conical geometry (e.g., having one or more dimensions (width, diameter, cross-sectional area, etc.) that decrease along the length of the tapered / conical adsorption bed). An example of an adsorption bed with a tapered / conical geometry is described in more detail with reference to Figures 8A-8C. In at least some embodiments, for example, the variation of the sub-pitches SP1-SP4 along the longitudinal axis of the helical insert 540d is selected such that the interior 521d of the adsorption bed 520d has a volume similar or identical to the interior volume of a tapered / conical adsorption bed. Additionally or alternatively, the increased relative pitch at or near the second end 520d2 of the adsorption bed 520d can reduce the volume of nitrogen adsorbent material carried by the adsorption bed 520d at or near the second end 520d2, which reduction in the volume of nitrogen adsorbent material can be similar to or identical to the reduction in the volume of nitrogen adsorbent material in an adsorption bed that is generally vertically tapered or conical. In some embodiments, the variable tapering can be designed such that the flow of gas moving through the adsorption bed 520d remains substantially constant. In such embodiments, the pitch is generally looser adjacent the first end 520d1 configured to receive air 12 and tighter toward the second end 520d2 configured to output oxygen, because the volume of air decreases as the air 12 moves from the first end 520d1 toward the second end 520d2 due to nitrogen adsorption, as described above.

[0066] The present technology further includes adsorption beds with various features to improve the performance of the adsorption bed during the adsorption and / or purge stages of an oxygen generation process. Figures 6A-6C are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of an adsorption bed 620, configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology, during an oxygen generation process. Specifically, Figure 6A shows the adsorption bed 620 during the adsorption stage of the oxygen generation process, and Figures 6B and 6C illustrate the adsorption bed 620 during the desorption or purge stage of the oxygen generation process. The adsorption bed 620 may generally be similar to or identical to any of the adsorption beds described herein or another suitable adsorption bed.

[0067] 6A-6C , the adsorption bed 620 can include a housing 622 having a first end 622a and a second end 622b opposite and spaced apart from the first end 622a. The housing 622 can include a first opening or port 624 at the first end 622a and one or more second openings or ports 626 at the second end 622b. The housing 622 can at least partially define an interior 621 of the adsorption bed 620. The interior 621 can be filled, at least in part, with a nitrogen adsorbent material 629. The second end 622b can include a valve 650 transitionable between a first (e.g., adsorption phase, closed, etc.) configuration ( FIG. 6A ) and a second (e.g., desorption phase, purge phase, open, etc.) configuration ( FIGS. 6B and 6C ). In a first (e.g., closed) configuration, gas can enter or exit the second end 622b of the adsorption bed only by flowing through the second port 626. In a second (e.g., open) configuration, the surface area of ​​one or more of the second ports 626 available for gas entry / exit is increased. The valve 650 can be a one-way valve, a flapper-type valve, or any other suitable valve. Although shown as illustrated in Figures 6A-6C as a single valve 650, in other embodiments, the adsorption bed of the present technology can include more valves 650, such as at least two, three, four, or any other suitable number of valves.

[0068] 6A, during the adsorption phase, the adsorption bed 620 can receive air 12 via a first port 624 at a first end 622a. The air 12 can flow through an interior 621 of the adsorption bed 620, and a nitrogen adsorbent material 629 contained therein can preferentially adsorb nitrogen from the air 12, for example, to generate enriched oxygen 18. During the adsorption phase, the valve 650 can be in a first (e.g., closed) configuration and can at least partially restrict the flow of oxygen 32 through the second end 622b of the adsorption bed 620 (e.g., only allowing the flow of oxygen 18 to exit via the second port 626), which in turn can maintain a relatively high pressure throughout all or a portion of the interior 621 of the adsorption bed 620.

[0069] With reference to FIG. 6B, during the desorption phase, the adsorption bed 620 can receive gas (e.g., oxygen 18 or another gas) through the second end 622b. The oxygen 18 can flow through the interior 621 of the adsorption bed 620, for example, to regenerate the nitrogen adsorbent material 629 for at least one subsequent adsorption phase, at least partially desorb nitrogen captured by the nitrogen adsorbent material 629 during the adsorption phase, and flow out of the adsorption bed 620 as nitrogen-rich gas 16. During the desorption phase, the valve 650 can be in a second (e.g., open) configuration, providing a relatively larger area for fluid to flow therethrough, relative to when the valve 650 is in a first (e.g., closed) position. This is expected to provide an increased flow rate and / or increased volume of gas flow through the second end 622b, as compared to the flow rate and / or volume of flow through the second end 622b when the valve 650 is in the first configuration (FIG. 6A). The increased flow rate and / or volume of oxygen 18 flow through second end 622b can provide an increased surface area for flow during the desorption phase, which in turn can increase the rate at which nitrogen is desorbed and the nitrogen adsorbent material 629 is regenerated. Additionally, or alternatively, having valve 650 in the second position during the desorption phase can reduce the pressure in interior 621 of adsorption bed 620, which can also increase the rate at which nitrogen is desorbed and the nitrogen adsorbent material 629 is regenerated.

[0070] 6C, in some embodiments, the valve 650 can be configured to redirect or otherwise modify the flow of fluid through the second end 622b during the desorption phase. In the illustrated embodiment, for example, when the valve 650 is in the second configuration, the valve 650 can be configured to redirect a portion of the oxygen 18 toward at least one sidewall 621a of the interior 621 of the adsorption bed. In other embodiments, the valve 650 can be configured to redirect the flow of oxygen 18 toward any other suitable portion of the interior 621 of the adsorption bed. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that an adsorption bed including a valve configured to redirect flow during the desorption phase can advantageously increase flow diffusion throughout all or a portion of the interior of the adsorption bed and / or result in a more uniform distribution of flow throughout all or a portion of the interior of the adsorption bed.

[0071] In some embodiments, the adsorption bed of the present technology is configured to provide different flow paths during the adsorption and purge stages. For example, Figures 7A and 7B are schematic illustrations of an oxygen assembly 710 including an adsorption bed 720 having a variable flow path and configured according to an embodiment of the present technology. With collective reference to Figures 7A and 7B, the adsorption bed 720 includes a first section 760a containing nitrogen adsorbent material 729 and a second section 760b containing nitrogen adsorbent material 729. The first section 760a can have a first end 760a1 and a second end 760a2 opposite the first end 760a1, and the second section 760b can similarly have a first end 760b1 and a second end 760b2 opposite the first end 760b1. Sections 760a,b can each have a length that is less than, equal to, or greater than the length of the adsorption bed 720.

[0072] The first and second segments 760a, 760b can be separated by a flow control element 762, which can transition between an open position (as shown in FIG. 7A ) in which the flow control element 762 allows gas to flow between the first and second segments 760a, 760b, and a closed position (as shown in FIG. 7B ) in which the flow control element 762 prevents gas flow between the first and second segments 760a, 760b. Depending on the configuration of the flow control element 762, the segments 760a, b can be coupled either in series (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7A ) or in parallel (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7B ). The flow control element 762 can be a valve (e.g., a solenoid valve, a rotary valve, etc.) or other suitable feature that can be selectively moved to fluidly connect and fluidly isolate the first and second segments 760a, b.

[0073] The flow control element 762 is configured to cycle between an open position and a closed position during an oxygen generation cycle. For example, the flow control element 762 is generally in an open position during an adsorption phase of the oxygen generation cycle and in a closed position during a purge phase of the oxygen generation cycle. Referring to FIG. 7A, which shows the flow control element 762 in an open position during an adsorption phase, the adsorption bed 720 can receive air 12 via a patient air intake 712 or other suitable inlet at a first end 760a1 of the first section 760a. The air 12 can flow through the first section 760a toward a second end 760a2 of the first section 760a, and as the air 12 flows through the first section 760a, the nitrogen adsorbent material 729 contained therein can preferentially capture and retain (e.g., adsorb) nitrogen from the air 12. When the flow control element 762 is in the first configuration, the flow control element 762 can fluidly couple the second end 760a2 of the first segment 760a to the second end 760b2 of the second segment 760b such that air 12 flowing through the first segment 760a can be directed to and / or toward the second segment 760b by the flow control element 762. The air 12 can continue to flow through the second segment 760b toward the first end 760b1 of the second segment 760b, and as the air 12 flows through the second segment 760b, the nitrogen sorbent material 729 contained therein can preferentially adsorb at least a portion of any nitrogen remaining in the air 12 to generate enriched oxygen 18, for example, for delivery to a patient. Because the first and second sections 760a, 760b are fluidly coupled by the flow control element 762 during the adsorption phase, the adsorption bed 720 can have an increased aspect ratio (e.g., length to width / diameter) during the adsorption phase.

[0074] Prior to and / or during the transition between the adsorption and purge phases, the flow control element 762 can be transitioned (e.g., rotated) from a first position, in which the flow control element 762 fluidly couples the first and second sections 760a-b, to a second configuration, in which the flow control element 762 fluidly isolates (e.g., does not fluidly couple) the first and second sections 762a,b. With reference to FIG. 7B, which shows the flow control element 762 in a closed position during a desorption or purge phase, oxygen 18 (or another suitable fluid) can be supplied to the respective first ends 760a1, 760b1 of the first and second sections 760a, 760b, for example, to at least partially regenerate the nitrogen adsorbent material 729 and at least partially desorb or purge the nitrogen captured by the nitrogen adsorbent material 729 in each of the first and second sections 760a, 760b during the adsorption phase. Because the flow control element 762 fluidly isolates the first and second sections 760a, 760b, the respective second ends 760a2, 760b2 of the first and second sections 760a, 760b can allow the nitrogen-rich gas 16 to flow out of the adsorption bed 720 during the purge phase (e.g., instead of directing the nitrogen-rich gas 16 to flow between the first section 760a and the second section 760b). Because the first and second sections 760a, 760b are fluidly isolated by the flow control element 762 during the purge phase, the adsorption bed 720 can have a reduced aspect ratio during the desorption phase, for example, relative to its aspect ratio in the adsorption phase (FIG. 7A).

[0075] To facilitate the flow of oxygen 18 through both the first section 760a and the second section 760b during the desorption phase, the oxygen assembly 710 may further include an oxygen chamber valve 764 (also referred to simply as "valve 764"). The oxygen chamber valve 764 may control the flow through a path connecting the oxygen chamber 721 to the first section 760a. Thus, during the adsorption phase, as shown in FIG. 7A, the oxygen chamber valve 764 is in a closed position or otherwise blocks oxygen 18 from flowing into the first end 760a1 of the first section 760a. However, during the desorption phase, as shown in FIG. 7B, the oxygen chamber valve 764 is in an open position or otherwise allows oxygen 18 to flow from the oxygen chamber 721 into the first end 760a1 of the first section 760a. In some embodiments, the oxygen chamber valve 764 is a three-way valve that (1) allows air 12 to flow from the air intake 712 to the first section 760 and (2) blocks oxygen 18 from flowing from the oxygen chamber 721 to the first section during the adsorption phase, and (3) blocks air 12 from flowing from the air intake 712 to the first section 760 and (4) allows oxygen 18 to flow from the oxygen chamber 721 to the first section 760 during the desorption phase.

[0076] An adsorption bed with variable flow paths for the adsorption and purge stages allows the flow paths to be optimized for a particular stage of the oxygen generation cycle. For example, the adsorption bed 720 is configured to have a relatively higher aspect ratio during the adsorption stage and a relatively lower aspect ratio during the purge stage. This is expected to provide several advantages. For example, it is beneficial for the adsorption bed to have an increased aspect ratio during the adsorption stage to allow for increased nitrogen adsorption. It is also beneficial to have a reduced aspect ratio during the desorption or purge stage to allow for increased regeneration rates for the nitrogen adsorbent material. For example, a reduced aspect ratio generally correlates with reduced back pressure, reduced power drive requirements to flow gas through the adsorption bed, and increased cycle times, all of which are advantageous during the desorption stage. Thus, an adsorption bed configured according to an embodiment of the present technology can provide increased nitrogen adsorption during the adsorption stage and increased nitrogen adsorbent material regeneration rates during the purge stage.

[0077] In some embodiments, the present technology includes adsorption beds having a tapered shape such that the inner cross-sectional dimension of the adsorption bed is smaller at the product end of the bed than at the feed end of the bed. For example, Figures 8A-8D illustrate examples of adsorption beds having a tapered shape at the product end of the bed and configured according to selected embodiments of the present technology. More specifically, Figure 8A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a first adsorption bed 820a having a first tapered shape and configured according to selected embodiments of the present technology, Figure 8B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second adsorption bed 820b having a second tapered shape and configured according to selected embodiments of the present technology, Figure 8C is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a third adsorption bed 820c having a third tapered shape and configured according to selected embodiments of the present technology, and Figure 8D is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a fourth adsorption bed 820d having a fourth tapered shape and configured according to selected embodiments of the present technology.

[0078] 8A-8D collectively, a first adsorption bed 820a, a second adsorption bed 820b, a third adsorption bed 820c, and a fourth adsorption bed 820d (collectively referred to as adsorption beds 820) each include a corresponding housing 822a-d defining an interior 821a-d for storing a nitrogen adsorbent material. Each housing 822a-d extends between a first end portion 822a1-822d1 and a second end portion 822a2-822d2. During the adsorption phase, air flows through the interiors 821a-d between the first end portions 822a1-822d1 and the second end portions 822a2-822d2 in the direction indicated by arrow F. During the desorption / purge phase, oxygen flows through the interiors 821a-d in the opposite direction.

[0079] Each of the adsorption beds 820 includes a tapered portion 824a-d proximate the second end portion 822a2-822d2. Each of the tapered portions 824a-d tapers from a first inner diameter ID1 to a second inner diameter ID2. The first inner diameter ID1 is greater than the second inner diameter ID2 such that the inner diameter of the interiors 821a-d decreases along the length of the tapered portions 824a-d. In some embodiments, the first inner diameter ID1 can be about 1.25 inches to about 2.25 inches, or about 1.5 inches to about 2 inches, or about 1.75 inches, and the second inner diameter ID2 can be about 0.25 inches to 1.25 inches, or about 0.5 inches to 1 inch, or about 0.75 inches. In some embodiments, the ratio between the first inner diameter ID1 and the second inner diameter ID2 can be about 5:1 to 1.5:1, or about 4:1 to 1.5:1, or about 3:1 to about 2:1, or about 2.5:1. The aforementioned ranges, dimensions, and ratios are provided only as examples, and in some embodiments, the first inner diameter ID1 and / or the second inner diameter ID2 can have dimensions and ratios outside of the aforementioned ranges. Notably, the outer diameters OD of the housings 822a-d remain substantially the same such that the adsorbent beds 820 retain their generally cylindrical outer profile.

[0080] The shapes of the tapered portions 824a-d vary among the adsorption beds 820. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the tapered portion 824a of the first adsorption bed 820a is linearly tapered such that the decrease in diameter between the first inner diameter ID1 and the second inner diameter ID2 is approximately constant along the length of the tapered portion 824a. As shown in FIG. 8B, the tapered portion 824b of the second adsorption bed 820b has a convex taper such that the change in diameter along the length of the tapered portion 824b is not constant. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8C, the tapered portion 824c of the third adsorption bed 820c has a concave taper such that the change in diameter along the length of the tapered portion 824c is also not constant. As shown in FIG. 8D, tapered portion 824d of the fourth adsorption bed 820d is linearly tapered like the first adsorption bed 820a of FIG. 8A, but has a longer length than tapered portion 824a of the first adsorption bed 820a such that the rate of change of the inner diameter of tapered portion 824d is less.

[0081] The length and shape of the tapered sections 824a-d can affect the pressure and flow characteristics of the adsorption bed 820, and therefore the adsorbent properties. For example, FIG. 9 is a graph showing (1) the pressure drop along the length of each adsorption bed 820 for a typical flow during an adsorption stage, and (2) the effective cross-sectional area of ​​each adsorption bed 820 along its length. As shown, the tapered sections 824a-d of each adsorption bed 820 each have a slightly different effective cross-sectional area and therefore a slightly different pressure drop during operation. Thus, the length and / or shape of the tapered sections 824a-d can be selected based on the desired pressure and / or flow characteristics of the adsorption bed. As one skilled in the art would understand, the adsorption beds 820 of FIGS. 8A-8D provide four representative examples of different shapes and sizes for the tapered sections. However, the present technology is not limited to the shapes and sizes shown in FIGS. 8A-8D. Indeed, as one skilled in the art would understand from the disclosure herein, the tapered portion can have other suitable shapes and sizes other than those expressly set forth herein without departing from the scope of the present technology. For example, the tapered portion can have a different geometry (e.g., a stepped geometry, an irregular geometry, etc.), a different length, a different degree of tapering, and / or a different inner dimension.

[0082] Without intending to be bound by theory, as shown in FIG. 9, the tapered sections 824a-d increase the average velocity within the adsorption beds 820a-d at a rate that increases at the second end portions 822a2-822d2 (e.g., the product end). Without intending to be bound by theory, this is expected to reduce the rate of change of the oxygen concentration produced by the adsorption bed 820. That is, incorporating the tapered sections 824a-d into the adsorption bed is expected to increase the effective length of the mass transfer zone and thus stabilize the concentration of oxygen flowing out of the second end portions 822a2-822d2 of the adsorption bed. Thus, in some embodiments, an adsorption bed having a tapered section at the product end of the bed is expected to provide a more consistent output of oxygen.

[0083] Tapered portions 824a-d can either be built into the sorbent bed itself (e.g., as part of housing 822a-d) or can be separate components (e.g., inserts) that a user can place into the sorbent bed. In embodiments in which tapered portions 824a-d include inserts, a user can repeatedly change which insert is being used, for example, to adjust the dimensions of the flow path to achieve a desired oxygen output.

[0084] III. Examples Several aspects of the present technology are described in the following examples. 1. A ventilator system with integrated oxygen production, comprising: A housing and one or more air intakes in the housing configured to receive air from outside the housing; a ventilation assembly positioned within the housing and configured to provide received air to a ventilation delivery circuit during an inspiratory phase of breathing; an oxygen assembly positioned within the housing and configured to provide concentrated oxygen to the oxygen delivery circuit during an inspiratory phase of breathing, the oxygen assembly comprising: 1. An adsorption bed assembly comprising: an adsorption bed configured to generate enriched oxygen from received air; an integral panel coupled to an end portion of the adsorption bed; having the sorbent bed assembly is removable from the housing by a user, and when the sorbent bed assembly is positioned within the housing, the integral panel forms a part of an exterior surface of the housing. Adsorption bed assembly, an oxygen assembly comprising: An artificial ventilator system comprising: 2. The ventilator system of example 1, wherein the sorption bed assembly further comprises an attachment mechanism configured to releasably couple the integral panel to the housing. 3. The ventilator system of example 2, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a latching member pivotally coupled to the integrated panel, the latching member pivotally movable between a first position in which the integrated panel is locked to the housing and a second position in which the integrated panel is unlocked from the housing. 4. The ventilator system of Example 2, wherein the attachment mechanism includes (i) a keyway rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and (ii) a wire bail movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, and wherein the attachment mechanism is configured such that both the keyway and the wire bail must be in the unlocked position to disengage the suction bed assembly from the housing. 5. A ventilator system as described in any of Examples 1-4, wherein the adsorption bed assembly includes a first end portion having one or more first airflow ports configured to receive received air and a second end portion having one or more second airflow ports configured to output concentrated oxygen. 6. The ventilator system of example 5, wherein the integrated panel includes one or more secondary airflow ports. 7. The ventilator system of example 6, wherein the integrated panel further includes a fluid transfer area that fluidly couples the sorbent bed and the one or more second airflow ports. 8. A ventilator system as described in any of Examples 5-7, wherein the one or more first airflow ports have one or more corresponding first airflow axes, the one or more second airflow ports have one or more corresponding second airflow axes, and the one or more first airflow axes are parallel to the one or more second airflow axes. 9. A ventilator system as described in any of Examples 5-7, wherein the one or more first airflow ports have one or more corresponding first airflow axes, the one or more second airflow ports have one or more corresponding second airflow axes, and the one or more first airflow axes are approximately perpendicular to the one or more second airflow axes. 10. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing defining an interior of the adsorption bed, the interior of the adsorption bed defining an interior dimension of the adsorption bed; an elongated spiral insert positioned within the housing, the elongated spiral insert having an outer dimension approximately the same as an inner dimension of the sorbent bed; Equipped with An adsorption bed, wherein the helical insert defines a first flow path therethrough and a second flow path therethrough distinct from the first flow path, the first flow path and the second flow path being fluidly isolated along a substantial portion of their respective lengths. 11. The adsorption bed of example 10, wherein the first flow path has a first length, the second flow path has a second length, and the adsorption bed has a third length, the third length being less than the first length and the second length. 12. The adsorption bed of example 11, wherein the first length is about the same as the second length. 13. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 10-12, wherein the inner dimension is the inner diameter of the adsorption bed and the outer dimension is the outer diameter of the helical insert. 14. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 10-13, wherein the helical insert has a constant pitch. 15. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 10-14, wherein the helical insert has a variable pitch that varies along the longitudinal axis of the helical insert. 16. The adsorption bed of example 15, wherein the variable pitch includes a first pitch proximate a first end of the adsorption bed configured to receive air and a second pitch opposite the first end and proximate a second end of the adsorption bed configured to output concentrated oxygen, the second pitch being greater than the first pitch. 17. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 10-16, wherein an end region of the first flow path is fluidly coupled to an end region of the second flow path such that the first flow path and the second flow path are fluidly coupled in series. 18. The adsorption bed of example 17, further comprising a valve positioned between the first flow path and the second flow path, the valve being transitionable between (i) a first configuration in which the valve does not prevent gas from flowing between the first flow path and the second flow path, and (ii) a second configuration in which the valve substantially prevents gas from flowing between the first flow path and the second flow path. 19. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing defining an interior of the adsorption bed, the interior including a first flow path and a second flow path; a valve positioned between the first and second flow paths, the valve being transitional between (i) a first configuration, in which the first and second flow paths are fluidly connected, and (ii) a second configuration, in which the first and second flow paths are fluidly isolated; Equipped with The adsorption bed, the valve being configured to be in a first configuration during an adsorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle and in a second configuration during a desorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle. 20. The adsorption bed of Example 19, wherein the first flow path has a first length, the second flow path has a second length, and the adsorption bed has a third length, and the sum of the first length and the second length is greater than the third length. 21. The adsorption bed of example 19 or example 20, wherein the adsorption bed has a first aspect ratio when the valve is in a first configuration, and a second aspect ratio less than the first aspect ratio when the valve is in a second configuration. 22. An adsorption bed comprising: A housing and a desiccant material portion within the housing and configured to contain a desiccant material; a nitrogen adsorbent material portion within the housing and configured to contain a nitrogen adsorbent material; a valve positioned within the housing between the desiccant material portion and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion, the valve being transitional between a first configuration in which the desiccant material portion is fluidly coupled to the nitrogen adsorbent material portion and a second configuration in which the desiccant material portion is fluidly isolated from the nitrogen adsorbent material portion; An adsorption bed comprising: 23. The sorption bed of example 22, wherein the valve is configured to be in a first configuration when the sorption bed is in use, and in a second configuration when the sorption bed is not in use. 24. The adsorption bed of example 22 or example 23, wherein when the valve is in the second configuration, the valve is configured to prevent moisture trapped within the desiccant material portion from migrating into the nitrogen adsorbent material portion. 25. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an interior extending between the first end and the second end; one or more first openings at a first end; one or more second openings at the second end; and a valve positioned at the second end, the valve being transitionable between (i) a first configuration, in which the valve provides a first fluid resistance through the one or more second openings, and (ii) a second configuration, in which the valve provides a second fluid resistance through the one or more second openings, the second fluid resistance being less than the first fluid resistance; Equipped with The valve is configured to be in a first configuration when gas flows from the first end toward the second end during an adsorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle, and in a second configuration when gas flows from the second end toward the first end during a desorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle. 26. The adsorption bed of example 25, wherein in the second configuration, the valve redirects at least a portion of the fluid flowing through the second end toward at least a sidewall of the interior. 27. The adsorption bed of example 25 or example 26, wherein the interior has a first pressure when the valve is in the first configuration and a second pressure less than the first pressure when the valve is in the second configuration. 28. An adsorption bed comprising: an interior configured to store a nitrogen adsorbent material; and a seal assembly positioned at an end portion of the adsorption bed, comprising: a first seal element extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; and a second seal element extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; and a fluid channel defined between the first seal element and the second seal element and extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; one or more flow paths fluidly coupling the interior and the fluid channel; a seal assembly including: Equipped with The adsorption bed is configured to be inserted into a corresponding housing in a system for generating concentrated oxygen, and the adsorption bed is configured such that when inserted into the corresponding housing of the system, the fluid channels align with one or more ports in the housing. 29. An adsorption bed comprising: a cylindrical housing having an interior extending between a first end portion and a second end portion and configured to store a nitrogen adsorbent material; the adsorption bed includes a tapered portion proximate the second end portion; The interior dimensions of the interior decrease along the tapered portion, and the exterior dimensions of the cylindrical housing remain substantially the same along the tapered portion. Suction bed. 30. The adsorption bed of example 29, wherein the cylindrical housing includes a tapered portion. 31. The adsorption bed of example 29, wherein the adsorption bed includes a tapered portion insert, the tapered portion insert being positioned within the interior of the cylindrical housing and defining a tapered portion. 32. An adsorption bed according to any of examples 29-31, wherein the tapered portion has a linear tapering. 33. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 29-32, wherein the tapered portion has a convex tapering. 34. An adsorption bed according to any of examples 29-33, wherein the tapered portion has a concave tapering. 35. An adsorption bed according to any of Examples 29-34, wherein the inside dimension is an inside diameter. 36. The adsorption bed of example 35, wherein the inner diameter decreases from a first inner diameter at a first end of the tapered portion to a second inner diameter at a second end of the tapered portion. 37. The adsorption bed of example 36, wherein the first inner diameter is between about 1.25 inches and 2.25 inches and the second inner diameter is between about 0.25 inches and about 1.25 inches. 38. The adsorption bed of example 36 or example 37, wherein the ratio between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 5:1 to 1.5:1.

[0085] IV. Conclusion As one skilled in the art would understand from the disclosure herein, various components of the systems described above can be combined into a single system, device, or component. For example, an adsorption bed and / or oxygen assembly constructed in accordance with the present technology may include any combination of features described herein, including valves isolating the desiccant material from the nitrogen adsorbent material (e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 4), helical inserts for optimizing the aspect ratio (e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 5A-5D), valves for varying the size of the inlet / outlet ports (e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 6A-6C), flow control elements for varying the flow path during various stages of the oxygen generation cycle (e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 7A and 7B), and / or tapered sections for varying the inside dimensions of the adsorption bed (e.g., as described with respect to FIG. 8A-9). Similarly, any of the aforementioned features can be incorporated into the ventilators described herein with reference to FIG. 1-3B, into other ventilators with integrated oxygen production, or into a stand-alone oxygen concentrator. As those skilled in the art will further appreciate, various components of the system described above may be omitted, and / or additional components not explicitly described above may be added to the system without departing from the scope of the present technology. For example, while specific embodiments of the present technology are described herein for illustrative purposes, it should be understood that well-known structures and functions have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present technology. Also, while specific embodiments of the present technology and examples thereof are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present technology, as those skilled in the art will recognize. For example, although steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform steps in a different order. The various embodiments described herein may also be combined to provide further embodiments. Thus, the present technology is not limited to the configurations specifically identified herein, but rather encompasses variations and modifications of the systems and methods described.

[0086] Moreover, although advantages associated with some embodiments of the present technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments necessarily need to exhibit such advantages, to fall within the scope of the present technology. Thus, the present disclosure and associated technology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein.

[0087] Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and examples, the words "comprise", "comprising" and the like are to be interpreted in an inclusive sense, i.e., "including, but not limited to," as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense. As used herein, the terms "connected", "coupled", or any variation thereof, mean any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements, and the coupling or coupling between the elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. In addition, the words "herein", "above", "below", and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above detailed description using the singular or plural may also include the plural or singular, respectively. As used herein, the phrase "and / or", such as in "A and / or B" refers to A only, B only, and A and B. Furthermore, where specific integers that have known equivalents in the art to which the embodiments pertain are referred to herein, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein to the same extent as if individually set forth.

Claims

1. 1. A ventilator system with integrated oxygen production, the ventilator system comprising: A housing and one or more air intakes within the housing configured to receive air from outside the housing; a ventilation assembly positioned within the housing and configured to provide the received air to a ventilation delivery circuit during an inhalation phase of breathing; an oxygen assembly positioned within the housing and configured to provide concentrated oxygen to an oxygen delivery circuit during an inspiratory phase of the breath, the oxygen assembly comprising:

1. An adsorption bed assembly comprising: an adsorption bed configured to generate the enriched oxygen from the received air; an integral panel coupled to an end portion of the adsorption bed; having the suction bed assembly is removable from the housing by a user, and when the suction bed assembly is positioned within the housing, the integral panel forms a part of an exterior surface of the housing. an oxygen assembly comprising: An artificial ventilator system comprising:

2. 10. The ventilator system of claim 1, wherein the sorption bed assembly further comprises an attachment mechanism configured to releasably couple the integration panel to the housing.

3. 3. The ventilator system of claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a latching member pivotally coupled to the integrating panel, the latching member pivotally movable between a first position in which the integrating panel is locked to the housing and a second position in which the integrating panel is unlocked from the housing.

4. 3. The ventilator system of claim 2, wherein the attachment mechanism includes: (i) a keyway rotatable between locked and unlocked positions; and (ii) a wire bail movable between locked and unlocked positions, the attachment mechanism being configured such that both the keyway and the wire bail must be in the unlocked position to disengage the suction bed assembly from the housing.

5. 2. The ventilator system of claim 1, wherein the adsorption bed assembly includes a first end portion having one or more first airflow ports configured to receive the received air and a second end portion having one or more second airflow ports configured to output the concentrated oxygen.

6. 6. The ventilator system of claim 5, wherein the integration panel includes the one or more second airflow ports.

7. 7. The ventilator system of claim 6, wherein the integration panel further includes a fluid transfer area fluidly coupling the sorbent bed and the one or more second airflow ports.

8. 6. The ventilator system of claim 5, wherein the one or more first airflow ports have corresponding one or more first airflow axes and the one or more second airflow ports have corresponding one or more second airflow axes, the one or more first airflow axes being parallel to the one or more second airflow axes.

9. 6. The ventilator system of claim 5, wherein the one or more first airflow ports have corresponding one or more first airflow axes and the one or more second airflow ports have corresponding one or more second airflow axes, the one or more first airflow axes being generally perpendicular to the one or more second airflow axes.

10. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing defining an interior of the adsorption bed, the interior of the adsorption bed defining an interior dimension of the adsorption bed; an elongated spiral insert positioned within the housing, the elongated spiral insert having an outer dimension approximately the same as an inner dimension of the sorption bed; Equipped with the helical insert defines a first flow path through the interior and a second flow path through the interior distinct from the first flow path, the first flow path and the second flow path being fluidly isolated along a substantial portion of their respective lengths.

11. 11. The adsorption bed of claim 10, wherein the first flow path has a first length, the second flow path has a second length, and the adsorption bed has a third length, the third length being less than the first length and the second length.

12. 12. The adsorption bed of claim 11, wherein said first length is approximately the same as said second length.

13. 11. The suction bed of claim 10, wherein the inner dimension is the inner diameter of the suction bed and the outer dimension is the outer diameter of the helical insert.

14. 11. The adsorption bed of claim 10, wherein the helical insert has a constant pitch.

15. 11. The adsorption bed of claim 10, wherein the helical insert has a variable pitch that varies along a longitudinal axis of the helical insert.

16. 16. The adsorption bed of claim 15, wherein the variable pitch includes a first pitch proximate a first end of the adsorption bed configured to receive air and a second pitch opposite the first end proximate a second end of the adsorption bed configured to output concentrated oxygen, the second pitch being greater than the first pitch.

17. 11. The adsorption bed of claim 10, wherein an end region of the first flow path is fluidly coupled to an end region of the second flow path such that the first flow path and the second flow path are fluidly coupled in series.

18. 20. The adsorption bed of claim 17, further comprising a valve positioned between the first and second flow paths, the valve being transitional between (i) a first configuration in which the valve does not prevent gas from flowing between the first and second flow paths, and (ii) a second configuration in which the valve substantially prevents gas from flowing between the first and second flow paths.

19. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing defining an interior of the adsorption bed, the interior including a first flow path and a second flow path; a valve positioned between the first flow path and the second flow path, the valve being transitionable between (i) a first configuration in which the first flow path and the second flow path are fluidly connected, and (ii) a second configuration in which the first flow path and the second flow path are fluidly isolated; Equipped with The valve is configured to be in the first configuration during an adsorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle and in the second configuration during a desorption phase of the oxygen generation cycle.

20. 20. The adsorption bed of claim 19, wherein the first flow path has a first length, the second flow path has a second length, and the adsorption bed has a third length, the sum of the first length and the second length being greater than the third length.

21. 20. The adsorption bed of claim 19, wherein the adsorption bed has a first aspect ratio when the valve is in the first configuration and a second aspect ratio less than the first aspect ratio when the valve is in the second configuration.

22. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: A housing and a desiccant material portion within the housing and configured to contain a desiccant material; a nitrogen adsorbent material portion within the housing and configured to contain a nitrogen adsorbent material; a valve positioned within the housing between the desiccant material portion and the nitrogen adsorbent material portion, the valve being movable between a first configuration in which the desiccant material portion is fluidly coupled to the nitrogen adsorbent material portion and a second configuration in which the desiccant material portion is fluidly isolated from the nitrogen adsorbent material portion; An adsorption bed comprising:

23. 23. An adsorption bed as claimed in claim 22, wherein the valve is configured to be in the first configuration when the adsorption bed is in use and to be in the second configuration when the adsorption bed is not in use.

24. 23. The adsorption bed of claim 22, wherein when the valve is in the second configuration, the valve is configured to prevent moisture trapped within the desiccant material portion from migrating into the nitrogen adsorbent material portion.

25. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: a housing having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and an interior extending between the first end and the second end; one or more first openings at the first end; one or more second openings at the second end; and a valve positioned at the second end, the valve being transitionable between (i) a first configuration in which the valve provides a first fluid resistance through the one or more second openings, and (ii) a second configuration in which the valve provides a second fluid resistance through the one or more second openings, the second fluid resistance being less than the first fluid resistance; Equipped with the valve is configured to be in the first configuration when gas flows from the first end toward the second end during an adsorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle, and to be in the second configuration when gas flows from the second end toward the first end during a desorption phase of an oxygen generation cycle.

26. 26. The adsorption bed of claim 25, wherein in said second configuration, said valve redirects at least a portion of said fluid flowing through said second end towards at least a side wall of said interior.

27. 26. The adsorption bed of claim 25, wherein the interior has a first pressure when the valve is in the first configuration and a second pressure less than the first pressure when the valve is in the second configuration.

28. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: an interior configured to store a nitrogen adsorbent material; a seal assembly positioned at an end portion of the adsorption bed, the seal assembly comprising: a first seal element extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; a second seal element extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; and a fluid channel defined between the first seal element and the second seal element and extending at least partially around an outer periphery of the seal assembly; one or more flow paths fluidly coupling the interior and the fluid channel; a seal assembly including: Equipped with The adsorption bed is configured to be inserted into a corresponding housing in a system for generating concentrated oxygen, and the adsorption bed is configured such that when inserted into the corresponding housing of the system, the fluid channels align with one or more ports in the housing.

29. 1. An adsorption bed comprising: A cylindrical housing extending between a first end portion and a second end portion and having an interior configured to contain a nitrogen adsorbent material. Equipped with the adsorption bed includes a tapered portion proximate the second end portion; An adsorption bed wherein the interior dimensions of said interior decrease along said tapered portion and the exterior dimensions of said cylindrical housing remain substantially the same along said tapered portion.

30. 30. The adsorption bed of claim 29, wherein said cylindrical housing includes said tapered portion.

31. 30. The adsorption bed of claim 29, wherein said adsorption bed includes a tapered portion insert, said tapered portion insert being positioned within an interior of said cylindrical housing and defining said tapered portion.

32. 30. The adsorption bed of claim 29, wherein the tapered portion has a linear taper.

33. 30. An adsorption bed as claimed in claim 29, wherein said tapered portion has a convex taper.

34. 30. An adsorption bed as claimed in claim 29, wherein said tapered portion has a concave tapering.

35. 30. The adsorption bed of claim 29, wherein said inside dimension is an inside diameter.

36. 36. An adsorption bed as claimed in claim 35, wherein said inner diameter decreases from a first inner diameter at a first end of said tapered portion to a second inner diameter at a second end of said tapered portion.

37. 37. The adsorption bed of claim 36, wherein said first inner diameter is between about 1.25 inches and 2.25 inches and said second inner diameter is between about 0.25 inches and about 1.25 inches.

38. 37. The adsorption bed of claim 36, wherein the ratio between said first inner diameter and said second inner diameter is about 5:1 to 1.5:1.

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