Breathing aid

Abstract

This invention provides a respiratory support device. [Solution] The respiratory support device 10 has a housing 100 having a recess 108. A guard 200 is attached to the housing 10, and the guard has a base 201 and a barrier 251. At least a portion of the base 201 is flexible. The barrier 251 is movable between a covering position in which the barrier 251 partially covers the recess 108 and an access position in which the recess 108 is covered to a lesser extent by the barrier 251 or is not covered at all. The at least portion of the base 201 is configured to bend when the barrier 251 moves between the covering position and the access position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a respiratory assistance device.

Background Art

[0002] Respiratory assistance devices are used to deliver a gas flow to a user or patient in various environments such as hospitals, medical facilities, home care, or within a home. Respiratory assistance devices take various forms, such as self - contained humidification devices, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, high - flow therapy devices, or ventilators.

[0003] Self - contained humidification devices can deliver heated and humidified gas for various medical procedures including respiratory therapy, laparoscopy, and others. These devices can be configured to control temperature and / or humidity. The device can also include a medical circuit containing various components that can be used to transport heated and / or humidified gas to and from the patient. For example, in some respiratory circuits, the gas inhaled by the patient is delivered from a heater - humidifier through an inspiratory tube or conduit. As another example, a tube can deliver humidified gas (commonly CO2) into the abdomen within the delivery circuit. This can help prevent drying out of the patient's internal organs, i.e., "drying out", thereby shortening the time required for postoperative recovery. The heater wire extends at least partially inside the tubing forming the circuit to prevent or at least reduce the possibility of significant condensation formation.

[0004] Self - contained humidification devices typically include a heater base and a humidifying liquid chamber. The heater base can include a heating plate. The liquid chamber can be configured to hold a volume of liquid such as water. The heating plate can be configured to heat a volume of liquid held within the liquid chamber to generate steam.

[0005] The liquid chamber is removable from the heater base, which facilitates sterilization or disposal of the liquid chamber, or refilling the chamber with liquid. The body of the liquid chamber can be formed from non-conductive glass or plastic material, but the liquid chamber may also include conductive components. For example, the liquid chamber may include a highly thermally conductive bottom (e.g., an aluminum bottom) that contacts or is associated with the heating plate on the heater base.

[0006] The heater base may also include an electronic controller, such as a master controller. Based on user inputs of humidity or temperature values ​​and other inputs via a user interface, the master controller determines when (or to what extent) to excite the heating plate to heat the liquid in the liquid chamber.

[0007] A self-contained humidifier may include a gas supply unit for delivering gas to a liquid chamber. In some configurations, the gas supply unit may also include a ventilator, blower, or any other suitable source of pressurized gas suitable for use in respiratory or medical procedures.

[0008] Self-contained humidifiers can be used in respiratory therapy, positive pressure therapy, non-invasive ventilation, surgical procedures including but not limited to laparoscopic surgery, and other applications. Preferably, the humidifier can be configured to supply moisture or vapor to the gas supply unit. Humidifiers can be used in continuous, variable, or bilevel PAP systems or other forms of respiratory therapy. In some configurations, humidifiers can be integrated into systems providing any of these types of therapy.

[0009] An example of a self-contained humidifier is described in International Publication No. 2015 / 038013.

[0010] A CPAP device is a gas supply and may also be a gas humidifier. This device is capable of providing respiratory support to patients or users who require positive pressure gas (humidified or otherwise) for the treatment of conditions including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), snoring, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and others. A CPAP device typically includes a humidifier liquid chamber, forming a complex of an assisted breathing unit and a humidifier.

[0011] CPAP devices, when used with a humidifier, typically have a structure in which gas at the required pressure is delivered from an assisted breathing unit or blower unit to a liquid chamber downstream of the blower. The gas is saturated with liquid vapor (e.g., water vapor) as it passes through the liquid chamber. A flexible tubular gas conduit delivers the gas from the humidifier chamber to the user or patient downstream.

[0012] An example of a CPAP device is described in International Publication No. 2011 / 056080.

[0013] High-flow devices may be used to deliver high-flow gases or high-flow therapies to patients to assist respiration and / or to treat respiratory disorders, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). High-flow devices include a gas supply unit and typically include a humidifier.

[0014] A respiratory support device typically has one or more attachments, such as a respiratory conduit, and a patient interface, such as a cannula or mask, for delivering gas to the patient. The conduit allows the gas to be delivered from the respiratory support device housing to the patient. For example, the device may be placed on the floor or other support surface, and the patient may be in bed. The respiratory support device may have a recess for receiving a humidifier liquid chamber. The liquid chamber receives liquid, for example, from a flexible liquid bag that delivers liquid to the humidifier liquid chamber via one or more tubes. Alternatively, the liquid chamber can be removed and refilled as needed. The recess houses a heating plate for heating the liquid chamber, and the gas passing through the liquid chamber is humidified. The humidified gas is then delivered to the patient. [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] According to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed, comprising a housing having a recess and a guard attached to the housing, wherein the guard comprises a base and a barrier, at least a portion of the base being flexible, and the barrier being movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess and an access position in which the recess is less covered or no longer covered by the barrier, and the at least portion of the base being configured to bend when the barrier is moved between the covering position and the access position.

[0016] In some configurations, the guard base is attached to the housing base.

[0017] In some configurations, the guard base is attached to the housing base by one or more fasteners.

[0018] In some configurations, the guard is fixed to the outside of the housing and can be replaced without disassembling the housing.

[0019] In some configurations, the barrier is configured to function as a bumper.

[0020] In some configurations, the base of the guard is configured such that the barrier can only move in two opposite directions by substantially bending the base of the guard, and that even if one area of ​​the barrier is pushed by the user, the barrier cannot be substantially moved in the other direction by bending the base of the guard.

[0021] In some configurations, the guard is configured so as not to twist around an axis that runs along the base and through the guard's barrier in the front-to-back direction.

[0022] In some configurations, the respiratory support device includes a heating plate in a recess, the recess is configured to removably receive a liquid chamber, and a guard protects the base of the liquid chamber from user contact when the barrier is in the covering position and the liquid chamber is in the recess.

[0023] In some configurations, the base of the liquid chamber includes a base flange, and a guard protects the base flange from user contact when the barrier is in a covering position and the liquid chamber is in a recess.

[0024] In some configurations, the recess is configured to removably receive a liquid chamber, and the barrier prevents the liquid chamber from being inserted into or removed from the recess without bending the base of the guard.

[0025] In some configurations, the base of the guard can be bent by pushing against the barrier.

[0026] In some configurations, the base of the guard can be bent by moving the liquid chamber away from the recess.

[0027] In some configurations, the barrier is configured to move from the covering position to the access position by contact between the liquid chamber and the contact surface of the barrier when the liquid chamber is moved in the removal direction.

[0028] In some configurations, the contact surface of the barrier is at an angle greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally 100 degrees to 170 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally 110 degrees to 135 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally 120 degrees to 130 degrees with respect to the removal direction, and optionally 125 degrees, other than perpendicular, with respect to the removal direction.

[0029] In some configurations, the barrier is configured such that bending of the guard base cannot be achieved by moving the liquid chamber in the removal direction from the recess.

[0030] In some configurations, the barrier is configured such that the barrier does not move from the covering position by contact between the liquid chamber and the contact surface of the barrier in the removal direction of the liquid chamber.

[0031] In some configurations, the contact surface is at an angle of about 90 degrees or less with respect to the removal direction of the liquid chamber.

[0032] In some configurations, the barrier is biased to the covering position.

[0033] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function to bias the barrier to the covering position between the housing and the guard.

[0034] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function between the housing and the barrier.

[0035] In some configurations, at least a portion of the guard base is elastically flexible and biases the barrier to the covering position.

[0036] In some configurations, the base of the guard includes one or more discharge ports or discharge spaces so that liquid can be discharged through or around the base of the guard.

[0037] In some configurations, the housing includes a projection, and the base of the guard includes a complementary hole that receives the projection and resists horizontal movement of the base of the guard.

[0038] In some configurations, the guard is formed integrally with the housing or fixed to the housing.

[0039] In addition, according to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed, the respiratory assist device comprising: a housing having a recess configured to removably receive a liquid chamber; and a guard including a barrier, the barrier being movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess and overlaps with a portion of the liquid chamber when the liquid chamber is in the recess, and an access position in which the recess is less covered or not covered by the barrier and the barrier exposes that portion of the liquid chamber, the barrier being biased toward the covering position and the barrier being configured to move from the covering position to the access position by moving the liquid chamber toward the removal position from the recess.

[0040] In some configurations, the barrier is configured to move from a covered position to an accessible position due to contact between the liquid chamber and the contact surface of the barrier as the liquid chamber is moved in the removal direction.

[0041] In some configurations, the contact surface of the barrier is at an angle other than perpendicular, which is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally between 100 and 170 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally between 110 and 135 degrees with respect to the removal direction, optionally between 120 and 130 degrees with respect to the removal direction, and optionally between 125 degrees with respect to the removal direction.

[0042] In some configurations, the portion of the liquid chamber includes the front edge of the base flange of the liquid chamber, and the contact surface is configured to contact substantially the entire front edge of the base flange when the liquid chamber is moved in the removal direction.

[0043] In some configurations, the recess includes a liquid chamber retaining guide rail, which is open to the front, with the rear and sides of the base flange below the guide rail, and the front edge of the base flange exposed from the guide rail, allowing the liquid chamber to be inserted into the recess.

[0044] In some configurations, the contact surface maintains a constant angle across the entire contact surface between the liquid chamber and the barrier when viewed from the side.

[0045] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function to bias the barrier to a covered position between the housing and the guard.

[0046] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function between the housing and the barrier.

[0047] In some configurations, the barrier is linearly movable between the covering position and the access position.

[0048] In some configurations, a portion of the guard is elastically flexible, biasing the barrier towards its covering position.

[0049] In some configurations, the guard is formed integrally with the housing or fixed to the housing.

[0050] In addition, according to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed which includes a housing having a recess and a guard attached to the housing, the guard being a barrier which is movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess and an access position in which the recess is covered to a lesser extent by the barrier or is not covered at all, the guard being fixed to the outside of the housing and replaceable without disassembling the housing.

[0051] In some configurations, the barrier is configured to function as a bumper.

[0052] In some configurations, the guard covers the front outer portion of the recess.

[0053] In some configurations, the guard is fixed to the base of the housing.

[0054] In some configurations, the guard can be removed from the housing by releasing the fasteners.

[0055] In some configurations, the guard has a color that represents the intended function of the respiratory support device.

[0056] In some configurations, the recess is configured to removably receive a liquid chamber.

[0057] In addition, according to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed, the respiratory assist device comprising a housing having a gas port and a recess configured to removably receive a liquid chamber having a base flange having a rear surface, sides and a front edge, the recess configured to removably receive the liquid chamber by moving the liquid chamber into the recess in a rearward insertion direction with the rear surface of the base flange being inserted first, and a guard including a barrier, the barrier movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess when the liquid chamber is in the recess and overlaps with the front edge of the base flange of the liquid chamber and an access position in which the recess is less covered or not covered by the barrier and the barrier exposes the front edge of the base flange, the barrier including a laterally extending body portion and two upright portions on each side of the laterally extending body portion or adjacent thereto.

[0058] In some configurations, the base flange has a substantially circular peripheral shape.

[0059] In some configurations, the respiratory support device includes a heating plate within a recess, and a guard protects the base flange of the liquid chamber from contact by the user.

[0060] In some configurations, the barrier prevents the liquid chamber from being inserted into or removed from the recess when the barrier is in the covering position.

[0061] In some configurations, the barrier is biased towards the covering position.

[0062] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function to bias the barrier to a covered position between the housing and the guard.

[0063] In some configurations, one or more biasing devices function between the housing and the barrier.

[0064] In some configurations, a portion of the guard is elastically flexible, biasing the barrier towards its covering position.

[0065] In some configurations, the barrier is raised relative to the housing at the covering position and lowered relative to the housing at the access position.

[0066] In some configurations, the barrier can be moved to the access position by activating the guard.

[0067] In some configurations, the guard is configured to be activated by pushing the barrier downwards.

[0068] In some configurations, each upright portion includes an enlarged upper finger contact area for the user to press to activate the guard.

[0069] In some configurations, each upright portion includes a narrow section below the upper finger contact area that accommodates the base of the liquid chamber when the guard is in the access position.

[0070] In some configurations, the guard includes a base that is attached to the housing, and the barrier extends from the tip of the base of the guard where it attaches to the housing.

[0071] In some configurations, at least a portion of the base is flexible, and the said portion of the base is configured to bend as the guard moves.

[0072] In some configurations, the base of the guard is configured such that the barrier can only move in two opposite directions by substantially bending the base of the guard, and that even if one area of ​​the barrier is pushed by the user, the barrier cannot be moved in the other direction by substantially bending the base of the guard.

[0073] In some configurations, the guard is configured to prevent twisting along the base and around an axis extending in the front-to-back direction through the guard's barrier.

[0074] In some configurations, the surface of the upright portion is configured to interact with the support portion of the housing during the movement of the guard to prevent the guard from becoming restrained.

[0075] In some configurations, the support portion includes an extension member, and the surface of the upright portion is configured to slide against the extension member for at least part of the movement of the guard.

[0076] In some configurations, the surface is substantially a vertical plane.

[0077] In some configurations, the guard is formed integrally with the housing or fixed to the housing.

[0078] In some configurations, the recess includes a liquid chamber retaining guide rail, which is open to the front, with the rear and sides of the base flange below the guide rail, and the front edge of the base flange exposed from the guide rail, allowing the liquid chamber to be inserted into the recess.

[0079] In some configurations, the housing is the main housing of the respiratory support device.

[0080] In some configurations, the gas port is an outlet port, the housing includes a motor recess, and the motor module is received in the motor recess to deliver the gas to the liquid chamber via the outlet port.

[0081] In some configurations, the gas port is an inlet port and is configured to be connected to the gas outlet port of the liquid chamber.

[0082] In some configurations, the housing further includes an outlet port for delivering gas from the liquid chamber to the patient conduit.

[0083] In addition, according to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed, comprising a housing having a recess and a guard attached to the housing, the guard comprising a base and a barrier, the barrier comprising a laterally extending body portion and a side portion of the laterally extending body portion or an adjacent upright portion, at least a portion of the base being flexible, the barrier being movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess and an access position in which the recess is less covered or not covered by the barrier by force applied by a user to the upright portion, the at least portion of the base being configured to bend as the barrier moves between the covering position and the access position, the base being configured such that the barrier can only move in two opposite directions between the covering position and the access position by substantially bending the base of the guard, and that even if one area of ​​the barrier is pressed by a user, the barrier cannot move in the other direction by substantially bending the base of the guard.

[0084] In some configurations, the guard is configured so as not to twist around an axis that extends along the base and through the guard's barrier in the front-to-back direction.

[0085] In some configurations, the surface of the upright portion is configured to interact with the support portion of the housing during the movement of the guard to prevent the guard from becoming restrained.

[0086] In some configurations, the support portion includes an extension member, and the surface of the upright portion is configured to slide against the extension member for at least part of the movement of the guard.

[0087] In some configurations, the surface is substantially a vertical plane.

[0088] In some configurations, the barrier includes other upright portions opposite to, or adjacent to, the laterally extending main body portion.

[0089] In some configurations, the surface of the upright portion is configured to interact with the support portion of the housing during the movement of the guard to prevent the guard from being restrained.

[0090] In some configurations, the support portion includes an extension member, and the surface of the upright portion is configured to slide against the extension member for at least part of the movement of the guard.

[0091] In some configurations, the surface is substantially a vertical plane.

[0092] In some configurations, the base is attached to the housing, and the barrier extends from a position on the base that is further forward than the portion of the base that attaches to the housing.

[0093] In some configurations, the respiratory assist device includes a heating plate within a recess, the recess is configured to removably receive a liquid chamber, and a guard protects the base of the liquid chamber from user contact when the barrier is in the covering position and the liquid chamber is inside the recess.

[0094] In some configurations, the recess is configured to removably receive a liquid chamber, and the barrier prevents the liquid chamber from being inserted into or removed from the recess without bending the base of the guard.

[0095] In some configurations, the base of the guard can be bent by moving the liquid chamber out of the recess in a removable direction.

[0096] In some configurations, the guard is formed integrally with the housing or fixed to the housing.

[0097] In some configurations, the guard is secured to the housing by at least two spaced-apart fasteners.

[0098] In addition, according to at least one particular feature, aspect, and advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein, a respiratory assist device is disclosed, the respiratory assist device comprising: a housing having a recess, including an outer surface having a first color and a portion having a second color different from the first color; a guard attached to the housing and having a color different from the second color, the guard including a barrier movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess and a position in which the recess is less covered or not covered by the barrier, wherein the barrier is configured to cover the portion having the second color when the barrier is in the covering position so that the portion having the second color is not visible from outside the device; and the barrier is configured to expose the portion having the second color when the barrier is not in the covering position so that the portion having the second color is visible from outside the device when the barrier is not in the covering position.

[0099] In some configurations, the guard has a third color that is different from the first and second colors.

[0100] In some configurations, the portion having a second color includes an extension member positioned behind and / or below a portion of the barrier when the barrier is in the covering position.

[0101] In some configurations, the barrier includes a laterally extending body portion and an upright portion located laterally to or adjacent to the laterally extending body portion, wherein the extension member is positioned behind and / or below the upright portion when the barrier is in the covering position, and the extension member is exposed by the upright portion when the barrier is not in the covering position.

[0102] In some configurations, the barrier includes another upright portion on the opposite side of a laterally extending main body portion, or adjacent thereto, and the housing includes another extension member having a second color, the extension member positioned behind and / or below the other upright portion when the barrier is in the covering position, and the extension member is exposed by the other upright portion when the barrier is not in the covering position.

[0103] In some configurations, the portion having the second color is visible from above and / or the side of the respiratory support device when the barrier is not in the covering position.

[0104] In some configurations, the housing includes an upper chassis and a lower chassis, the upper chassis including an outer surface having a first color, and the lower chassis including a portion having a second color.

[0105] One or more features of an embodiment or configuration may be combined with one or more features of other embodiments or configurations. Furthermore, two or more embodiments may be used together during the process of patient respiratory support.

[0106] References to the range of numbers disclosed herein (e.g., 1 to 10) include references to all rational numbers within that range (e.g., 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9, and 10) and to all ranges of rational numbers within that range (e.g., 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5, and 3.1 to 4.7), and are therefore intended to expressly disclose all sub-parts of all ranges expressly disclosed herein. These are merely examples of what is specifically intended, and all conceivable combinations of numbers between the listed minimum and maximum values ​​should be considered expressly disclosed herein as well.

[0107] Alternative embodiments or configurations may include any combination of two or more parts, elements, or features illustrated, described, or referenced herein.

[0108] The present invention may also be broadly said to consist of each or any set of parts, elements, and features referred to or indicated in the specification of this application, and any and all combinations of any two or more of the aforementioned parts, elements, or features.

[0109] A person skilled in the art to which this invention relates will be able to conceive of many modifications in the configuration and various embodiments and applications of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. The disclosures and descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any sense. Where a specific integer having an equivalent known in the art to which this invention relates is described herein, such known equivalents shall be deemed to be included in this application as if they were individually specified.

[0110] As used herein, the term "comprising" means "consisting of at least part of." When interpreting each statement containing the term "comprising" in this specification, other characteristics may also exist besides those associated with the term. Related variations such as "comprise" and "comprises" shall be interpreted similarly.

[0111] As used herein, the noun ending "(s)" signifies the plural and / or singular form of that noun.

[0112] As used herein, the term “and / or” means “and” or “or” or both, where the context makes it possible.

[0113] The present invention envisions the configurations described above as well as those described below, but these are merely examples.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will understand the specific embodiments and improvements thereof by reading the detailed description with reference to the drawings below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0115] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the schematic form of a respiratory support device. [Figure 2] This is a front / right-side overhead perspective view of the respiratory support device, showing the liquid chamber positioned within a recess in the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 3] This is a front / left-side overhead perspective view of the respiratory support device with the liquid chamber removed from the recess of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 4] This is a left-hand view of the liquid chamber located within the recess and the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the liquid chamber located within the recess and the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 6] This is a bottom view of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 7] This is a front / right-side overhead perspective view of the guard of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 8] This is an overhead view of the rear / left side of the guardrail. [Figure 9] This is a bottom view of the guard. [Figure 10] This is a bottom view of the upper wall of the guard barrier, showing the biasing device receiving mechanism. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of one mounting device for attaching a guard to the housing of a respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view of the alignment projection of the housing, extending through the complementary holes in the guard. [Figure 13] This is a disassembled lower right perspective view of the guard and part of the housing of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 14] This is an overhead view of the recess in the respiratory support device base unit with the heating plate removed, showing the exhaust port. [Figure 15] This is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the base of the recess of the respiratory support device base unit with the heating plate removed, showing the biasing device receiving mechanism and the biasing device. [Figure 16] This is a partial cross-sectional left side view of the respiratory support device base unit, showing the position of the liquid chamber base relative to the guard barrier. [Figure 17] This is a schematic side view showing the angle α between the barrier contact surface 24e and the removal direction RD of the liquid chamber. [Figure 18]This is a front / right-side overhead perspective view of the liquid chamber holding rail of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 19] This is a side cross-sectional view of the liquid chamber holding rail along line 19-19 in Figure 18. [Figure 20] Figure 18 is a front cross-sectional view of the liquid chamber holding rail along line 20-20. [Figure 21] This is a bottom view of the liquid chamber with its base flange positioned on the liquid chamber holding rail. [Figure 22] This is a right-side front cross-sectional view of the respiratory assist device base unit, showing the assembly of the upper and lower chassis portions of the housing and the liquid chamber holding rail. [Figure 23] This is an overhead view of the recess in the respiratory support device base unit, showing an alternative exhaust port. [Figure 24] This is a partial cross-sectional front view of the area of ​​the lateral discharge port of the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 25] This is a partial cross-sectional side view of the central discharge port area of ​​the respiratory support device base unit. [Figure 26] This is an enlarged front / left-side overhead perspective view of the anterior region of the respiratory support device base unit, showing the barrier 251 in the covering position. [Figure 27] This corresponds to Figure 26, and shows the barrier 251 in the access position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0116] 1. Introduction A respiratory support device 10 for delivering a flow of gas (which may contain one or more gases) to a patient is shown in Figure 1. The device 10 may be, for example, a CPAP device or a high-flow device. An exemplary CPAP device is described in International Publication No. 2011 / 056080, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0117] A CPAP device may be a gas supply unit or a gas humidifier. This device is capable of providing respiratory support to patients or users who require positive pressure gas (humidified or otherwise) for the treatment of conditions including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), snoring, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and others. A CPAP device typically includes a humidifying liquid chamber, forming a complex of an assisted breathing unit and a humidifier.

[0118] CPAP devices, when used with a humidifier, typically have a structure in which gas at the required pressure is delivered from an assisted breathing unit or blower unit to a liquid chamber downstream of the blower. The gas is saturated with liquid vapor (e.g., water vapor) as it passes through the liquid chamber. A flexible tubular gas conduit delivers the gas from the humidifier chamber to the user or patient downstream.

[0119] High-flow devices may be used to deliver high-flow gases or high-flow therapies to patients to assist respiration and / or to treat respiratory disorders, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). High-flow devices include a gas supply unit and typically include a humidifier.

[0120] A respiratory support device typically has one or more attachments, such as a respiratory conduit, and a patient interface, such as a cannula or mask, for delivering gas to the patient. The conduit allows the gas to be delivered from the respiratory support device housing to the patient. For example, the device may be placed on the floor or other support surface, and the patient may be in bed. The respiratory support device may have a recess for receiving a humidifier liquid chamber. The liquid chamber receives liquid, for example, from a flexible liquid bag that delivers liquid to the humidifier liquid chamber via one or more tubes. Alternatively, the liquid chamber may be removable and refilled as needed. The recess houses a heating plate for heating the liquid chamber, and the gas passing through the liquid chamber is humidified. The humidified gas is then delivered to the patient.

[0121] Broadly speaking, the device 10 includes a main housing 100 which houses a flow generator 11 in the form of a motor / impeller device, a humidifier 12, a controller 13, and a user I / O interface 14 (including, for example, input devices such as a display and buttons, a touchscreen, or the like). The controller 13 is configured or programmed to control the components of the device, including operating the flow generator 11 to generate a gas flow for delivery to the patient, operating the humidifier 12 to humidify and / or heat the generated gas flow, and receiving user input from the user interface 14 for reconfiguring and / or operating the device 10 as determined by the user, and outputting information to the user (for example, on the display). The user may be a patient, a healthcare worker, or any other person interested in using the device.

[0122] The patient respiratory conduit 16 is connected to a gas flow output or patient exit port 30 in the housing 100 of the respiratory support device 10 and to a patient interface 17 such as a nasal cannula equipped with a manifold 19 and nasal prongs 18. In addition, or alternatively, the patient respiratory conduit 16 can be connected to a face mask. In addition, or alternatively, the patient respiratory conduit can be connected to a nasal pillow mask and / or nasal mask and / or tracheostomy interface, or any other suitable type of patient interface. The gas flow generated by the respiratory support device 10 may be humidified and delivered to the patient through the patient respiratory conduit 16 and the patient interface 17. The patient respiratory conduit 16 may have a heating wire 16a that heats the gas flow passing to the patient. The heating wire 16a is under the control of the controller 13. The patient respiratory conduit 16 and / or the patient interface 17 can be considered as part of the respiratory support device 10, or alternatively as peripheral devices thereof. The respiratory support device 10, the respiratory conduit 16, and the patient interface 17 may collectively form a respiratory support system or, in some configurations, a flow therapy system.

[0123] The general operation of the exemplary respiratory support device 10 is known to those skilled in the art and does not need to be described in detail here. However, broadly speaking, the controller 13 controls the flow generator 11 to generate a gas flow of a desired rate, controls one or more valves to control the mixing of air with oxygen or other alternative gases, and / or controls the humidifier 12 to humidify and / or heat the gas flow to an appropriate level. The gas flow is directed to the patient through the patient respiratory conduit 16 and the patient interface 17. The controller 13 can also control the heating element of the humidifier 12 and / or the heating element 16a in the patient respiratory conduit 16 to heat the gas to a desired temperature to achieve a desired level of treatment and / or comfort for the patient. The controller 13 can be programmed or specified to an appropriate target temperature for the gas flow.

[0124] Motion sensors 3a, 3b, 3c, 20, and 25, such as flow, temperature, humidity, and / or pressure sensors, can be installed in various locations within the respiratory support device 10 and / or in the patient respiratory conduit 16 and / or patient interface 17. Outputs from the sensors are received by the controller 13, which can be used to operate the respiratory support device 10 in a manner that provides optimal therapy. In some configurations, providing optimal therapy includes meeting the patient's inspiratory flow. The device 10 may have a transmitter and / or receiver 15, which allows the controller 13 to receive signals 8 from the sensors and / or control various components of the respiratory support device 10, including, but not limited to, the flow generator 11, the humidifier 12, and the heating wire 16a, or accessories or peripherals associated with the respiratory support device 10. In addition, or alternatively, the transmitter and / or receiver 15 may transmit data to a remote server or enable remote control of the device 10.

[0125] The respiratory support device 10 may be any suitable type of device, but in some configurations, it may deliver a high gas flow or high-flow therapy (e.g., air, oxygen, a mixture of other gases, or any combination thereof) to the patient to assist respiration and / or treat respiratory disease. In some configurations, the gas is oxygen or contains oxygen. In some configurations, the gas contains a mixture of oxygen and ambient air. High-flow therapy as discussed herein is given its typical and ordinary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, and generally refers to a respiratory support system that delivers a targeted flow of humidified respiratory gas through a patient interface that is intentionally unsealed, at a flow rate generally intended to meet or exceed the patient's inspiratory flow. Typical patient interfaces include, but are not limited to, nasal or tracheal patient interfaces. Typical flow rates for adults are often in the range of about 15 liters per minute (LPM) to about 70 liters per minute or more, but are not limited to these. Typical flow rates for pediatric patients (e.g., neonates, infants, and children) are often in the range of approximately 1 liter per minute to approximately 3 liters per minute or more per kilogram of patient weight, but are not limited to this range. High-flow therapy may also involve the administration of gas mixtures containing supplemental oxygen and / or therapeutic agents. High-flow therapy is often referred to as nasal high flow (NHF), humidified high flow nasal cannula (HHFNC), high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO), high-flow therapy (HFT), or tracheal high flow (THF), among other common names.

[0126] For example, in some configurations, for adult patients, "high-flow therapy" may refer to delivering gas to the patient at a flow rate of approximately 10 liters per minute (10 LPM) or more, for example, approximately 10 LPM to 100 LPM, or approximately 15 LPM to 95 LPM, or approximately 20 LPM to 90 LPM, or approximately 25 LPM to 85 LPM, or approximately 30 LPM to 80 LPM, or approximately 35 LPM to 75 LPM, or approximately 40 LPM to 70 LPM, or approximately 45 LPM to 65 LPM, or approximately 50 LPM to 60 LPM. In some configurations, for neonatal, infant, or child patients, “high-flow therapy” may refer to delivering gas to the patient at a flow rate greater than approximately 1 LPM, for example, approximately 1 LPM to approximately 25 LPM, or approximately 2 LPM to approximately 25 LPM, or approximately 2 LPM to approximately 5 LPM, or approximately 5 LPM to approximately 25 LPM, or approximately 5 LPM to approximately 10 LPM, or approximately 10 LPM to approximately 25 LPM, or approximately 10 LPM to approximately 20 LPM, or approximately 10 LPM to approximately 15 LPM, or approximately 20 LPM to approximately 25 LPM. High-flow therapy devices for adult patients, neonatal, infant, or child patients may, in some configurations, deliver gas to the patient at a flow rate of approximately 1 LPM to approximately 100 LPM, or at a flow rate within any of the partial ranges described above. The delivered gas may contain a certain percentage of oxygen. In some configurations, the percentage of oxygen in the delivery gas may be approximately 20% to 100%, or approximately 30% to 100%, or approximately 40% to 100%, or approximately 50% to 100%, or approximately 60% to 100%, or approximately 70% to 100%, or approximately 80% to 100%, or approximately 90% to 100%, or approximately 100%, or 100%.

[0127] High-flow therapy has been shown to be effective in meeting or exceeding a patient's inspiratory flow, increasing patient oxygenation, and / or reducing the work of breathing. In addition, high-flow therapy can produce a nasopharyngeal flushing effect, thereby delivering a high flow of incoming gas into the anatomical dead space of the upper airway. This creates a reservoir of fresh gas available with each breath, while simultaneously minimizing rebreathing of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc.

[0128] In one example of high-flow therapy, an unsealed or undealed user interface, such as a nasal cannula, is used. In CPAP, a sealed interface, such as a nasal mask, full-face mask, or nasal pillow, is typically used.

[0129] The patient interface 17 may be an unsealed interface to prevent barotrauma (e.g., tissue damage to the lungs or other respiratory organs due to pressure differences with respect to the atmosphere). The patient interface may be a nasal cannula with a manifold and nasal prongs, and / or a face mask, and / or a nasal pillow mask, and / or a nasal mask, and / or a tracheostomy interface, or any other suitable type of patient interface.

[0130] As described above, the respiratory support device 10 has various features to support the function, use, and / or configuration of the respiratory support device 10.

[0131] As shown in Figures 2-6, the respiratory support device 10 of the first configuration includes a respiratory support device base unit 50 having a main housing 100. The main housing 100 has a main housing upper chassis 102 and a main housing lower chassis 104.

[0132] The main housing of the base unit 50 has a peripheral wall arrangement. The peripheral wall arrangement defines a recess 108 that provides a humidifier liquid chamber bay for receiving a removable liquid chamber 151. The removable liquid chamber 151 contains a suitable liquid, such as water, for humidifying the gas to be delivered to the patient.

[0133] The base unit 50 of the device 10 has a guard 200, which will be described in more detail later. The barrier 251 of the guard overlaps with a portion of the liquid chamber 151 when the barrier of the guard is in the covering position and the liquid chamber is inside the recess 108, and exposes a portion of the liquid chamber 151 when the barrier of the guard 200 is in the access position and the liquid chamber 151 is inside the recess.

[0134] In the configuration shown in the figure, the peripheral wall arrangement of the lower chassis 104 of the main housing includes a substantially vertical left outer wall 109 oriented in the front-rear direction of the main housing 100, a substantially vertical right outer wall 111, and a substantially vertical rear outer wall 113 extending between and connecting the walls 109 and 111. The bottom wall 115 extends between the lower ends of the walls 109, 111, and 113, connecting them and forming the bottom of the apparatus and the substantially horizontal floor portion of the liquid chamber bay.

[0135] The floor portion of the recess 108 has a receiving portion 108a for a heating device, such as a heating plate 140 or other suitable heating element, used during the humidification process to heat the liquid in the liquid chamber 151. The heating plate 140 typically has a shape that substantially corresponds to the shape of the base 154 of the liquid chamber 151, for example, a circular shape. The heating plate 140 is elastically mounted on a biasing device, for example, a spring. The elastic mounting allows the heating plate to move downward to accommodate the liquid chamber 151 in the recess 108, while simultaneously maintaining good contact between the heating plate 140 and the base of the liquid chamber once the liquid chamber is inserted into the recess 108.

[0136] The lower chassis 104 of the main housing can be attached to the upper chassis 102 by either a suitable fastener such as a clip or a built-in mounting mechanism. When the lower chassis 104 of the main housing is attached to the upper chassis 102 of the main housing, the walls of the upper and lower chassis engage with each other.

[0137] As shown in Figure 6, the lower chassis 104 has a motor recess 121 which receives a motor module that may be permanently inserted into the recess or removable from the recess. The opening of the recess is provided adjacent to the rear edge of the bottom wall 115 and receives a removable motor module. The base 123 of the motor module covers the opening to the motor recess 121. The motor module includes a motor that forms a blower for generating a gas flow and may include one or more sensors for sensing the characteristics of the gas passing through the motor module. The motor module may include sensors for sensing the parameters of the gas flowing through the motor module.

[0138] The motor module and the housing of the base unit 50 of the device 10 are provided with suitable tubing and / or gas flow paths for delivering gas from one or more gas inlets of the base unit 50 of the device to the gas inlet port 157 of the liquid chamber 151 for humidifying the gas. The gas is delivered from the gas outlet port 159 of the liquid chamber 151 to the patient outlet port 30, and thereby to the patient via the patient respiratory conduit 16 and the patient interface 17.

[0139] In the illustrated configuration, the motor recess 121 includes a recessed opening in the bottom wall of the housing 100. Alternatively, the recessed opening may be located on a different part of the housing 100, for example, on the side, front, or top surface of the housing 100.

[0140] The base unit 50 of the device 10 may have a battery 125 for supplying power to the device in the event of a power outage or for portable use. The battery may be replaceable.

[0141] In the illustrated configuration, the battery 125 is connected to the outside of the rear wall of the device housing 100. This provides a large surface area for cooling the battery and reduces the amount of heat entering the device from the battery. In addition, this configuration reduces the impact of heat generated from the device's components on the battery, especially during battery charging. In an alternative configuration, the battery may be mounted inside the main housing.

[0142] As shown in Figure 4, the base unit 50 of the device 10 has a mounting mechanism 127 for attaching the device to a support device.

[0143] The mounting mechanism 127 may be formed integrally with a portion of the main housing 100 of the base unit 50 of the device 10. In the illustrated configuration, the mounting mechanism 127 is formed integrally with the left side wall 109 of the lower chassis 104 of the housing 100. Alternatively, the mounting mechanism 127 may be formed integrally with any other wall of the housing 100, for example, the rear wall, the right side wall, or any other wall.

[0144] The main housing 100 of the device may be made of any material suitable for integrally forming the mounting mechanism 127. For example, the housing 100 may be made of polycarbonate.

[0145] The integrated mounting mechanism 127 has higher impact strength compared to additional, partially screwed mounting mechanisms. Reinforcement of the mounting mechanism 127 may also be performed, for example, by changing the wall thickness, providing ribs, or changing the internal shape.

[0146] Figure 3 shows the respiratory support device 10 and a humidifier liquid chamber 151 for use with it. The chamber 151 is a removable liquid chamber that is filled with a liquid such as water to humidify the breathing gas. The liquid chamber 151 is removable from the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10, making it easier to refill or dispose of.

[0147] The liquid chamber 151 has a body 152 having a peripheral wall 153 and a roof 156. The body defines an inner chamber for receiving liquid. The base 154 of the liquid chamber is provided at the lower end of the peripheral wall, and the base flange 155 of the base 154 protrudes outward from the lower end of the peripheral wall 153. The base 154, including the base flange 155, is typically made of a highly thermally conductive material. First and second base unit connection ports, including a liquid chamber gas inlet port 157 and a liquid chamber gas outlet port 159, communicate with the inner chamber of the liquid chamber 151. The respiratory support device base unit 50 includes complementary chamber connection ports, including a gas outlet port 161 and a humidifying gas inlet port 163. When the liquid chamber is received in the recess 108 and engages with the housing 100, the liquid chamber gas inlet port 157 is connected to the gas outlet port 161 (Figure 14), which receives gas from the motor module, and the liquid chamber gas outlet port 157 is connected to the humidifying gas inlet port 163 (Figure 3), which delivers humidifying gas from the liquid chamber to the patient exit port 30.

[0148] The liquid chamber 151 and the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber may generally have a circular peripheral shape, or any other suitable shape, and the shape of the recess 108 may be adjusted accordingly as needed.

[0149] In the illustrated configuration, the liquid chamber 151 has a substantially cylindrical shape.

[0150] The base 154 of the liquid chamber is thermally conductive. In particular, the base 154 of the liquid chamber 151 is made of a highly thermally conductive material, so that when it comes into contact with the heating plate 140 of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 during use, the liquid inside the chamber is heated.

[0151] The liquid chamber 151 can be fluidly connected to the base unit 50 of the apparatus 10 by sliding into the recess 108 of the liquid chamber 151 in a rearward insertion direction ID, which is from the front position of the housing 100 toward the rear of the housing 100. That is, the recess 108 is configured to removably receive the liquid chamber 151 by moving the liquid chamber into the recess 108 in the rearward insertion direction, with the rear of the base flange 155 being inserted first.

[0152] The gas outlet port 161 is in fluid communication with the gas flow path from the motor / impeller unit via a fixed L-shaped elbow. The liquid chamber 151 is initially inserted diagonally into the recess 108 and may then be rotated to become horizontal, with the final part of the movement being linear as the ports 157 and 159 of the liquid chamber engage with the ports 161 and 163 of the device 10.

[0153] The humidifying gas inlet port 163 is embodied within a removable elbow. The removable elbow is L-shaped and further includes a patient outlet port 30 which connects to the patient respiratory conduit 16 to deliver gas to the patient interface 17. The gas outlet port 161, the humidifying gas inlet port 163, and the patient outlet port 30 each include a soft seal such as a wiper seal, L-seal, X-ring, or O-ring to provide a sealed gas flow path between the device 10, the liquid chamber 151, and the patient respiratory conduit 16, and optionally one or more other accessories.

[0154] The gas outlet port 161 and the gas inlet port 163 include multiple sealing elements. The sealing elements may be wiper seals, L-seals, X-rings, or O-rings. Wiper seals may have a T-shaped cross-section. The gas outlet port 161 and the gas inlet port 163 may each include two, three, or more sealing elements. In one configuration, each of the gas inlet port 163 and the gas outlet port 161 includes a pair of wiper seals. In this configuration, the gas inlet port 163 has two wiper seals positioned adjacent to each other on the gas inlet port 163. Similarly, the gas outlet port 161 includes a pair of wiper seals positioned adjacent to each other on the gas outlet port 161. The pair of wiper seals (or other types of sealing elements) on each port 161, 163 improves the seal with the corresponding base unit connection ports 157, 159, providing better protection of the housing of the base unit 50 of the device from the ingress of liquid into the interior where the electronic components are located. When the liquid chamber 151 is connected to the gas inlet port 163 and gas outlet port 161 of the base unit 50, one wiper seal may be positioned inside each base unit connection port 157, 159, and when the liquid chamber is assembled with the base unit 50, one wiper seal may be positioned outside each base unit connection port 157, 159. Alternatively, when the liquid chamber 151 is assembled to the heating plate 140 in the recess 108, both wiper seals are positioned inside their respective base unit connection ports 157, 159. The arrangement using two wiper seals for each port 161, 163 provides redundancy against liquid ingress. Similar arrangements can be used for L-seals, X-rings, or O-rings. The gas outlet port 161 and gas inlet port 163 of the base unit 50 are constructed to have elongated portions, that is, the length of ports 161 and 163 is such that a wiper seal, L-seal, X-ring, or O-link is held over ports 161 and 163.

[0155] The gas inlet port 157 of the liquid chamber is complementary to the gas outlet port 161 of the respiratory support device base unit 50, and the gas outlet port 159 of the liquid chamber is complementary to the humidifying gas inlet port 163 of the respiratory support device base unit 50. The axes of these ports are preferably parallel and / or horizontal so that the liquid chamber 151 can be inserted into the chamber bay 108 in substantially linear motion and a gas connection can be formed between the ports.

[0156] The chamber connection ports 161 and 163 are parallel cylindrical mechanisms extending from the housing of the respiratory support device base unit 50. Ports 161 and 163 typically have equal profiles and lengths, and their axes lie on the same horizontal plane. Ports 161 and 163 typically terminate in the same vertical plane at their respective distal ends. Ports 161 and 163 have a port separation distance or pitch, which is the horizontal distance between the centers or axes of each port 161 and 163. This is substantially equal to the horizontal distance between the centers of the base unit connection ports 157 and 159 of the liquid chamber.

[0157] The chamber connection ports 161 and 163 (male connectors in the illustrated configuration) of the respiratory support device base unit 50 are inserted concentrically into the base unit connection ports 157 and 159 (female connectors in the illustrated configuration) of the liquid chamber. The inner diameter of the base unit connection ports 157 and 159 is larger than the outer diameter of the chamber connection ports 161 and 163.

[0158] The liquid chamber 151 is initially inserted diagonally into the recess 108 and may then be tilted until it is substantially horizontal, thereby making the rear portion of the liquid chamber 151's movement substantially linear. The recess 108 may include one or more guide rails to help hold the liquid chamber in place within the recess 108.

[0159] The respiratory support device 10 may have one or more of the features and / or functions of respiratory support devices described and illustrated in International Publication No. 2016 / 207838A9 (WO'838). The entire contents of that specification are incorporated herein by reference.

[0160] The respiratory support device base unit 50 includes a guard 200 attached to the housing 100. The guard is configured to minimize the possibility of the user coming into contact with the base 154 of the liquid chamber 151, and more specifically, with the base flange 155 of the base 154 of the liquid chamber 151. In some configurations, the guard 200 may be configured to minimize the possibility of the user coming into contact with the heating plate 140 in the base of the recess 108, and / or to help keep the liquid chamber 151 engaged with the respiratory support device 10. The guard is shown attached to the housing in Figures 2-6 and separated from the housing in Figures 7-10.

[0161] The guard 200 includes a base 201 and a barrier 251. The barrier 251 is movable with respect to the housing between an elevated covering position (shown, for example, by a solid line in Figure 4) in which the barrier 251 partially covers the recess 108 and overlaps with the front edge of the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber, and a lowered access position (shown by a dashed line in the inset of Figure 4) in which the recess 108 is covered less or not covered by the barrier 251, and the barrier 251 exposes the front end of the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber. The base 201 of the guard bends during its movement. The guard 200 can be moved by the user acting on the guard 200. The guard 200 is configured to be operated by pushing the barrier 251 downward to the position shown in the figure. The base 201 of the guard extends below the base of the housing 100. The base 201 of the guard 200 is attached to the base of the housing 100, more specifically to the outside of the bottom wall 115 of the housing 100. The base 201 of the guard 200 is substantially flat when it is in its resting position and not bent.

[0162] In the illustrated configuration, the base 201 of the guard 200 is attached to the base of the housing 100 by one or more fasteners 205. For example, in the configuration shown in Figure 9, the base 201 of the guard 200 includes one or more fastener receiving holes 203 located at or adjacent to the first end 201a of the base 201. The first end 201a of the base is configured to be attached to the housing 100 at a position away from the front end of the housing 100. As shown in Figure 13, a mounting recess 115a is provided in front of the bottom wall 115 of the housing 100. The mounting recess 115a is configured to receive the base 201 of the guard 200. The mounting recess 115a is provided below a recess 108 for receiving the liquid chamber 151.

[0163] In the illustrated configuration, the base 201 of the guard 200 has two fastener receiving holes 203. In an alternative configuration, the base 201 of the guard may have one, three, four, or more fastener receiving holes 203.

[0164] Figure 11 shows a side section view through the mounting area of ​​the guard 200 to the housing 100. The guard includes a cylindrical extension 207 extending downward from the underside of the base 201. The cylindrical extension 207 has a free end 207a and a connecting end 207b. A substantially flat ceiling portion 209 is provided inside the cylindrical extension 207. The inner wall 207c of the cylindrical extension and the ceiling portion 209 define a recess 210 that receives the head 205a of the fastener 205. The fastener receiving hole 203 has a smaller diameter than the recess 210 and extends upward from the recess 210. When the fastener is connected to the device, the shaft 205b of the fastener extends into the housing 100 through the fastener receiving hole 203, and the head 205a of the fastener is positioned within the recess 210 and abuts against the ceiling 209. The fastener 205 can be any suitable type, such as a screw, push pin, or other type.

[0165] When the guard 200 is assembled to the housing 100, each fastener receiving hole 203 aligns with its respective fastener receiving recess 131. The fastener receiving recess 131 has a tapered introduction mechanism 133, which allows the fastener shaft 205b to be inserted into the fastener receiving recess 131 through the fastener receiving hole 203 even if the components are not perfectly aligned. The fastener 205 pushes the components into alignment as the fastener is further inserted.

[0166] The fastener receiving recess 131 is provided within a cylindrical projection 135 that protrudes downward from the housing 100. In this configuration, the cylindrical projection 135 may be the only part within the housing 100 that contacts the upper surface of the base 201 of the guard 200. This allows the base 201 of the guard to bend without obstruction as the guard 200 and the housing 100 come into further contact. In an alternative configuration, the fastener receiving recess 131 may extend upward into the wall of the housing 100 without the cylindrical projection.

[0167] In the configuration shown in Figure 11, the diameter 203D of the fastener receiving hole 203 in the base 201 of the guard is slightly larger than the diameter 131D of the fastener receiving recess 131 of the housing 100. As a result, the fastener 205 engages with the fastener receiving recess 131 of the housing 100 without contacting the inner wall 207c of the cylindrical extension. Therefore, the fastener 205 applies only the force necessary to hold the guard 200 and the housing 100 together, and does not apply any substantial lateral force or load.

[0168] The guard 200 and / or housing 100 may include one or more other mechanisms to minimize lateral load on the fasteners 205 that attach the guard 200 to the housing 100 when the guard 200 is operated by a user.

[0169] Referring to Figures 12 and 13, the housing 100 includes a downward-extending alignment projection 141, and the base 201 of the guard 200 includes a complementary alignment hole 211 that resists horizontal movement of the base 201 of the guard while the guard is bending in response to the projection 141. This is suitable when a fastener 205 that is unsuitable for resisting lateral forces, such as a screw, is used. The alignment projection 141 extends downward from the wall of the housing 100. The alignment projection 141 and the alignment hole 211 are located near the first end 201a of the base 201 and near the fastener receiving hole 203. The alignment projection 141 and the alignment hole 211 are configured to allow the base 201 of the guard 200 to bend vertically, while preventing horizontal movement.

[0170] As described later, in some configurations, the guard 200 can be operated by inserting the liquid chamber 151 into and / or removing it from the recess 108. When the liquid chamber 151 is inserted and removed, a horizontal force may be applied to the guard due to contact between the liquid chamber 151 and the barrier 251. In this situation, horizontal movement is prevented by the alignment projection 141 contacting the peripheral wall of the alignment hole 211.

[0171] As shown in Figure 12, the alignment hole 211 can be made slightly larger than the alignment projection 141, thereby accommodating slight horizontal movement when the base 201 of the guard 200 is bent vertically. The space between the alignment projection 141 and the alignment hole 211 allows liquid to be drained from the top surface of the base 201 if liquid leaks from the liquid chamber 151 while the liquid chamber 151 is being inserted into or removed from the recess 108.

[0172] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the alignment projection 141 may have one or more support members 143, which provide stability to the alignment projection while under load. In the illustrated embodiment, the support members 143 of the forward and rearward arched segments are positioned adjacent to the alignment projection 141. Alternatively, a different number or shape of support members 143 may be provided, or no support members 143 may be provided at all.

[0173] The housing 100 may have one, two, or more alignment protrusions 141, and the base 201 of the guard 200 may have a corresponding number of alignment holes 211. If the guard 200 is attached to the housing 100 using an alternative type of fastening capable of accommodating lateral loads (such as an internal fastening mechanism), the alignment protrusions 141 and alignment holes may not be provided.

[0174] The guard 200 is fixed to the outside of the housing, thereby allowing the guard 200 to be replaced without disassembling the housing 100 of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10. The guard 200 can be removed from the housing 100 by releasing the fasteners. This is beneficial when the barrier is configured to function as a bumper.

[0175] In one configuration, the guard 200 covers the front exterior of the recess 108. Alternatively, the recess can be open to a different part of the housing 100, for example, the side exterior of the housing 100 or the rear exterior of the housing, and the guard 200 can therefore cover the side exterior of the recess or the rear exterior of the recess.

[0176] The guard 200 may have a color that represents the intended function of the respiratory support device 10. The color may indicate whether the respiratory support device is for home use or hospital use. The color may indicate which therapy the respiratory support device provides, for example, non-invasive ventilation (NIV), CPAP, bubble CPAP, resuscitation, or nasal high-flow. The color may indicate the type of respiratory support device.

[0177] The guard 200 can be easily removed and replaced with a different colored guard 200 representing a different intended function of the respiratory support device 10. By fixing the guard 200 to the outside of the housing 100, different guards can be easily installed at a later stage of the manufacturing process, once the configuration for the respiratory support device 10 has been determined. In addition, if it becomes necessary to change the purpose of the respiratory support device 10 to perform a different function, removing the guard 200 and replacing it with a different colored guard 200 would be a simple process.

[0178] The guard barrier 251 extends from a position on the guard base 201, towards the tip of the attachment point of the base 201 to the housing 100. The guard barrier 251 extends upward from the opposite second front end 201b of the base 201, or an adjacent position, and is positioned in front of the base 201.

[0179] The guard 200 functions as a front bumper for the respiratory support device 10 by being fixed to the base of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10, with the front of the guard covering the front of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 and protruding from there. The guard 200 will protect the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 in the event of a collision, for example, if the user drops the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 or if the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 hits an object while in motion (for example, if the respiratory support device 10 is connected to a pole of a bed during transport). In the event of such a collision, the guard 200 is the only part of the respiratory support device 10 that would be damaged and can be easily replaced without removing any of the fasteners 205, without requiring further disassembly of other parts of the respiratory support device 10.

[0180] Referring to Figures 5 and 7-10, the barrier 251 includes a laterally extending body portion 253 and two upright portions 255 on each side of the laterally extending body portion, or adjacent to it. Each upright portion 255 includes an enlarged upper finger contact area 257 that the user presses to operate the guard 200.

[0181] The shape of the barrier 251 is complementary to the shape of the front end of the housing 100. As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 16, the barrier 251 includes a lower wall portion 254a, which extends upward and forward from the front end 201b of the base 201 and is concave when viewed from above. The upright wall portion 254b extends upward from the lower wall portion and is convex when viewed from the front. The slanted front wall portion 254c extends upward and backward from above the upright wall portion 254b. The rearward projecting upper wall portion 254d extends backward and slightly downward from the upper end of the slanted front wall portion 254c, forming the upper edge of the laterally extending main body portion 253. The rearward projecting upper wall portion 254d terminates in a rear wall portion 254e that slopes downward and backward. The upper wall portion 254d that protrudes to the rear and the rear wall portion 254e that slopes downward and to the rear have an arc shape in the plan view that substantially corresponds to the peripheral shape of the peripheral wall 153 of the liquid chamber 151.

[0182] As shown in Figure 4, the upper finger contact area 257 has an upper inclined rear edge 257a, which abuts against the inclined front edge 102a of the upper chassis of the housing. Similarly, the upright portion 255 includes an upward-facing rear edge 255a, which abuts against the corresponding front edge 109a of the left side wall 109 of the lower chassis of the housing 100. Corresponding mechanisms will be provided on both sides of the device. The abutment between these edges provides a stopping means for limiting the upward movement of the barrier 251 with respect to the housing 100. When the barrier is in the covering position, the surface of the barrier is substantially continuous with the surface of the housing. The upper finger contact area 257 aligns with the upper surfaces 110a, 110b of the housing, as shown in Figure 2.

[0183] The upper finger contact area 257 of the upright portion 255 allows the user to bend the guard 200 without touching the base flange 255 of the liquid chamber or the heating plate 140 with their fingers. The upper finger contact area 257 of the upright portion 255 also allows the user to bend the guard 200 without their fingers interfering with removing the liquid chamber 151 from the recess 108.

[0184] In the configuration shown in the figure, each upright portion 255 includes a narrow section 259 below the upper finger contact area 257 that accommodates the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151 when the guard is in the access position (shown by a dashed line in Figure 4). In an alternative configuration, the upright portions 255 can be spaced wider than the widest dimension of the liquid chamber (i.e., the base flange 155). In this configuration, the upright portions 255 do not have to include a narrow section. Instead, the liquid chamber 153 can simply pass through the laterally extending body portion 253 of the barrier when the barrier 251 is in the access position.

[0185] At least a portion of the base 201 of the guard 200 is flexible. The said at least portion of the base 201 is configured to bend when the barrier 251 is moved by the user between a covering position and an access position. Except for the area of ​​the fastener receiving hole 203, substantially the entire base 201 of the guard may be flexible, thereby allowing the base 201 of the guard 200 to bend around the fixed position. Alternatively, discontinuous portions of the base 201 of the guard may bend, and other discontinuous portions of the base 201 of the guard may be more rigid. For example, the first end 201a of the base may be substantially rigid, and one or more discontinuous flexible lateral strips may be positioned between the first end 201a and the second end 201b, and one or more discontinuous relatively rigid lateral strips may be positioned between the flexible lateral strips.

[0186] Figure 8 shows the configuration of the base 201, which has two spaced-apart thin sections 202a extending in the longitudinal direction of the guard 200 and positioned toward each side of the base 201. A lateral thin section 202b extends between the two thin sections 202a, adjacent to the first end 201a of the base 201. The substantially entire remaining portion of the base 200 includes a thick section 202c in areas where there is greater strength or resistance to bending, such as around the alignment hole 211. The first end 201a of the base portion includes a stepped section 202d, which extends across the first end along a portion of each side of the base portion and interacts with the valve module housing 115a on the underside of the housing 100. Any other suitable configuration of thin sections, thick sections, and / or stepped sections can also be provided.

[0187] The base 201 of the guard 200 is configured such that the barrier 251 can only move up or down in two opposite directions, as indicated by arrows UD in Figure 4, by bending the base 201 of the guard, thereby preventing the barrier 251 from moving substantially in the other direction by bending the base 201 of the guard 200, even if one area of ​​the barrier is pushed by the user. In this configuration, the guard cannot substantially twist around the axis extending in the anterior-posterior direction of the respiratory assist device (i.e., along the base 201 and through the barrier 251), which helps minimize or prevent restraint of the guard 200 while it is being moved by the user. Since the guard 200 is outside the housing 100, the guard 200 should not be restrained even if the base 201 twists.

[0188] Barrier 251 may move in the opposite direction UD by any suitable distance. For example, the barrier may move by at least 5 mm, optionally up to 20 mm, optionally 5 mm to 15 mm, optionally 8 mm to 13 mm, or any other suitable distance.

[0189] The advantage of the guard 200 not being undesirably twisted is that the user can push one side of the barrier 251 to pull the liquid chamber 151 out of the recess 108 in the removal direction. If the guard 200 is twisted, the liquid chamber 151 may be blocked on one side.

[0190] In order to enable the guard 200 to be activated by pressing one side of the barrier 251, the guard 200 performs the following two functions: 1. By pushing one side of the barrier 251 (i.e., the upright portion 255), the portion of the barrier that blocks the chamber (i.e., the lateral portion 253) moves sufficiently in the longitudinal direction, thereby the barrier 251 no longer blocks the liquid chamber 151. 2. Even if one side of the barrier (i.e., the upright portion 255) is pressed, the guard 200 is not restrained (and therefore the range of motion of the barrier 251 is not limited).

[0191] Function 1 is made possible by the following mechanism.

[0192] The effective width of the base 201, along with the base 201 connected to the housing 100 at two spaced points (i.e., near both sides of the housing), minimizes twisting of the base 201, so that the base bends only around the first lateral axis. In other words, the base 201 of the guard functions like a torsion bar, thereby bending in the desired direction UD but resisting twisting. Therefore, no matter what point on the barrier 251 of the guard a downward force is applied, the guard bends evenly downward rather than being twisted and constrained. Thus, the user can actuate the guard 200 by pressing down on one of the upper finger contact areas 257.

[0193] In addition, the inner or rear surface 255a (Figure 8) of the upright portion 255 interacts with the support portion of the housing 100. In particular, the inner or rear surface 255a is a substantially vertical surface that slides along a complementary, substantially vertical upright wall surface 112a (Figure 15) provided on the forward-projecting extension members 112 on both sides of the lower chassis 104. Sliding contact occurs for at least part of the movement of the guard.

[0194] Since the guard 200 does not twist, if one side of the barrier 251 moves vertically, a similar vertical movement will occur throughout the rest of the barrier 251. If the barrier 251 twists, the amount of vertical movement will decrease in the section of the barrier 251 away from the side pushed by the user. Such a reduced movement may not be enough to remove the liquid chamber 151 from the recess 108.

[0195] The guard 200 can also be constructed so that the barrier 251 can be actuated beyond the range required to remove the liquid chamber 151 from the recess 108. In this configuration, the user can push one side of the barrier 251 to actuate the guard 200 as far as possible. Even with a slight twist, the vertical movement of the lateral portion 253, though slightly reduced, would still be sufficient to remove the liquid chamber 151 from the recess 108.

[0196] Function 2 is made possible by the following mechanism.

[0197] For guard 200 to be restrained, it must deviate from its normal path while barrier 251 is activated. Pushing one side of barrier 251 causes base 201 to twist, causing barrier 251 to come into contact with a portion of housing 100. The width of base 201 combined with the distant position of fastener 205 and the surfaces 112a, 255a sliding past each other limits the amount of twist, and as a result, this does not occur.

[0198] In addition, the shapes of the housing 100 and guard 200 are designed to reduce the opportunities for constraint to occur. As shown in Figure 15, the housing 100 has extension members 112 that project from the front of the lower chassis 104. These extension members 112 are designed to contact the inner surface of the barrier 251 when in the covering position to help position the barrier 251 correctly. In particular, the outer wall 112a, inner wall 112b, and upper wall 112c of the extension members 112 are configured to contact the outer wall 255a, upper wall 255c, and inner rear wall 255b of the upright portion 255 of the barrier 251. Figure 15 also shows the tapered portions of these extension members 112, with the front portions of the extension members 112 being closer to each other than the rear portions of the extension members 112. The purpose of the tapered section is to allow for a tight fit between the upright portion 255 of the barrier 251 and the extension member 112 when the barrier is in the covering position, thereby creating a larger gap between the upright portion 255 of the barrier and the extension member 112 during the operation of the guard 200. This increased gap reduces the chances of the guard 200 being restrained, even if a small amount of twisting occurs.

[0199] In an alternative configuration of the guard 200, the barrier 251 may include a single upright portion 255 on the side of a laterally extending body portion, or adjacent to it, rather than two spaced-apart upright portions 255. The barrier 251 can be moved between an elevated covering position, in which the barrier 251 partially covers the recess 108, and a lowered access position, in which the recess 108 is covered less by the barrier or not covered at all, by the user applying force to the upper finger contact area 257 of the upright portion 255. At least the flexible portion of the base 201 is configured to bend as the barrier 251 moves between the covering position and the access position. The single upright portion 255 may have any configuration described herein for two upright portions. The housing may have the extension member 112 alone. On the opposite side of the laterally extending main body portion 253, it may be substantially coplanar with the upper wall 254d of the laterally extending portion 253 of the barrier 251, and may terminate shorter at the edge of the recess 108 corresponding to the opposite side of the liquid chamber 151, or it may extend to the opposite wall of the housing 100.

[0200] As described above, the respiratory support device may include a heating plate 140 in the recess 108. The recess 108 is configured to removably receive the liquid chamber 151. The guard 200 shields the base flange 155, thereby preventing the user from contacting the base 154 of the liquid chamber 151 when the barrier 251 of the guard 200 is in the covering position and when the liquid chamber 151 is positioned in the recess 108.

[0201] During use, the heating plate 140 may reach high temperatures, which could be harmful to the user if they come into contact with it or the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber near the heating plate 140, for example, when holding the respiratory support device or when connecting / disconnecting the humidifying liquid chamber 151 to / from the respiratory support device base unit 50. The guard 200 minimizes the possibility of the user coming into contact with the heating plate 140 or the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151.

[0202] In addition, or alternatively, the recess 108 is configured to removably receive the liquid chamber 151. The barrier 251 prevents the liquid chamber 151 from being inserted into or removed from the recess 108 without bending the base 201 of the guard 200. As shown in Figure 16, the upper edge 254d of the laterally extending portion 253 of the barrier is positioned to at least partially overlap the base flange 155 of the base 154 of the liquid chamber, thereby preventing the liquid chamber 151 from moving in the removal direction RD without bending the base 201 of the guard 200, causing the barrier 251 to move a sufficient distance downward so that the liquid chamber 151 can be dislodged from the recess 108.

[0203] The base 201 of the guard 200 bends when the user pushes on the barrier 251. The user can apply a downward force to the barrier 251 of the guard to move the barrier from the covering position to the access position.

[0204] In one configuration, the base 201 of the guard 200 also bends by moving the liquid chamber 151 out of the recess 108 in the removal direction RD. Referring to Figure 16, the barrier 251 is configured such that when the liquid chamber 151 is moved in the removal direction RD, the barrier 251 moves from the covering position to the access position by contact between the liquid chamber 151 and the contact surface provided by the downward and rearward sloping rear wall portion 254e of the barrier 251.

[0205] In one configuration, the contact surface provided by the downward and rearward sloping rear wall portion 254e is configured to contact substantially the entire front edge of the base flange (i.e., substantially the entire curved front edge of the base flange 155 as seen in Figure 2 and in front of the front edge of the guide rail 300 in Figure 21) when the liquid chamber is being moved in the removal direction.

[0206] By bending the barrier 251 when the user attempts to pull out the liquid chamber 151, the user can remove the liquid chamber 151 with one hand and support the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 with their free other hand. In addition, being able to pull out the liquid chamber 151 without direct interaction with the guard 200 allows the user to keep their hands away from the heating plate 140, reducing the likelihood of accidental contact with the heating plate 140 when the user pulls out the liquid chamber 151, which is temporarily exposed.

[0207] In the configuration shown in the figure, the liquid chamber 151 includes a peripheral base flange 155 which extends outward from the bottom edge of the peripheral wall 153 of the liquid chamber, along the entire perimeter of the liquid chamber. In this configuration, the base 154 of the liquid chamber and, more specifically, the base flange 155, contact the contact surface 254e of the barrier 251 when the liquid chamber 151 is moved in the removal direction RD, and the barrier is moved from the covering position to the access position.

[0208] In an alternative configuration of the liquid chamber 151, instead of having a peripheral base flange 155, two sides of the liquid chamber may include lateral projections extending outward from the bottom edge of the peripheral wall 153 of the liquid chamber and engaging with the liquid chamber retaining guide rail 300 in the recess 108. The liquid chamber may not have projections extending in the removal direction RD or the opposite insertion direction ID. In this configuration, the front edge of the wall 153 of the liquid chamber 151 and / or the base 154 below the wall of the liquid chamber contacts the contact surface 254e of the barrier when the liquid chamber is moved in the removal direction RD and the barrier 251 is moved from the covered position to the access position. The barrier 251 protects the base 154 of the liquid chamber from contact by the user when the barrier 251 is in the covered position and the liquid chamber is in the recess 108. In this configuration, the heating plate 140 may be exposed further forward of the recess 108 than when the liquid chamber 151 has a base flange 155. The barrier 251 may therefore also protect the heating plate 140 from contact by the user when the barrier 251 is in a covering position and the liquid chamber is in the recess 108.

[0209] The contact surface 254e of the barrier 251 that contacts the liquid chamber has an inclined wall section. This means that when a user attempts to remove the liquid chamber 151 and moves the liquid chamber horizontally in the removal direction RD, a downward force is applied to the barrier 251 of the guard 200, thereby pushing the barrier 251 out even without any other interaction between the user and the barrier 251.

[0210] Referring to Figure 17, the contact surface 254e of the barrier 251 is at a non-vertical angle α greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees with respect to the removal direction RD, optionally between 100 and 170 degrees with respect to the removal direction RD, optionally between 110 and 135 degrees with respect to the removal direction RD, optionally between 120 and 130 degrees with respect to the removal direction RD, and optionally between 125 degrees with respect to the removal direction RD. A flatter angle (i.e., closer to horizontal) would allow the barrier 251 to bend more easily due to the movement of the liquid chamber, but it would be necessary to make the barrier longer to provide sufficient moment, which would mean that the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 would occupy a larger space.

[0211] The contact surface 254e of the barrier 251 has a constant angle throughout the entire contact area between the liquid chamber and the contact surface when viewed from the side. This makes it easier to pull the liquid chamber 151 out of the recess 108 because the liquid chamber 151 is always engaged with the steepest angle of the contact surface 254e. The steepest angle determines the force required to pull the liquid chamber out of the recess 108.

[0212] In the alternative configuration, the barrier 251 is configured such that the base 201 of the guard 200 does not bend when the liquid chamber 151 is moved in the removal direction RD from the recess 108. The barrier 251 is configured such that even when the contact surface of the barrier and the liquid chamber come into contact in the removal direction of the liquid chamber, the barrier 251 does not move from its covering position. In this configuration, the contact surface may be at an angle α of about 90 degrees or less with respect to the removal direction RD of the liquid chamber.

[0213] If the angle is less than 90 degrees, the guard cannot be activated by pulling the liquid chamber 151 out of the recess 108 in the removal direction RD. If the angle is slightly greater than 90 degrees, the force required to pull the liquid chamber 151 out of the recess 108 may become impractically large, depending on factors such as the biasing force of the guard and how strongly the user is expected to pull the liquid chamber 151 out. Therefore, the barrier 251 prevents the liquid chamber 151 from being removed unless the guard is activated by the user. To remove the liquid chamber 151, the user must push down the barrier 251 and bend the base 201 so that the barrier no longer obstructs the removal of the liquid chamber 151 from the recess 108.

[0214] When the liquid chamber 151 is received in the recess 108, the base flange 155 (or base 154 if there is no flange) of the liquid chamber may come into contact with the surface of the barrier 251, such as the rear wall portion 254e which slopes downward and backward. This serves to prevent the movement of the liquid chamber 151 and helps to keep the liquid chamber 151 connected to ports 161 and 163 in a configuration where the guard cannot be actuated by moving the liquid chamber in the removal direction RD. Alternatively, when the liquid chamber is fully received in the recess 108, there may be a small gap between the base flange 155 and the barrier 251, for example, about 0.5 mm.

[0215] In addition, by creating an interlocking fit between the barrier 251 and the liquid chamber 151 during assembly, the barrier 251 of the guard 200 will not return to its covered position unless the liquid chamber 151 is fully inserted. This may be true regardless of the angle of the contact surface 254e. This indicates to the user that the liquid chamber is properly connected when the barrier 251 of the guard 200 returns to its covered position. Proper connection of the liquid chamber 151 is important because it ensures that a pneumatic seal is formed thereon.

[0216] Before inserting or removing the liquid chamber, the user may push down on the guard 200 to bend it, thereby shifting the barrier 251. Alternatively, the guard may be designed so that the user does not necessarily have to do this. When inserting the liquid chamber 151, the user may first insert the liquid chamber at an angle to the housing 100 of the base unit 50 of the respiratory assist device 10, and / or with the connecting surface of the liquid chamber 151 inclined downwards, up to a position higher than the liquid chamber's final position. Once the liquid chamber 151 is inserted, the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151 is pressed against the inclined front wall portion 254c or the rearward projecting upper wall portion 254d, pushing the guard's barrier 251 to a lowered access position. When the liquid chamber 151 is fully inserted into the recess 108, the guard 200 bends, thereby returning the barrier 251 to its covering position, and the barrier 251 prevents the user from contacting the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber. The barrier that returns to its covering position can be used as an indicator to inform the user that the liquid chamber 151 is fully connected to the ports 161 and 163 of the respiratory support device.

[0217] The guard 200 is configured to bias the barrier 251 towards the covering position.

[0218] In one configuration, one or more biasing devices function to bias the barrier 251 to a covering position between the housing 100 and a portion of the guard 201. The biasing devices can be located anywhere between the housing 100 and the guard 200, for example, between the housing 100 and the base 201 of the barrier 251 or guard 200. Advantageously, the biasing devices may be positioned near the front of the guard 200, as this generates a larger moment through the guard 200. In the diagrammatic configuration, the biasing devices function between the housing 100 and the barrier 251, particularly between the lower chassis 104 and the barrier 251. The biasing devices may have any suitable form such as a spring, elastic block, or member, or any other suitable configuration. Figures 10 and 15 show one exemplary configuration in which a compression coil spring 173 provides biasing force between the housing 100 and the barrier 251. In the alternative configuration, the spring can operate under tension, and the biasing force pulls the housing 100 and the guard 100 toward each other. The lower chassis of the housing includes two spring mounts, each including a radially extending base support 175a and an upright projection 175b positioned at or adjacent to the front end of the recess 108. The lower surface of the upper portion, for example, the upper wall portion 254d projecting rearward from the barrier 251, includes two corresponding spring mounts 256, each including a recess for receiving the upper end of the spring 173. By providing the recess, the possibility of the upper end of the spring coming loose is minimized.

[0219] Any suitable number of biasing devices, for example, one, two, three, or more, may be used. Since the base 201 of the guard 200 is designed to not twist substantially while bending, one biasing device may be sufficient. The biasing device mount can be modified depending on the type of biasing device used.

[0220] When a biasing device is used, the base 201 of the guard is flexible but not elastically flexible, and thereafter the base 201 does not provide a biasing force to the covering position.

[0221] Alternatively, or in addition, a portion of the guard 200 is elastically flexible and biases the barrier 251 to the covering position. In one configuration, at least a portion of the base 201 of the guard 200 is elastically flexible and biases the barrier 251 to the covering position. That is, in some configurations, the barrier 251 may be biased to the covering position by the elasticity of the base 201 of the guard alone, by one or more biasing devices alone, or by a combination of biasing devices and the elasticity of the base 201 of the guard 200.

[0222] By biasing the barrier 251 to its covered position, a biasing force is provided that the user must overcome to begin operating the guard 200. In addition, this causes slight deformation of the guard 200 that may occur during the lifespan of the respiratory assist device, thereby helping the guard 200 to perform its intended function by returning the barrier 251 to the correct covered position when not in operation.

[0223] As previously mentioned, the guard 200 is mounted on the outside of the housing 100. The advantage of this is that the user can see the guard 200 from either side of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10. This is advantageous because the color of the guard may be used to identify the purpose or function of the device, as previously mentioned. Alternatively, or in addition to this, contact between the barrier 251 and the housing 100 may be used to determine whether the liquid chamber 151 is correctly / fully inserted into the recess 108 and connected to the ports 161, 163 of the device 10.

[0224] An exemplary configuration of the base unit 50 having different surfaces of different colors, as described later, is shown in Figures 26 and 27.

[0225] The housing 100 includes outer surfaces such as surfaces 110a, 110b having a first color. In some configurations, the entire upper chassis 102 may have the first color. Alternatively, different areas of the upper chassis 102 may have different colors. One or more of the surfaces 112a, 112b, 112c (Figure 15) of a part of the housing 100, such as the extension 112, have a second color different from the first color. In some configurations, the entire lower chassis 104 may have the second color. Alternatively, different areas of the lower chassis 104 may have different colors.

[0226] The guard 200 has a different color from the second color of the extension member 112. In some configurations, the guard 200 has a third color different from the first and second colors. Alternatively, the guard may have the same color as the first color but a different color from the second color.

[0227] The second color is selected so as to be visually distinct from the first color and, if applicable, the third color. For example, there may be a high contrast between the colors. Alternatively, or in addition, the second color may be selected to be a color typically associated with warnings, such as red or orange.

[0228] The barrier 251 is configured to cover the portion 112 of the housing having the second color when the barrier is in the covering position, so that the portion having the second color is not visible from outside the device 10. The barrier 251 is configured to expose the portion 112 having the second color when the barrier 251 is not in the covering position, so that the portion having the second color is visible from outside the device 10 when the barrier is not in the covering position.

[0229] The extension member 112 is positioned behind and / or below a portion of the barrier 251 when the barrier is in the covering position. In particular, when the barrier is in the covering position, the extension member 112 is positioned behind and / or below the upright portion 255 of the barrier 251, and the extension member 112 is exposed by the upright portion 255 when the barrier 251 is not in the covering position.

[0230] Similar color features can be incorporated into a device having one upright portion 255 on the barrier 251 and one extension member 112 on the housing, or into a device without an upright portion on the barrier. For example, the barrier 251 may include a transverse member 253 that exposes the colored portion of the housing 100 when the barrier 251 is not in the covering position, and covers the colored portion of the housing 100 when the barrier is in the covering position.

[0231] In the above configuration, when the barrier 251 is in the covering position, the surfaces 255a and 257a of the barrier are in contact with the surfaces 109a and 102a of the housing 100, so that the user can only see the first color of the housing and the color of the barrier 251 from above and / or from one side of the device. This serves as a visual indicator that the barrier 251 is in the covering position.

[0232] The second color is visible from outside the device between the housing and the first color of the barrier 251 whenever the barrier 251 is not in a fully covering position. This serves as a visual indicator that the barrier 251 is not in a fully covering position. The second color is visible from above and / or from either side of the device, making this feature more visible.

[0233] The complete return of the guard barrier 251 to its covering position indicates to the user that the liquid chamber 151 is fully connected to the device's ports 161 and 163. Thus, whether or not the user can see the second color between the housing 100 and the guard 200 provides an indication of whether or not the liquid chamber 151 is fully inserted and connected.

[0234] As shown in Figures 18-22, a liquid chamber holding guide rail 300 is provided in the recess 108. The guide rail 300 is fixed with respect to the wall of the recess 108 and thereby does not move with respect to the housing 100. When the liquid chamber 151 is inserted into the recess 108, its base flange 155 is positioned below the guide rail 300 to prevent the liquid chamber from moving upward within the recess 108. The heating plate 140 may be biased upward by one or more biasing devices, and the upward force is applied to the lower surface of the liquid chamber, holding the liquid chamber between the heating plate 140 and the guide rail 300.

[0235] The guide rail 300 is in the shape of a semicircular partial ring and is complementary to the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151. The guide rail 300 extends around the rear and side surfaces of the recess 108 and around the rear and side surfaces of the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151, but is open to the front, allowing the liquid chamber to be inserted into the recess from the front with the rear and side surfaces of the base flange 155 below the guide rail 300. The front edge of the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151 is exposed from the guide rail 300 when the liquid chamber 151 is positioned in the recess 108. The guide rail 300 is preferred to be complementary to most of the liquid chamber in order to counteract the upward force from the heating plate 140, as this will distribute the load more evenly.

[0236] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the underside of the guide rail includes inclined sections 303 extending downward and backward from the front edge 301 of the guide rail. The remaining portion of the underside includes flat sections 305, which extend backward from each inclined section 303 and around the rear portion of the guide rail 300. The flat sections 305 serve to contact the base flange 155 on the liquid chamber 151 when assembled to resist upward forces from the heating plate. The flat sections 305 are parallel to the bottom of the liquid chamber 151 and / or the top surface of the heating plate 140, thereby allowing the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151 to slide between them.

[0237] The inclined section 303 helps the user align the liquid chamber 151 when connecting it to the respiratory support device 10. For example, the inclined section 303 allows the user to insert the liquid chamber 151 from a height higher than the final position of the liquid chamber in the recess 108 and / or at a downward angle. As the user pushes the liquid chamber 151 into the recess 108, the inclined section 303 guides the liquid chamber downward until it contacts the heating plate 140 and / or the barrier 251. As the user continues to insert the liquid chamber 151, the liquid chamber is continued to be biased downward by the inclined section 303, thereby compressing the spring of the heating plate 140 and / or bending the guard 200, causing the barrier 251 to shift. When the liquid chamber 151 reaches the flat section 305, the liquid chamber is pressed horizontally against the ports 361, 363 of the respiratory support device. When the liquid chamber 151 is sufficiently connected, the barrier 251 will no longer be in contact with the bottom of the liquid chamber 151, and the barrier 251 will return to its covering position.

[0238] As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the guide rail 300 generally has a Z-shaped cross-section, which includes an upright wall section 307, a flat base section 305 extending radially inward from the lowest point of the upright wall section 307 or an adjacent point, and an upper flange 309 extending radially outward from the highest point of the upright wall section 307 or an adjacent point.

[0239] A first connection mechanism 311 is provided on or within the upper surface of the flat base section 305. A second connection mechanism 313 is provided on or within the lower surface of the upper flange 309. Both connection mechanisms may take the form of projections and / or recesses and are configured to engage with complementary projections and / or recesses of the respiratory assist device housing 100. The connection mechanisms may be substantially annular and extend substantially around the entire circumference of the guide rail 300, or a plurality of discontinuous first connection mechanisms 311 and / or second connection mechanisms 313 may be provided. To provide a flat horizontal surface that contacts the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151, the flat base section 305 of the ring extends radially inward toward the center of the ring, and the upper flange 309 extends radially outward away from the center of the ring.

[0240] Figure 22 shows the engagement between the guide rail 300 and the upper and lower chassis portions 102 and 104 of the housing 100. The lower chassis 104 is configured to connect to a downward connecting mechanism 313 on the upper flange 309 of the ring. The upper chassis 102 is configured to connect to an upward connecting mechanism 311 on the flat base section 305 of the ring. Once the upper and lower chassis 102 and 104 are securely fastened to each other, the guide rail 300 is firmly positioned relative to the housing 100 of the respiratory assist device, and no further adhesive or fasteners are necessarily required to secure it in place.

[0241] In the illustrated configuration, the bottom edge of the substantially vertical wall section 102b of the upper chassis 102 has a complementary connecting mechanism 102c that engages with the connecting mechanism 309. The instep 104a between the two wall sections 104b and 104c of the lower chassis 104 has a complementary connecting mechanism 104d that engages with the connecting mechanism 311. This configuration extends around the sides and rear of the recess 108.

[0242] The substantially vertical wall section 102b of the upper chassis 102 coincides with the innermost surface of the wall of the ring's upright wall section 307 and the inner shape of the inwardly extending flat base section 305. The edge of the ring and the substantially vertical wall section 102b of the upper chassis 102 form the upper section of the semicircular liquid chamber recess 108. The diameter of this upper section of the liquid chamber recess 108 is smaller than the diameter of the base flange 155 of the liquid chamber 151. Therefore, if a user attempts to insert the liquid chamber 151 into the recess 108 with the base flange above the guide rail 300, the flange will come into contact with the wall of the upper section, preventing insertion of the liquid chamber 151. This prevents a user from incorrectly inserting the liquid chamber into the recess 108 with the base flange 155 above the guide rail 300, thereby making the insertion of the liquid chamber 151 more intuitive. In addition, the diameter of the upper section of the recess 108 is substantially wider than the diameter of the body of the liquid chamber 151, so that the user may be able to grip the sides of the liquid chamber when inserting it into / removing it from the recess 108.

[0243] The housing 100 and / or guard 200 of the base unit 50 of the respiratory support device 10 include one or more discharge ports or discharge spaces 171, and liquid can be discharged through or around the base 201 of the guard 200. If liquid spills during connection / disconnection of the liquid chamber 151, it will flow through the discharge ports rather than accumulate near any electronic components of the respiratory support device 10.

[0244] For example, as shown in Figure 14, the base of the housing 100 may include a front / side discharge port 108b and a rear discharge port 108c. The discharge ports are located near the heating plate 140. As previously mentioned, since most of the base 201 of the guard 201 does not need to be in contact with the base of the housing 100, any liquid should flow through the discharge ports 108b, 108c and continue to be discharged through the space 171 provided between the side of the base portion 201 and the bottom wall 115 of the housing. Referring to Figure 8, the guard 200 may include one or more discharge ports, for example, a discharge port 254 in the lower sidewall portion 254a of the barrier, to assist in the discharge of liquid. The discharge port 254 in the lower sidewall portion will discharge liquid when the barrier 251 is in the access position.

[0245] The housing 100 and / or guard may have any suitable configuration and / or number of discharge ports.

[0246] Figures 23-25 ​​show alternative exemplary configurations. The base of the housing 100 includes a rear / lateral discharge port 108d and a front central discharge port 108e. The discharge ports are located near the heating plate 140. Liquid passing through the rear / lateral discharge port 108d can pass through the space between the base 201 of the guard and the base of the housing 100 to direction LD.

[0247] Because the front central discharge port 108e is further from the edge of the base 201 of the guard 200 than the rear / lateral discharge port 108d, the liquid discharged through this port 110e may not continue to discharge as easily around the edge of the base 201 of the guard 200 as it would from the rear / lateral discharge port 110d. Therefore, in this configuration, the base 201 of the guard 200 has a discharge port 212. This discharge port 212 may be positioned substantially directly below the front central discharge port 108e, so that all liquid discharged through the front central discharge port 108e continues to discharge through the discharge port 212. The discharge port 212 may have any suitable shape, for example, a shape similar to the alignment hole 211 or a circular shape. Multiple discharge ports 212 may be provided on the base 201 of the guard 200.

[0248] While this disclosure describes specific embodiments, other embodiments that would be obvious to those skilled in the art are also included in the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For example, the various components may be repositioned as desired. Features in any of the described embodiments may be combined with each other, and / or a device may include one, more, or all of the features of the embodiments described above. Furthermore, not all features, aspects, and advantages are necessarily required for the implementation of this disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of this disclosure is defined solely by the claims set forth below.

[0249] The various configurations described above are merely illustrative. Any one or more features of any configuration may be used in combination with any one or more features of any of the other configurations.

[0250] The features of the guard 200 are described in relation to the guard 200 having a base 201 that is at least partially flexible. Alternatively, one or more features of the guard 200 may be included in a guard without a flexible base. For example, the inclined contact surface 254e of the barrier 251 can be incorporated into a guard without a flexible base 201. Instead, the inclined contact surface 254e can be incorporated into the barrier of a guard that is substantially vertically linearly movable between a covered position and an access position, and the barrier is biased to the covered position using a biasing device. Such a configuration still allows the barrier to be moved to the access position by moving the liquid chamber in the removal direction RD with respect to the recess 108. However, the guard 200 with a flexible base 201 is a preferred configuration because it has the fewest number of components. Thus, the configuration of the guard 200 with a flexible base 201 offers simpler manufacturing and assembly, and also provides a compact area of ​​the device near the barrier 251 of the guard 200.

[0251] The guard 200 is described as a separate component connected to the housing 100 by fasteners. Alternatively, the guard 200 and / or the housing may include an integrated complementary coupling mechanism, such as a clip, to secure the guard 200 to the housing 100.

[0252] Alternatively, the guard 200 can be attached to the housing 100 by being an integral component of the housing 100. This can be done by having a base 201 as a tab extending from the lower chassis portion 104, with notches on each side of the base 200 so that the guard 200 can bend with respect to the rest of the housing 100. This configuration is less desirable because if the guard 200 is damaged, the entire lower chassis 104 must be replaced.

[0253] Guard 200 describes a respiratory support device capable of delivering heated and humidified gases to a patient or user. The device may be suitable for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The device may be configured to deliver the gas to the patient interface at high flow rates (high-flow therapy), particularly nasal high-flow therapy.

[0254] Alternatively, Guard 200 may be used in devices for different purposes. The device may be a high-flow therapy device or a low-flow therapy device. For example, the feature may be provided in a device for providing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that can deliver gas (humidified or otherwise) at a lower flow rate, or in a medical gas infusion device.

[0255] The guard can be used in a freestanding humidifier. The freestanding humidifier may have a housing, a recess 108 for receiving a liquid chamber 151, and a heating plate 140, but does not have a motor unit. The freestanding humidifier may receive gas from an external supply source.

[0256] Therefore, an alternative form of respiratory support device 10 may be a self-contained humidifier including a base unit 50 that defines a main housing and a humidifier 12.

[0257] Self-contained humidifiers can deliver heated and humidified gases for various medical procedures, including respiratory therapy, laparoscopic surgery, and others. These devices can be configured to control temperature and / or humidity. The devices may also include medical circuits containing various components that can be used to transport heated and / or humidified gases to and from the patient. For example, in some respiratory circuits, the gas inhaled by the patient is delivered from a humidifier through an inspiratory tube or conduit. In another example, a tube can deliver humidified gas (typically CO2) into the abdominal cavity within the supply circuit. This can help prevent drying of the patient's internal organs, i.e., "dry-out," thereby shortening the time required for postoperative recovery. The heater's wires extend into at least part of the piping forming the circuit to prevent or at least reduce the possibility of significant condensation formation.

[0258] A self-contained humidifier typically includes a base unit 50 and a humidifier liquid chamber 151. The base unit 50 may include a heating plate 140. The liquid chamber 151 may be configured to hold a certain volume of liquid, such as water. The heating plate may be configured to heat the volume of liquid held in the liquid chamber 151 to generate steam.

[0259] The liquid chamber 151 is removable from the base unit, thereby facilitating sterilization or disposal of the liquid chamber, or refilling the chamber with liquid. The body of the liquid chamber 151 can be formed from non-conductive glass or plastic material, but the liquid chamber may also include conductive components. For example, the liquid chamber may include a highly thermally conductive base (e.g., an aluminum base) that is in contact with or associated with a heating plate on the heater base.

[0260] The base unit may also include an electronic controller such as a master controller. Based on user input of humidity or temperature values ​​and other inputs via a user interface, the master controller determines when (or to what extent) to excite the heating plate 140 to heat the liquid in the liquid chamber 151.

[0261] The self-contained humidifier may include a gas generator that delivers gas to the liquid chamber. In some configurations, the gas generator may also include a ventilator, a blower, or any other suitable source of pressurized gas suitable for use in respiratory or medical procedures. The flow generator may be located within the base unit 50.

[0262] Alternatively, the self-contained humidifier may consist only of the base unit 50 and the liquid chamber 151, and may be used in conjunction with a flow generator located separately or at a distance. The base unit 50 may be configured to fluidize the generator located separately or at a distance.

[0263] Therefore, the flow generator used with the self-contained humidifier may be, for example, a wall-mounted gas supply source, a ventilator, a blower, or a gas cylinder.

[0264] Self-contained humidifiers can be used in respiratory therapy, positive pressure therapy, non-invasive ventilation, surgical procedures including but not limited to laparoscopic surgery, and other applications. Preferably, the humidifier can be configured to supply moisture or vapor to the gas supply unit. Humidifiers can be used in continuous, variable, or bilevel PAP systems or other forms of respiratory therapy. In some configurations, humidifiers can be integrated into systems providing any of these types of therapy.

[0265] An exemplary self-contained humidifier is described in International Publication No. 2015 / 038013, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0266] A self-contained humidifier may have one or more of the features described or illustrated in this application.

[0267] The guard can be used in devices having liquid chambers of different shapes, and the guard's barrier can have a correspondingly modified shape.

[0268] No reference to prior art in this specification constitutes, and should not be interpreted as, an acknowledgment of, that such prior art is part of common knowledge in any field of focus in any country around the world.

[0269] Wherever terms referring to direction are used herein, such as “up,” “down,” “forward,” “backward,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” etc., these terms refer to the device in a typical operating position and / or to a specific orientation shown in the figures, and are used to indicate and / or describe a relative direction or orientation.

Claims

1. A respiratory support device, A housing comprising a gas port and a recess configured to removably receive a liquid chamber having a base flange with a rear surface, side surfaces, and a front edge, wherein the recess is configured to removably receive the liquid chamber by moving the liquid chamber into the recess in a rearward insertion direction with the rear surface of the base flange being inserted first, A guard including a barrier, wherein the barrier is movable between a covering position in which the barrier partially covers the recess when the liquid chamber is in the recess and overlaps with the front edge of the base flange of the liquid chamber, and an access position in which the recess is covered less by the barrier or not covered at all and the barrier exposes the front edge of the base flange, the barrier including a laterally extending body portion and two upright portions on each side of the laterally extending body portion or adjacent thereto, Includes, A respiratory assist device wherein the surface of the upright portion is configured to interact with the support portion of the housing during the movement of the guard to prevent the guard from being restrained.

2. Each upright portion includes an enlarged upper finger contact area for the user to press to activate the guard, and optionally each upright portion includes a narrow section below the upper finger contact area for housing the base flange of the liquid chamber when the barrier is in the access position, the respiratory assist device according to claim 1.

3. The respiratory assist device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the barrier is biased to the covering position by one or more biasing devices operating between the housing and the barrier, and optionally the biasing device includes a compression spring operating between the housing and the barrier.

4. The respiratory support device according to claim 3, wherein the guard is fixed to the outside of the housing and can be replaced without disassembling the housing.

5. The respiratory assist device according to claim 4, wherein the guard is secured to the base of the housing by at least two spaced fasteners.

6. The respiratory support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the barrier is configured to function as a bumper.

7. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the barrier is biased to the covering position, and the barrier is configured to move from the covering position to the access position by moving the liquid chamber in a removal direction from the recess.

8. The respiratory assist device according to claim 7, wherein the barrier is configured to move from the covering position to the access position by contact between the liquid chamber and the contact surface of the barrier when the liquid chamber is moved in the removal direction, and the contact surface of the barrier is at an angle of 100 to 130 degrees with respect to the removal direction.

9. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least a portion of the base of the guard is elastically flexible and biases the barrier to the covering position.

10. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the guard includes one or more discharge ports or discharge spaces, and can discharge liquid through the base of the guard or the base, or around the base of the guard.

11. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the housing includes a projection, and the base of the guard or the base includes a complementary hole that receives the projection and resists the horizontal movement of the base of the guard.

12. The respiratory support device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the barrier is linearly movable between the covering position and the access position.

13. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the housing includes an outer surface having a first color, the housing has a portion having a second color different from the first color, the guard has a color different from the second color, the barrier is configured to cover the portion having the second color when the barrier is in the covering position so that the portion having the second color is not visible from outside the device, the barrier is configured to expose the portion having the second color when the barrier is not in the covering position so that the portion having the second color is visible from outside the device when the barrier is not in the covering position, and optionally the guard has a third color different from the first color and the second color.

14. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the recess includes a liquid chamber holding guide rail, the liquid chamber holding guide rail is open to the front, the rear and side surfaces of the base flange are below the guide rail, and the front edge of the base flange is exposed from the guide rail, and the liquid chamber can be inserted into the recess, and optionally the lower surface of the guide rail includes inclined sections extending downward and backward from the front edge of the guide rail.

15. The respiratory assist device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the guard is configured such that the barrier can move from the covering position to the access position by pressing down one of the upper finger contact areas, and / or the guard is configured so as not to twist along the base or the base and around an axis extending in the front-rear direction through the barrier of the guard.

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