Oxygen concentration regulator

Abstract

To provide an oxygen concentration adjusting device capable of performing proper oxygen therapy by adjusting the oxygen concentration of oxygen gas from an oxygen source fed into a cage, rather than adjusting the oxygen concentration by a gap opened in the cage. [Solution] An oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 supplies oxygen gas, adjusting the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas to supply oxygen gas with an optimum oxygen concentration. Here, the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas is controlled by a needle valve 12A that can vary the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas, and the oxygen gas is supplied to a cage 14 housing a small animal A or to an anesthesia machine.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oxygen concentration adjusting device that is used, for example, for oxygen therapy of animals (small animals, etc.) or that supplies concentrated oxygen (oxygen gas) to an anesthesia machine used for anesthesia therapy of animals. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, in human oxygen therapy, the oxygen concentration has been determined by the oxygen flow rate administered to the patient from an oxygen source (e.g., oxygen tank, oxygen concentrator, etc.). For example, if a patient is administered oxygen gas (oxygen concentration 100%) at a flow rate of 2000 ml / min from the oxygen source and simultaneously inhales outside air (oxygen concentration 21%) at a flow rate of 4000 ml / min, the minute ventilation is 6000 ml. In this case, the patient takes in a total of 2800 ml of oxygen gas, consisting of the 21% oxygen gas contained in outside air (approximately 800 ml) and the oxygen gas from the oxygen source (2000 ml). This corresponds to an oxygen gas with an oxygen concentration of approximately 47% for 6000 ml of inhaled air.

[0003] Next, assuming that the oxygen gas administered from the oxygen source is at a flow rate of 1000 ml / min and the patient inhales outside air at a flow rate of 5000 ml / min, the patient will take in a total of 2000 ml of oxygen gas, consisting of the 21% oxygen gas contained in the outside air (approximately 1000 ml) and the oxygen gas from the oxygen source (1000 ml). This corresponds to an oxygen gas with an oxygen concentration of approximately 33% in 6000 ml of inhaled air.

[0004] As described above, the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas administered to the patient is prescribed by increasing or decreasing the flow rate of the oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen source.

[0005] On the other hand, oxygen therapy for animals does not use the oxygen masks or cannulas used in oxygen therapy for humans, but instead places the animal inside a cage and supplies oxygen gas from an oxygen source to the cage. In this case, the cage is made to be airtight so that the oxygen gas supplied to the cage does not escape to the outside.

[0006] However, with this method, the oxygen gas concentration inside the cage would reach a high level of nearly 90%, which is undesirable from a health perspective, so a small gap was made in the cage, and air was allowed to leak through the gap, allowing the oxygen concentration inside the cage to be adjusted by opening and closing the gap.

[0007] For example, a conventional oxygen therapy device for small animals is known that consists of an oxygen concentrator equipped with zeolite and a cage for housing the small animal.The cage is an open cage with holes that connect the inside and outside, and the holes are sized to allow the oxygen-containing air inside the cage to be released to the outside in response to the supply of oxygen-containing air from the oxygen concentrator, so that the oxygen concentration inside the cage can be maintained at what is considered to be optimal for intensive oxygen therapy for small animals without the cage being equipped with an oxygen concentration adjustment means (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5130307 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in the above-mentioned oxygen therapy device for small animals, the oxygen concentration and carbon dioxide concentration in the cage can fluctuate depending on the environment in which it is used, and it is difficult to reliably control these concentrations solely by the size of the holes.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an oxygen concentration adjusting device that can provide appropriate oxygen therapy by adjusting the oxygen concentration of oxygen gas from an oxygen source fed into the cage, rather than adjusting the oxygen concentration by opening a gap in the cage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention is an oxygen concentration adjusting device for supplying oxygen gas, The oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas is adjusted to supply the oxygen gas with an optimum oxygen concentration.

[0012] The oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas is preferably controlled by a needle valve that can vary the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas.

[0013] The oxygen gas is preferably supplied to a cage housing a small animal.

[0014] The oxygen gas is preferably supplied to an anesthesia machine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, proper oxygen therapy can be achieved by adjusting the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas from the oxygen source fed into the cage, rather than adjusting the oxygen concentration by opening a gap in the cage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle when an oxygen concentration adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to oxygen therapy for small animals. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the oxygen concentration adjusting device of the present invention applied to oxygen therapy for small animals; [Figure 3] 1 is an enlarged view of a portion of an oxygen concentration adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An oxygen concentration adjusting device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The oxygen concentration adjusting device according to one embodiment of the present invention is also called an oxygen concentrator. The oxygen concentration adjusting device is used for oxygen therapy for humans or animals (small animals, etc.), and is an oxygen therapy device that supplies concentrated oxygen (oxygen gas) to an anesthesia machine used in anesthesia therapy for humans or animals. In the following embodiment, the oxygen concentration adjusting device will be described based on a configuration in which it is applied to an oxygen therapy system for small animals.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the oxygen therapy system 10 for small animals organically and integrally comprises an oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 that generates concentrated oxygen (oxygen gas), a cage 14 that houses a small animal A such as a dog or cat, an oxygen hose (hose) 16 that flows the oxygen gas supplied from the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 into the cage 14, and a concentration display unit 17 (see Figure 2, not shown in Figure 1) that displays the oxygen concentration or carbon dioxide concentration within the cage 14.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the oxygen concentration regulator 12 separates nitrogen gas from oxygen gas in the air, eliminating the nitrogen gas and supplying high-concentration oxygen gas. Gas separation methods can be broadly classified into "membrane" methods, which use molecular membranes to obtain relatively low oxygen concentrations, and "PSA" methods, which use zeolites to obtain high-concentration oxygen. While either type of oxygen concentration regulator can be used, the "PSA" oxygen concentration regulator 12 has the advantage of being able to obtain a large flow rate. An oxygen hose 16, through which oxygen gas flows, is connected to the oxygen concentration regulator 12.

[0020] The oxygen concentration regulator 12 is equipped with a needle valve 12A that can regulate the oxygen concentration by controlling the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas. A fixed relationship is formed between the oxygen flow rate and the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas, and the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas can be precisely controlled by precisely controlling the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas with the needle valve 12A.

[0021] The oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 may be provided with a liquid crystal display unit 13 for displaying the oxygen concentration and flow rate of the air flow (oxygen gas) supplied from the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12, the temperature and humidity inside the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12, etc.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cage 14 is large enough to accommodate a small animal, has an opening (not shown) on the front, and has a door 18 that closes the opening. The cage 14 is made of transparent plastic so that the interior can be seen through. The cage 14 has a housing made of, for example, a 5 mm thick acrylic resin plate. The cage 14 does not have any through holes large enough to control the oxygen concentration or carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) concentration inside, but does have a minimum necessary gap 20. The gap 20 is, for example, a through hole formed in the cage 14 or the door 18, and is located anywhere on the cage 14 (for example, at the top and bottom).

[0023] A concentration display unit 17 containing various sensors is installed on the top surface of the cage 14. The concentration display unit 17 is an O2 / CO2 monitor for displaying the oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity inside the cage 14.

[0024] 2, the concentration display unit 17 is an O2 / CO2 monitor for displaying the oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity inside the cage 14. The concentration display unit 17 has an oxygen concentration meter, a carbon dioxide concentration meter, a thermometer, and a hygrometer, and measures and displays the oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, and humidity inside the cage 14 in real time. The concentration display unit 17 may be installed on the top surface of the cage 14 or may be installed at a location separate from the cage 14. Alternatively, the concentration display unit 17 may be built into the cage 14.

[0025] Next, the operation of the oxygen concentration adjusting device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The oxygen concentration regulator (oxygen concentrator) 12 normally has the characteristic of producing an oxygen concentration of approximately 90%, but if the flow rate of the gas produced by the oxygen concentration regulator (oxygen concentrator) 12 is increased, the separation efficiency of oxygen and nitrogen decreases, and only low-concentration oxygen is produced. For example, if an oxygen concentration regulator (oxygen concentrator) 12 with a standard value of 3 L / min is used to produce a flow rate of approximately 10 L / min, the oxygen concentration will be approximately 40%. Taking advantage of this characteristic, a needle valve 12A is provided on the output side of the oxygen concentration regulator (oxygen concentrator) 12, making it possible to vary the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas.

[0026] 1 to 3, a small animal A is housed inside a cage 14 and oxygen gas at a predetermined oxygen concentration is supplied from an oxygen concentration adjusting device 12. At this time, the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas is precisely controlled by a needle valve 12A of the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12, and oxygen gas at an oxygen concentration optimal for oxygen therapy of the small animal is supplied from the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12. The oxygen gas at an oxygen concentration optimal for oxygen therapy of the small animal is supplied into the cage 14 through an oxygen hose 16.

[0027] This allows the small animal A to receive oxygen therapy by inhaling oxygen gas with an optimal oxygen concentration inside the cage 14. In particular, the needle valve 12A of the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 precisely controls the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas, making it possible to adjust the oxygen concentration to any desired level, rather than adjusting the oxygen concentration by setting the flow rate in stages as in the past.

[0028] Unlike conventional systems, which control the oxygen concentration of oxygen gas by controlling the opening and closing of the gaps formed in the cage, the present invention can provide an optimal oxygen concentration for oxygen therapy, thereby improving the effectiveness of oxygen therapy. This invention can provide a meaningful oxygen therapy system as a complement to blender-type oxygen therapy systems using a blender.

[0029] The inside of cage 14 is filled with a high concentration of oxygen due to the oxygen gas, and the air inside the cage is stirred and discharged to the outside through gap 20. This causes the air inside cage 14 to diffuse, and carbon dioxide gas, ammonia gas, etc. (gases produced by the breathing of small animals) that have been retained inside the cage are discharged to the outside of cage 14 through gap 20. In this way, it is possible to increase the oxygen concentration of the air inside the cage, while at the same time increasing the effect of discharging carbon dioxide gas, etc. that has been retained inside the cage, and to reduce the concentrations of carbon dioxide gas and ammonia gas inside the cage.

[0030] In particular, the oxygen concentration inside the cage is not maintained by the size of the holes formed in the cage 14, so the gap 20 can be kept to a necessary minimum. This reduces the influence of the environment in which the cage is used, and allows the oxygen concentration inside the cage to be maintained at an optimum level.

[0031] In conventional oxygen therapy devices for small animals, the oxygen concentration inside the cage is controlled by the size of the holes formed in the cage, maintaining the oxygen concentration at an optimal level. However, in this embodiment, the oxygen flow rate of oxygen gas is precisely controlled by the needle valve 16 of the oxygen concentration regulator 12, rather than the size of the holes. This allows the oxygen concentration to be adjusted to any desired level, rather than by the conventional stepwise flow rate setting. Furthermore, simply by discharging air containing oxygen gas to the outside through the gap 20 present in the cage 14, the oxygen concentration inside the cage can be maintained at an optimal level and carbon dioxide gas can be discharged to the outside. In particular, because the size of the gap 20 is kept to a minimum, hot or cold air from an air conditioner or cooler, for example, is less likely to enter the cage, making it less susceptible to the effects of the environment in which the cage 14 is used.

[0032] In addition, by using the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 equipped with this function, it is also useful as an oxygen supply source for an anesthesia machine (not shown). Thus, the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 that is optimal for oxygen therapy for humans or animals is obtained.

[0033] When administering oxygen to a patient during endotracheal anesthesia, oxygen gas must be supplied at an oxygen concentration within the range of 25-40% to eliminate the risk of high oxygen concentrations. Therefore, instead of using 100% oxygen gas supplied from a cylinder as the oxygen source, a separate compressed air source or nitrogen cylinder must be prepared and blended with oxygen to achieve an oxygen concentration of 25-40%, which has been problematic.

[0034] Therefore, the oxygen concentration adjusting device 12 of the present invention adjusts the oxygen gas to an oxygen concentration of 25 to 40%, which is essential for anesthesia treatment, allowing for safe anesthesia, thereby making a significant contribution to oxygen medical care.

[0035] The above configuration shows one embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of the utility model registration claim is not intended to be limited to the above configuration. The technical idea of the present invention should be protected within the scope of the right, and any design modifications made by a person skilled in the art should be included in the scope of the utility model registration claim. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10. Small Animal Oxygen Therapy System 12 Oxygen concentration regulator (oxygen concentrator) 12A needle valve 13 LCD display section 14 cages 16 Oxygen hose 17 Concentration display section 18 Doors 20 Gap 22 Oxygen hose (hose) A small animal

Claims

1. An oxygen concentration adjusting device for supplying oxygen gas, an oxygen concentration adjusting device that adjusts the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas to supply the oxygen gas at an optimum oxygen concentration;

2. 2. The oxygen concentration adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen concentration of the oxygen gas is controlled by a needle valve capable of varying the oxygen flow rate of the oxygen gas.

3. 3. The oxygen concentration adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen gas is supplied to a cage housing a small animal.

4. 3. The oxygen concentration adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen gas is supplied to an anesthesia machine.

Images