Control and detection system for distilled water supply of respiratory assist device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control and detection system for distilled water supply of a respiratory assist device comprising a chamber unit in which distilled water is stored and a main body to which the chamber unit is mounted, the control and detection system for distilled water supply controlling the supply of distilled water to the chamber unit by being in direct contact with the distilled water stored in the chamber unit, and detecting the level of the distilled water filling the chamber unit by being in contact with the outer surface of the chamber unit but not with the distilled water.

Description

Distilled water supply control and detection system for respiratory assist devices

[0001] The present invention relates to a distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, and more particularly, to a distilled water supply control and detection system configured to control the amount of distilled water supplied into a water chamber and, further, to detect the level of distilled water filled into the water chamber.

[0002] In general, surgical patients requiring anesthesia, critically ill patients, or elderly patients who have difficulty breathing on their own are forced to breathe through a ventilator. However, the respiratory gas (anesthetic, oxygen, etc.) supplied to the patient through the ventilator has the problem of causing other side effects because the temperature and humidity are low.

[0003] To elaborate, the respiratory gas inhaled by a patient through a ventilator is not only cold enough to chill the patient, but also dehydrates the patient's airways and lungs due to its dryness. Furthermore, as the respiratory gas supplied from the ventilator condenses within the tube as it passes through it, the water droplets formed within the tube can be directly inhaled into the patient's lungs, potentially causing other health problems, such as dryness, ulcers, mucus plug formation, and mucociliary dysfunction in the patient's bronchial mucosa.

[0004] Currently, respiratory assistance devices are being used to appropriately control the temperature of the respiratory gas supplied from the ventilator to solve the above problems.

[0005] A respiratory assistance device can be configured to provide a patient with respiratory gas having an appropriate temperature and humidity by heating and humidifying respiratory gas generated from a respirator, and can largely include a chamber in which distilled water is stored, a main body that heats the distilled water stored in the chamber, and a circuit section that guides respiratory gas passing through the chamber to the patient.

[0006] However, since conventional respiratory assistance devices have a configuration that controls the humidity of respiratory gas by vaporizing distilled water stored in a chamber through ultrasonic vibration, there is a problem that when the respiratory assistance device is used for a long time or, conversely, when it is not used for a long time, the distilled water stored in the chamber becomes contaminated and causes germs or bacteria to occur.

[0007] In addition, there is a problem that the inner surface of the chamber is worn out because the distilled water stored in the chamber repeatedly collides with the inner surface of the chamber in the form of numerous water droplets due to the water splashing phenomenon caused by ultrasonic vibration.

[0008] In addition, since the humidity control method using ultrasonic vibration varies the degree of steam generation depending on the shape of the water level stored in the chamber, when the main body of the respiratory assistance device is placed on an inclined floor, the shape of the water level changes, and not only cannot control the humidity of the respiratory gas to the set value, but also the bladder provided in the chamber does not function properly, causing distilled water to be supplied in excess of what is necessary or not supplied when necessary.

[0009] Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention has proposed the present invention in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a related prior art document is 'Vaporizer system for heating and humidifying anesthetic gas and respiratory gas' of Korean Patent No. 10-1143805.

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device configured to accurately control the supply amount of distilled water corresponding to the level of distilled water filled inside a water chamber.

[0011] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device configured to accurately guide the user to the level of distilled water by multi-checking the level of distilled water stored in a water chamber in a contact manner and a non-contact manner even if the water chamber is moved by the external environment.

[0012] The present invention relates to a distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device including a chamber in which distilled water is stored and a main body in which the chamber is mounted, wherein the distilled water supply control and detection system controls the supply amount of distilled water supplied to the chamber in a manner that makes direct contact with the distilled water stored in the chamber, and detects the level of distilled water filled in the chamber in a manner that makes contact with the outer surface of the chamber but does not make contact with the distilled water.

[0013] In addition, the chamber part includes a water chamber that is seated in a seating groove formed on the upper part of the main body and has distilled water filled therein; and a heat conducting plate that is provided on the lower part of the water chamber and comes into contact with a heating plate provided on the upper part of the main body; and a baffle that opens and closes a distilled water supply pipe in response to the distilled water level may be provided on the inside of the water chamber.

[0014] In addition, the baffle may include a floating member that is disposed at the lower portion of the internal space formed by the water chamber and is capable of floating by distilled water filled in the internal space; an opening / closing portion that blocks the distilled water supply pipe when the floating member rises and opens the distilled water supply pipe when the floating member descends; and a link portion that connects the opening / closing portion and the floating member to each other.

[0015] In addition, the distilled water supply pipe may include a first channel that is communicatively connected to a distilled water supply port provided on the upper surface of the water chamber; and a second channel that is communicatively connected to the first channel and has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first channel.

[0016] In addition, the opening / closing unit may include: a head member arranged in the first flow path; an elevating rod integrally connected to the head member while forming an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the head member, and having a portion of the lengthwise direction arranged in the second flow path; and a sealing member arranged in the first flow path while being provided at a connection point between the elevating rod and the head member, and opening / closing a communication point between the first flow path and the second flow path.

[0017] In addition, the link portion may include a first connecting member having a lower end connected to the upper surface of the floating member and an upper end extending upwardly in an inclined manner and rotatably connected to the lower end of the lifting rod; and a second connecting member protruding upward from a longitudinal middle portion of the first connecting member and having an upper end rotatably connected to the lower end of a support frame arranged on one side of the distilled water supply pipe.

[0018] Additionally, the second connecting member can limit the angle at which the first connecting member rotates when the floating member is floated by distilled water.

[0019] In addition, the main body is provided with a guide frame that divides the mounting groove, and a protruding frame that comes into contact with the rear surface of the water chamber is formed in the guide frame, and a non-contact detection sensor that detects the water level of distilled water filled in the water chamber can be built into the protruding frame.

[0020] In addition, the bottom surface of the floating member may include a horizontal plane formed in a horizontal direction; and an inclined plane connected to the horizontal plane but formed to be inclined upward toward the front of the water chamber.

[0021] In addition, the horizontal surface formed on the bottom surface of the floating member may be in contact with the heat-conducting plate forming the bottom surface of the water chamber when the internal space of the water chamber is not filled with distilled water, and the inclined surface formed on the bottom surface of the floating member may not be in contact with the heat-conducting plate forming the bottom surface of the water chamber.

[0022] A distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a baffle that selectively opens and closes a distilled water supply pipe in response to the level of distilled water stored in a water chamber, and further comprises a non-contact detection sensor that comes into contact with the rear surface of the water chamber to detect the level of distilled water, thereby enabling a user to accurately determine the quantitative level of distilled water through multi-check using a contact method and a non-contact method.

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the combined state of the chamber part and the main body of the respiratory assistance device.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the body and chamber portion shown in Fig. 1.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chamber portion shown in Fig. 2.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber portion illustrated in Fig. 3 viewed from the side.

[0027] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a bure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the distilled water supply pipe is blocked by the operation of the bure illustrated in Fig. 4.

[0029] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the main body shown in Fig. 2.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main body shown in Fig. 7 viewed from the side.

[0031] The advantages and features of the present invention and the method for achieving them will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings.

[0032] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0033] Hereinafter, a distillery supply control and detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In describing the present invention, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations are omitted to avoid obscuring the gist of the invention.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the combined state of the chamber portion and the main body of the breathing assistance device, FIG. 2 is a separated perspective view of the main body and the chamber portion shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the chamber portion shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber portion shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the side, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bladder according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a distilled water supply pipe is blocked by the operation of the bladder shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main body shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main body shown in FIG. 7 as viewed from the side.

[0035] For reference, this project is the result of a local government-university collaboration-based regional innovation project (2021RIS-001), funded by the Ministry of Education and supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea in 2024.

[0036] This research was supported by "Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS)" through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(MOE)(2021RIS-001)

[0037] A distilled water supply control and detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided in the main body (200) and chamber part (300) of the respiratory assistance device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and controls the supply amount of distilled water supplied to the chamber part (300) in a manner that directly contacts the distilled water stored in the chamber part (300), and further detects the water level of the distilled water filled in the chamber part (300) in a manner that contacts the outer surface of the chamber part (300) but does not contact the distilled water.

[0038] Below, before a distilled water supply control and detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention is described, the configuration of the main body (200) and the chamber part (300) is described.

[0039] The above main body (200) preferably has a shape that can be stably placed on a floor surface, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 8, and is preferably manufactured with a weight and volume that allows the user to easily carry and store it.

[0040] On the front upper surface of the main body (200), various control buttons including a power button may be provided, and a display may also be provided to display the temperature, alarm, and various status modes of the circuit unit (not shown) to the user.

[0041] Inside the main body (200), a known PCB that is connected to various control buttons and controls the heating plate (210) and display, etc. may be provided.

[0042] The upper surface of the heating plate (210) may be placed on the rear side of the upper surface of the main body (200). That is, the upper surface of the heating plate (210) is exposed to the outside from the upper surface of the main body (200) and may be in surface contact with the lower surface of the chamber portion (300) described later.

[0043] In addition, a guide frame (220) may be provided on the upper rear surface of the main body (200) to simultaneously define a mounting groove (S1) in which a chamber part (300) to be described later is mounted, and a side groove (S2) to prevent the chamber part (300) mounted on the main body (200) from moving.

[0044] The guide frame (220) may be formed to protrude from the upper edge of the main body (200) at a predetermined height so that the upper surface of the heating plate (210) can be exposed to the outside. For reference, the guide frame (220) may have a 'ㄷ' shaped plane when the main body (200) is viewed from a flat surface.

[0045] Additionally, the upper portion of the inner surface of the guide frame (220) may be formed to protrude a predetermined length toward the direction in which the heating plate (210) is placed.

[0046] Accordingly, a side groove (S2) in which a cover (330) of a chamber portion (300) to be described later is mounted can be formed between the inner surface of the guide frame (220) and the upper surface of the main body (200).

[0047] In detail, the guide frame (220) can define a mounting groove (S1) on the upper surface of the main body (200) in which the chamber part (300) can be mounted, and at the same time define a side groove (S1) that is formed along the circumference of the mounting groove (S1) and is connected to the mounting groove (S1) so as to be communicable with the mounting groove (S1).

[0048] Meanwhile, the heating plate (210) may be provided in the main body (200) while being supported by an elastic means (not shown) provided inside the main body (200).

[0049] That is, the lower portion of the heating plate (210) can be supported by a known elastic means (not shown), such as an elastic spring. Accordingly, when an external force is applied to the upper surface of the heating plate (210), it can move toward the inside of the main body (200).

[0050] The above heating plate (210) can elastically press upward the bottom surface of the chamber part (300) when the chamber part (300) is seated in the seating groove (S1) of the main body (200).

[0051] In detail, when the chamber part (300) to be described later is seated in the seat groove (S1), the heating plate (210) is supported by an elastic means and presses the bottom surface of the heat-conducting plate (320, see FIGS. 4 and 6) constituting the chamber part (300) with a predetermined pressure.

[0052] Then, the heating plate (210) and the heat conducting plate (320) can be in close contact with each other. Accordingly, the heat generated from the heating plate (210) can be completely transferred to the heat conducting plate (320).

[0053] In addition, since the heating plate (210) presses upward the bottom surface of the heat conduction plate (320) at a predetermined pressure, the upper surface of the first peripheral member (331, see FIG. 4) constituting the chamber portion (300) is in close contact with the bottom surface of the guide frame (220), thereby further preventing the flow of the chamber portion (300).

[0054]

[0055] The chamber part (300) may include, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, a water chamber (310) that is mounted in the mounting groove (S1) formed in the main body (200) and stores distilled water; a heat-conducting plate (320) provided at the lower portion of the water chamber (310) and in contact with the heating plate (210); and a cover (330) that is provided along the circumferential direction of the heat-conducting plate (320) and detachably coupled to the guide frame (220).

[0056] The above water chamber (310) forms an internal space in which distilled water can be stored.

[0057] A distilled water supply port (311) connected to a tube (see Fig. 1) that delivers distilled water can be formed in the center of the upper surface of the water chamber (310).

[0058] The above distilled water supply port (311) can be connected to a distilled water supply pipe (315) placed inside the water chamber (310).

[0059] In addition, a respiratory gas discharge port (312) that is communicatively connected to an intake tube (not shown) of a circuit unit (not shown) described later may be formed on one side of the upper surface of the water chamber (310), and an air inlet port (313) that is communicatively connected to an air tube (not shown) connected to an artificial respirator (not shown) may be formed on the other side of the upper surface of the water chamber (310).

[0060] It is preferable that the water chamber (310) configured as described above be made of a transparent material so that the user can easily check the internal space with the naked eye.

[0061] The above heat conduction plate (320) serves to block the open lower part of the water chamber (310) while simultaneously heating the distilled water stored in the internal space of the water chamber (310).

[0062] The heat conducting plate (320) is in contact with the heating plate (210) exposed to the upper surface of the main body (200), and can heat the water inside the water chamber (310) by receiving heat generated from the heating plate (210).

[0063]

[0064] The heat conducting plate (320) can be made of a known metal material with excellent heat conductivity, and in particular, it is preferable to make it of stainless steel, which is light in weight but has excellent corrosion resistance and durability.

[0065] For reference, a heat-conducting plate (320) made of stainless steel can provide excellent heat conductivity and durability even when manufactured with a relatively small thickness compared to a heat-conducting plate made of aluminum, and can also reduce the overall weight of the chamber portion (300).

[0066] The above cover (330) is provided along the circumference of the heat-conducting plate (320) while being coupled to the lower circumference of the water chamber (310), and can be said to be a component that is detachably coupled to the guide frame (220) while being inserted into the side groove (S2) partitioned by the guide frame (220).

[0067] The cover (330) can be considered a component that is held by the user when moving the water chamber (310) and the heat conduction plate (320). In addition, the cover (330) can be made of a plastic material with low thermal conductivity.

[0068] Therefore, the user can safely move the water chamber (310) without being burned by the high-temperature heat-conducting plate (320).

[0069] In addition, the cover (330) may include, as shown in FIG. 3, a first circumferential member (331) provided along the side and rear circumferences of the water chamber (310), inserted into the side groove (S2), and detachably coupled to the guide frame (220); and a second circumferential member (332) provided along the front circumference of the water chamber (310) while connected to the first circumferential member (331), and exposed to the outside of the mounting groove (S1) when the first circumferential member (331) is inserted into the side groove (S2).

[0070] The first peripheral member (331) constituting the cover (330) may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the side groove (S2) partitioned by the guide frame (220).

[0071] In one embodiment of the present invention, as the side groove (S2) is formed in a 'ㄷ' shape, the first peripheral member (331) is also shown in the drawing to have a 'ㄷ' shape.

[0072] The upper surface of the first circumferential member (331) can be in contact with the lower surface of the guide frame (220).

[0073] Accordingly, when the first circumferential member (331) is inserted into the side groove (S2), the sliding movement in a straight direction can be restricted by the closed inner surface of the guide frame (220), and further, the movement in the up / down direction can be restricted by the bottom surface of the guide frame (220).

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the second circumferential member (332) can be said to be a component that is exposed to the outside of the mounting groove (S1) when the first circumferential member (331) is inserted into the side groove (S2).

[0075] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 4, a step surface (333) may be formed at the connection point between the first peripheral member (331) and the second peripheral member (332).

[0076] The above step surface (333) is formed by the height difference between the first peripheral member (331) and the second peripheral member (332), and can be in contact with the stopper surface (221) of the guide frame (220) illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0077] The above step surface (333) and the above stopper surface (221) can come into contact with each other when the first peripheral member (331) slides a set distance while being inserted into the side groove (S2).

[0078] Accordingly, the step surface (333) and the stopper surface (221) serve to intuitively guide the user so that the chamber part (300) can slide and move by a set distance. That is, the user can easily confirm that the chamber part (300) has moved by the set distance by feeling the step surface (333) and the stopper surface (221) contact each other.

[0079] Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a fastening protrusion (331a) may be formed protruding on the upper surface of the first circumferential member (331).

[0080] The fastening projection (331a) formed on the first circumferential member (331) can be inserted into the fastening groove (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the guide frame (220) when the step surface (333) and the stopper surface (221) come into contact with each other as the first circumferential member (331) is inserted into the side groove (S2).

[0081] Accordingly, the movement of the chamber part (300) mounted on the upper part of the main body (200) can be further prevented by the mutual coupling of the fastening projection (331a) and the fastening groove (not shown).

[0082] For reference, in one embodiment of the present invention, it has been described that a fastening projection (331a) is formed to protrude from the upper surface of the first peripheral member (331), and a fastening groove (not shown) is formed on the lower surface of the guide frame (220) to be coupled with the fastening projection (331), but this is not limited thereto. For example, a fastening projection may be formed to protrude downward from the lower surface of the guide frame (220), and a fastening groove may be formed on the upper surface of the first peripheral member (331).

[0083] Meanwhile, a magnet (not shown) may be provided on the bottom surface of the second circumferential member (332).

[0084] The above magnet can be said to be a component detected by a magnetic detection sensor (250, see Fig. 8) provided inside the main body (200).

[0085] In detail, when the first peripheral member (331) of the cover (330) is inserted into the side groove (S2) and moved by a set distance, the magnetic detection sensor (250) provided inside the main body (200) detects the magnet provided on the bottom surface of the second peripheral member (332) and determines whether the chamber part (300) has slid by the set distance and is mounted in the correct position.

[0086] For reference, the detection signal by the magnetic detection sensor (250) can be displayed on a display placed on the front side of the upper surface of the main body (200) and transmitted to the user.

[0087] Therefore, the user can easily check whether the chamber part (300) is correctly mounted on the upper part of the main body (200) based on the signal displayed on the display.

[0088]

[0089] A distilled water supply control and detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a baffle (340) provided inside the water chamber (310), as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0090] The above-mentioned bure (340) can open and close the distilled water supply pipe (315) in response to the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber (310), and accordingly, the amount of distilled water supplied into the water chamber (310) can be adjusted in response to the level of distilled water.

[0091] The above-mentioned float (340) may include, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, a floating member (341) that is disposed at the lower portion of the internal space formed by the water chamber (310) and that can float by distilled water filled in the internal space; an opening / closing portion (342) that blocks the distilled water supply pipe (315) when the floating member (341) rises and opens the distilled water supply pipe (315) when the floating member (341) descends; and a link portion (343) that connects the opening / closing portion (342) and the floating member (341) to each other.

[0092] The above floating member (341) may have a hollow body shape so that it can be easily floated by distilled water, and in particular, its bottom surface may have a slanted shape so that it can be easily floated by distilled water.

[0093] As described above, the opening / closing part (342) can be said to be a component that opens / closes the distilled water supply pipe (315) by the floating member (341).

[0094] For reference, the distilled water supply pipe (315) may include a first flow path (315a) that is communicatively connected to a distilled water supply port (311) provided on the upper surface of the water chamber (310); and a second flow path (315b) that is communicatively connected to the first flow path (315a) and has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first flow path (315a).

[0095] The above opening / closing part (342) may include a head member (342a) arranged in a first flow path (315a) of a distilled water supply pipe (315); an elevating rod (342b) integrally connected to the head member (342a) while forming an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the head member (342a) and having a longitudinal portion arranged in a second flow path (315b) of the distilled water supply pipe (315); and a sealing member (342c) arranged in the first flow path (315a) while being provided at a connection point between the elevating rod (342b) and the head member (342a) and opening / closing a communication point between the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b).

[0096] The head member (342a) has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first flow path (315a) and an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the hole formed at the connecting point between the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b).

[0097] The longitudinal upper portion of the lifting rod (342b) is integrally connected to the lower surface of the head member (342a) and can be placed in the first flow path (315a) together with the head member (342a).

[0098] The lifting rod (342b) forms an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameters of the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b), and further forms an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the hole formed at the connecting point of the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b).

[0099] Except for the longitudinal upper portion of the lifting rod (342b), the remaining longitudinal portion may be placed in the second passage (315b) or exposed to the outside of the second passage (315b) and placed in the internal space formed by the water chamber (310).

[0100] Additionally, the longitudinal lower end of the lifting rod (342b) can be connected to a link portion (343) to be described later.

[0101] As described above, the sealing member (342c) can be said to be a component that opens and closes the communication point between the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b).

[0102] The sealing member (342c) has a ring shape that surrounds the outer surface of the longitudinal upper side of the lifting rod (342b).

[0103] Additionally, the upper surface of the sealing member (342c) can be in contact with the lower surface of the head member (342a).

[0104] The above link part (343) can be said to be a component that connects the floating member (341) and the opening / closing part (342) to each other and raises / lowers the opening / closing part (342) by the operation of the floating member (341).

[0105] The above link portion (343) may include a first connecting member (343a) having a lower end connected to the upper surface of the floating member (341) and an upper end extending upwardly in an inclined manner and rotatably connected to the lower end of the lifting rod (342b); and a second connecting member (343b) protruding upward from a longitudinal middle portion of the first connecting member (343a) and having an upper end rotatably connected to the lower end of a support frame (314) arranged on one side of the distilled water supply pipe (315).

[0106] The first connecting member (343a) constituting the link portion (343) can have its lower end integrally connected to the upper surface of the floating member (341).

[0107] As described above, the first connecting member (343a) is arranged at an angle in the internal space of the water chamber (341), and its longitudinal lower end is integrally connected to the front side of the upper surface of the floating member (341), and its longitudinal upper end can be rotatably connected to the longitudinal lower end of the lifting rod (342b).

[0108]

[0109] For reference, the floating member (341) may be placed on the rear side of the internal space formed by the water chamber (341). In addition, the distilled water supply pipe (315) may be placed on the central side of the internal space formed by the water chamber (341).

[0110] Accordingly, the first connecting member (343a) of the link portion (343) is not arranged to be inclined to connect the floating member (341) and the opening / closing member (342) provided in the distilled water supply pipe (315).

[0111] The longitudinal lower end of the second connecting member (343b) may be integrally connected to the longitudinally interrupted portion of the first connecting member (343a). In addition, the longitudinal upper end of the second connecting member (343b) may be rotatably connected to the lower end of a support frame (314) that protrudes from the ceiling surface of the water chamber (310) toward the internal space.

[0112] The second connecting member (343b) enables the floating member (341) to float on a set position. That is, it serves to support the floating member (341) so that the floating member (341) is not floated by distilled water and floats only on the set position.

[0113] In addition, the second connecting member (343b) also functions as a stopper that limits the angle at which the first connecting member (343a) rotates when the floating member (341) is floated by distilled water.

[0114] Meanwhile, the floating member (341), the opening / closing member (342) and the link member (343) constituting the float (340) can be made of plastic material, and among them, the sealing member (342c) constituting the opening / closing member (342) can be made of rubber material.

[0115]

[0116] Hereinafter, the process of floating the bure (340) configured as above in the internal space of the water chamber (310) is described as an example with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

[0117] As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the internal space of the water chamber (310) is not filled with distilled water, a horizontal surface (341a) formed horizontally on the bottom surface of the floating member (341) may be in contact with the upper surface of the heat-conducting plate (320). At this time, an inclined surface (341b) formed on a portion of the bottom surface of the floating member (341) is not in contact with the heat-conducting plate (320). For reference, the portion of the bottom surface of the floating member (341) on which the inclined surface (341b) is formed may be a portion of the bottom surface of the floating member (341) that is formed to be inclined upward toward the front side of the water chamber (310).

[0118] In addition, the lifting rod (342b), head member (342a), and sealing member (342c) of the opening / closing part (342) are supported upward by the first connecting member (343a) to form an elevated state inside the distilled water supply pipe (315).

[0119] Then, since the lower surface of the sealing member (342c) does not come into contact with the communication point of the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b) and opens the hole formed at the communication point, distilled water can be supplied to the internal space of the water chamber (310) through the distilled water supply pipe (315).

[0120] Conversely, as illustrated in FIG. 6, when distilled water is filled in the internal space of the water chamber (310), the lower surface of the floating member (341) may be separated from the upper surface of the heat conduction plate (320) by being pressurized by the distilled water. At this time, since the inclined surface (341b) formed on the lower surface of the floating member (341) is pressurized by the distilled water filled in the internal space of the water chamber (310), the floating member (341) may be easily rotated toward the rear of the water chamber (310) based on the connection point between the second connecting member (343b) and the support frame (314).

[0121] When the above floating member (341) is floated by distilled water, the longitudinal lower end of the first connecting member (343a) also rotates toward the rear of the water chamber (310) together with the floating member (341), and in conjunction with this, the longitudinal upper end of the first connecting member (343) pulls downward the lower end of the lifting rod (342b).

[0122] And, when the internal space of the water chamber (310) is filled with distilled water to a set water level, the head member (342a) and the sealing member (342c) are lowered in the internal space of the first flow path (315a), and at this time, the sealing member (342c) can block the hole formed at the communication point between the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b).

[0123] As described above, when distilled water is filled to the water level set in the internal space of the water chamber (310), the lifting rod (342b) is lowered along with the floating member (341), so the hole formed at the connecting point of the first flow path (315a) and the second flow path (315b) can be blocked by the sealing member (342c).

[0124] The bure (340) having the above configuration and operational relationship can open or block the distilled water supply pipe (315) in response to the level of distilled water filled in the internal space of the water chamber (310), and thus can also function as a sensor that detects the set level of distilled water in a manner of direct contact with the distilled water.

[0125]

[0126] In addition, the distilled water supply control and detection system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a non-contact detection sensor (240) provided in the main body (200).

[0127] The non-contact detection sensor (240) can be built into the protruding frame (230) provided in the main body (200), as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8.

[0128] For reference, the protruding frame (230) is integrally connected to the aforementioned guide frame (220), and can be said to be a component that comes into contact with the rear surface of the water chamber (310) when the water chamber (310) is seated in the seating groove (S1).

[0129] In addition, the non-contact detection sensor (240) built inside the protruding frame (230) detects the water level of distilled water filled in the internal space of the water chamber (310), and can be said to be a known water level sensor that measures the water level in a non-contact manner.

[0130] For example, when the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber (310) reaches a set level or fails to reach the set level, the respective signals can be transmitted to a PCB (not shown) provided inside the main body (200).

[0131] The detection signal transmitted to the PCB (not shown) can be displayed on a display provided on the front side of the upper surface of the main body (200). Accordingly, the user can easily determine the water level of the distilled water filled inside the water chamber (310) through the non-contact detection sensor (240) built into the protruding frame (230).

[0132] In this way, the distilled water supply control and detection system of the respiratory assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention can determine the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber (310) using the bladder (340) that is in direct contact with the distilled water, and at the same time, determine the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber (310) using the non-contact detection sensor (240) that is not in contact with the distilled water, so that the user can accurately determine the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber (310) through double check, and in particular, can continuously and accurately determine the level of distilled water even if either the bladder or the non-contact detection sensor (240) malfunctions or is damaged.

[0133] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, it is obvious that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0134] Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the claims described below, but also by equivalents of the claims.

[0135] The present invention can be sold and used in the medical device industry.

Claims

1. A distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device including a chamber in which distilled water is stored and a main body in which the chamber is mounted, The above distilled water supply control and detection system, Controlling the supply amount of distilled water supplied to the chamber section in a manner that directly contacts the distilled water stored in the chamber section, A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device characterized in that it detects the level of distilled water filled in the chamber portion in a manner that contacts the outer surface of the chamber portion but does not contact the distilled water.

2. In paragraph 1, The above chamber part, A water chamber that is installed in a mounting groove formed on the upper part of the main body and has distilled water filled inside; and A heat conducting plate provided at the lower part of the water chamber and in contact with a heating plate provided at the upper part of the main body; A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that a baffle is provided inside the water chamber to open and close a distilled water supply pipe in response to the level of distilled water.

3. In paragraph 2, The above bure, A floating member disposed at the lower portion of the internal space formed by the water chamber and capable of floating by distilled water filled in the internal space; An opening / closing unit that blocks the distilled water supply pipe when the floating member rises and opens the distilled water supply pipe when the floating member descends; and A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that it includes a link portion connecting the opening and closing portion and the floating member to each other.

4. In paragraph 3, The above distilled water supply pipe, A first flow path that is communicably connected to a distilled water supply port provided on the upper surface of the water chamber; and A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that it includes a second passage that is communicatively connected to the first passage and has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the first passage.

5. In paragraph 4, The above opening and closing part is, A head member placed in the first euro above; An elevator rod integrally connected to the head member while forming an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the head member, and having a longitudinal portion disposed in the second flow path; and A distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that it includes a sealing member that is arranged in the first flow path and is provided at the connection point of the above-mentioned lifting rod and the above-mentioned head member, and opens and closes the communication point between the first flow path and the above-mentioned second flow path.

6. In paragraph 5, The above link part, A first connecting member having a lower end connected to the upper surface of the floating member and an upper end extending upwardly in an inclined manner and rotatably connected to the lower end of the lifting rod; and A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that it comprises a second connecting member that protrudes upward from the longitudinal middle portion of the first connecting member and has an upper end rotatably connected to the lower end of a support frame arranged on one side of the distilled water supply pipe.

7. In paragraph 6, A distilled water supply control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that the second connecting member limits the angle at which the first connecting member turns when the floating member is floated by distilled water.

8. In paragraph 2, The above body is provided with a guide frame that divides the above-mentioned mounting groove, In the above guide frame, a protruding frame that comes into contact with the rear surface of the water chamber is formed, A distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that the protruding frame has a built-in non-contact detection sensor for detecting the level of distilled water filled in the water chamber.

9. In paragraph 3, The bottom surface of the above floating member is a horizontal plane formed in a horizontal direction; and A distilled water supply and control and detection system for a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that it includes an inclined surface formed to be connected to the horizontal surface but inclined upward toward the front of the water chamber.

10. In paragraph 9, The horizontal plane formed on the bottom surface of the floating member forms a contact state with the heat conducting plate forming the bottom surface of the water chamber when the internal space of the water chamber is not filled with distilled water. A distilled water supply control and detection system of a respiratory assistance device, characterized in that the inclined surface formed on the bottom surface of the floating member is not in contact with the heat conducting plate forming the bottom surface of the water chamber.

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