Breathing Apparatus Removable Component Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing assistance apparatuses face challenges in efficiently delivering humidified gases to patients, particularly in maintaining effective humidity and temperature control, and in ensuring easy sterilization and maintenance of humidifier components.
Innovation Solution
A breathing assistance apparatus is designed with a filter module that includes a filter body with angled walls and a gas port configured to interact with a handle, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly. The apparatus also features a shroud that attaches to the housing without fasteners, and a removable component with a gas port and electrical connector for easy connection and disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a removable liquid chamber is used to allow easy sterilization and refilling, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional connection components
Solution Approach 1:
The humidifier system is divided into separable components: a removable liquid chamber and a heater base. This segmentation allows the liquid chamber to be easily removed for sterilization or refilling without affecting the main apparatus structure, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater base is designed with universal functionality to accommodate different liquid chamber configurations. The heater base includes a heater plate and temperature control mechanisms that work with any compatible liquid chamber, reducing the need for multiple specialized components and simplifying the overall system.
2Reliability
If heater wires are extended inside the tubing to prevent condensation, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged with the existing tubing structure by integrating heater wires inside the inspiratory tube and expiratory conduit. This combining approach prevents condensation formation while avoiding the need for separate, complex heating assemblies, thus improving reliability without significantly increasing manufacturing difficulty.
3Temperature
If the liquid chamber includes a highly heat-conductive base contacting the heater plate, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid chamber base is designed with localized heat-conductive properties using materials such as aluminum or copper. This local quality enhancement concentrates heat transfer efficiency at the critical interface between the heater plate and liquid chamber, improving temperature control without requiring complex heating systems throughout the entire chamber.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the delivery of humidified gases by improving humidity and temperature control, while also simplifying the sterilization and maintenance of apparatus components. The modular design facilitates easy assembly and disassembly, reducing complexity and improving user experience.
Implementation Method 1
The heater plate can be configured to heat the volume of liquid held within the liquid chamber to produce vapour
Implementation Method 2
heat the volume of liquid held within the liquid chamber to produce vapour
Implementation Method 3
the gas port is configured to interact with a handle of the breathing assistance apparatus
Implementation Method 4
The shroud is configured to attach to the housing without fasteners and by an initial movement of the shroud in a first direction followed by a subsequent movement of the shroud in a second direction that is offset from the first direction
Data Source
AI summary
A breathing assistance apparatus has a housing with an engagement feature and an electrical component in the housing and a removable component 171. The electrical component has a receptacle 233. The removable component 171 has an electrical connector 178 that is a close or tight fit in the receptacle 233 of the electrical component to assist with holding the removable component 171 in connection with the electrical component. The removable component has a tab 172 with a terminal end portion 172b that can be flexed relative to the rest of the removable component. An engagement feature 174 is provided on the terminal end portion of the tab and engages with the engagement feature of the housing is to inhibit disconnection of the removable component from the housing in the absence of actuating the terminal end portion 172a of the removable component to flex the tab.