Respiratory Gas Humidification Chamber With Shared-Plane Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing respiratory ventilation systems lack efficient and user-friendly designs for humidifying pressurized respiratory gases, leading to noise, inefficiency, and potential leakage issues.
Innovation Solution
A humidification assembly with a liquid chamber featuring layered shell structure, angled and intersecting gas passages, and a pivotally connected tank cover to facilitate easy cleaning, filling, and secure gas flow, reducing noise and leakage while enhancing humidification efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If gas passages are formed in the shell of the liquid chamber, then the tank design becomes simple with wider opening and volume for easier maintenance and filling, but the device complexity increases due to the integrated shell structure
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid chamber shell is divided into an inner shell and an outer shell forming a layered structure. This segmentation allows the gas passages to be formed in the shell walls while maintaining a simple tank design with wide opening for easy maintenance and filling. The segmented structure resolves the contradiction by separating the functional requirements of gas flow integration from tank accessibility.
2Productivity
If the output port of the first gas passage faces away from the inlet port direction, then gas flow travels longer distance exposed to liquid increasing humidification efficiency, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first gas passage is configured to extend in a direction away from the inlet port, creating a longer gas flow path through the liquid. The outlet port of the first gas passage faces a different direction than the inlet port, utilizing spatial dimensionality to increase exposure distance without adding complex structural elements. This dimensional approach resolves the contradiction between efficiency and complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the tank cover is pivotally connected to allow easy opening for cleaning and filling, then ease of operation improves, but reliability decreases due to potential leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The tank cover is pivotally connected to the tank body, allowing dynamic opening and closing for easy cleaning and filling operations. The pivotal connection enables the cover to rotate between closed and open positions, providing operational flexibility while maintaining structural integrity. This dynamic mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing easy access when needed while maintaining sealed closure during operation.
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 design achieves a compact, efficient, and user-friendly humidification process with reduced noise and minimized leakage risks, improving the overall performance and usability of respiratory ventilation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a humidification assembly gas inlet port configured to introduce the pressurized respiratory gas, via a first gas passage, into the tank
Implementation Method 2
a liquid chamber configured to accommodate one or more liquids... the output port of the first gas passage faces a second side surface of the shell of the liquid chamber... gas flow may travel a longer distance while being exposed to the liquid(s) in the tank, thus, increasing the efficiency of the humidification
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A humidification assembly is provided for humidifying pressurized respiratory gas from a respiratory ventilation apparatus. The assembly includes a liquid chamber comprising a tank and a tank cover. The liquid chamber defines a first gas passage for introducing gas into the tank and a second gas passage for returning humidified gas. To create a compact and efficient flow path, the first and second gas passages share a common plane. The first gas passage includes a first portion extending from a gas inlet port to the common plane, and a second portion extending from the common plane to an output port. The second gas passage similarly includes a first portion extending from an input port to the common plane, and a second portion extending from the common plane to a gas outlet port. This specific two-portion architecture for each passage enables a non-linear gas path within a limited space.