Humidifier Float Assembly Preventing Water Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airway pressure support systems with integrated humidifiers face issues such as water ingress during misuse, leading to potential damage and increased weight due to the need for a larger reservoir to accommodate excess water for humidification, making them less portable and more cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier assembly featuring a reservoir with a float assembly and conduit system that includes apertures for gas passage, allowing the gas to flow over water while preventing water ingress into the main housing, even during tilting or misuse, thus reducing the size and weight requirements of the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a larger reservoir is used to accommodate excess water for humidification, then water ingress during misuse is prevented, but the weight and portability of the system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A hydrophobic membrane is introduced as an intermediary component between the reservoir and the main housing. This membrane allows water vapor to pass through for humidification while blocking liquid water from entering the main housing during misuse conditions such as tilting or inversion, thereby preventing water ingress without requiring a larger reservoir.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrophobic membrane utilizes porous material properties to selectively allow vapor transmission while blocking liquid penetration. The membrane's pore structure and hydrophobic coating enable it to differentiate between vapor and liquid phases, allowing the system to maintain compact reservoir size while ensuring reliability during misuse.
2Reliability
If a larger reservoir is used to accommodate excess water for humidification, then water ingress during misuse is prevented, but the portability of the system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophobic membrane serves as a mediator that enables the reservoir to remain compact while still protecting the main housing during misuse. This allows the system to be more portable without sacrificing the reliability of water ingress prevention.
3Weight of moving object
If the reservoir size is reduced to improve portability, then system weight and bulk are reduced, but the ability to prevent water ingress during misuse deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrophobic membrane acts as a protective intermediary that decouples the reservoir size from the water ingress prevention capability. This allows the use of a smaller, lighter reservoir while maintaining reliability through the membrane's selective permeability properties.
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 ensures consistent humidification and prevents water from entering the main housing, enhancing the system's durability and portability by eliminating the need for a larger reservoir, resulting in a more efficient and user-friendly airway pressure support system.
Implementation Method 1
a float assembly (140) coupled to the second end of the conduit element. The float assembly is structured to float on water held by the reservoir
Implementation Method 2
passing the breathing gas through the conduit element and through the number of apertures of the float assembly, passing the breathing gas over the water
Data Source
AI summary
A humidifier assembly (100, 100-1) includes a reservoir (120), an inlet structure (112, 112-1) leading into the reservoir and an outlet structure (114, 114-1) leading out of the reservoir, and a conduit element (130, 130-1) having a first end (131, 131-1), a body portion (132, 132-1), and a second end (133, 133-1). The first end is fluidly coupled to at least one of the inlet structure and the outlet structure The humidifier assembly additionally includes a float assembly (140, 140-1) coupled to the second end of the conduit element. The float assembly is structured to float on water held by the reservoir. The float assembly has a number of apertures (153, 153-1) structured to be in fluid communication with the outlet structure.