Humidifier Separator Shielding Water Droplets from Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current airway pressure support systems for treating sleep disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea, often fail to effectively humidify the air, leading to discomfort and potential complications due to dry air, especially when using heated or passover humidifiers which may not adequately prevent water from entering the gas stream or handle contaminants in tap water.
Innovation Solution
A humidifier system for airway pressure support systems that includes a water chamber, a solenoid-actuated pump, a drip nozzle, a heater plate, and a separator feature to shield water droplets from the breathing gas flow, along with a filter to remove dissolved solids, ensuring efficient humidification and minimizing water entry into the patient interface device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If heated or passover humidifiers are used to humidify the breathing gas, then the air becomes humidified, but water may enter the gas stream and cause discomfort or complications
Solution Approach 1:
The humidifier is divided into separate functional zones: a water delivery system with solenoid-actuated pump and drip nozzle, a heating zone with heater plate, and a separation zone with baffle. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while preventing water from entering the gas stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The baffle acts as an intermediary element between the water delivery system and the breathing gas flow. It physically blocks water droplets from entering the gas stream while allowing the humidified gas to pass through, thus mediating between the need for humidification and the need to prevent water contamination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tap water is used in the humidifier, then the system can operate with non-distilled water, but contaminants in the water may affect patient safety and device operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the water in the water chamber before water is delivered to the heater plate. This pre-heating action helps to reduce the contamination risk by treating the water early in the process, allowing the system to safely use non-distilled water while protecting patient safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater plate serves a dual function: it heats the water droplets for humidification and simultaneously sterilizes the water by heating it to high temperatures. This converts the potential harm of using contaminated tap water into a benefit by eliminating pathogens and contaminants through thermal processing.
3Measurement precision
If a solenoid-actuated pump is used to deliver water, then precise control of water delivery is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solenoid-actuated pump replaces complex mechanical water delivery mechanisms with an electromechanical system. The solenoid uses electromagnetic fields to actuate the pump, providing precise control through electrical signals rather than complex mechanical linkages, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precision.
4Productivity
If water droplets are produced directly in the gas stream, then humidification is efficient, but water droplets may be carried into the patient interface device
Solution Approach 1:
The baffle introduces a spatial dimension to the water-gas interaction. By placing the baffle perpendicular to the gas flow direction, it creates a physical barrier in a different dimension, allowing water droplets to be blocked while gas flows through, thus separating water droplet management from gas flow management in spatial terms.
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 system provides effective humidification, reducing discomfort and complications by ensuring that the air is adequately humidified and free from contaminants, while also protecting the device from water entry and maintaining optimal operation with non-distilled water.
Implementation Method 1
a solenoid-actuated pump configured to deliver water from the water chamber to the drip nozzle
Implementation Method 2
a heater plate positioned to receive the water droplet from the nozzle and heat the water droplet
Implementation Method 3
a nozzle configured to produce a water droplet from water received from the water chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A humidifier is for an airway pressure support system for delivering a humidified flow of breathing gas to a patient. The humidifier includes a water chamber, a conduit, a nozzle, a heater plate, and a separator feature. The conduit includes first and second ends, and a wall portion defining an interior pathway between the first and second ends and structured to convey the flow of breathing gas between the first and second ends. The nozzle is fluidly connected to the water chamber and configured to produce a water droplet from water received from the water chamber. The heater plate is coupled to the wall portion, exposed to the interior pathway, and positioned to receive the water droplet from the nozzle. The separator feature is coupled to the wall portion and configured to shield the water droplet from the flow of breathing gas.