Integrated Oxygen Concentrator in Walking Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional oxygen concentrators are bulky and cumbersome when used with assistive walking devices, causing balance issues and increasing the risk of falls, especially for individuals with breathing conditions who require additional oxygen and mobility assistance.
Innovation Solution
An integrated oxygen concentrator within an assistive walking device, featuring a handle, elongated housing, oxygen concentrator, leg member, and foot member, with a control pad for direct operation, allowing for detachable and replaceable components, including sieve beds and batteries, to provide continuous and pulsed oxygen delivery without offsetting the user's center of gravity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional oxygen concentrator is carried or attached to an assisted walking device, then oxygen delivery is provided, but the weight distribution is altered making walking more difficult and increasing the likelihood of falls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the oxygen concentrator and assisted walking device into a single integrated unit. The oxygen concentrator is housed within the frame of the walking device, merging two separate functions (oxygen delivery and mobility assistance) into one unified system, eliminating the need to carry separate devices and properly distributing weight through the walking device's structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional oxygen concentrators are made portable, then they can be moved, but they remain bulky and require additional power sources and hoses making them cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the oxygen concentrator housing with the walking device frame, eliminating the need for separate carrying cases or additional power sources. The integrated design incorporates all necessary components (oxygen generation, power supply, delivery mechanisms) within the walking device structure, simplifying the overall system while maintaining portability
Solution Approach 2:
The walking device frame serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for mobility assistance, houses the oxygen concentrator, contains the power source, and supports the oxygen delivery system. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, decreasing device complexity while maintaining portability
3Reliability
If additional weight is added to an assisted walking device for oxygen delivery, then oxygen therapy is provided, but the center of gravity shifts causing balance issues and increasing fall risk
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the oxygen concentrator within the walking device frame rather than attaching it externally or requiring the user to carry it separately, the weight is properly distributed through the device's structural framework. This maintains the center of gravity within acceptable parameters while still providing necessary oxygen therapy
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
Enhances mobility, reduces healthcare costs, improves oxygen saturation, prevents falls, and maintains proper posture, making it easier to navigate and use in various environments while reducing the number of devices needed.
Implementation Method 1
Traditional oxygen concentrators work by filtering the surrounding air, compressing it to the required density and then delivering the concentrated oxygen into a dose delivery system or continuous stream to the person
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of sieve beds configured to extract oxygen-enriched gas from ambient air
Data Source
AI summary
The inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein are generally directed to an improved assisted walking device, such as a cane, walker or wheelchair, that includes an integrated oxygen concentrator housed within the assisted walking device. In some embodiments, for example, the improved assisted walking device includes a handle, a control pad, an elongated housing having an interior chamber, an oxygen concentrator, a leg member and a foot member. The oxygen concentrator detachably positioned within the interior chamber of the elongated housing and including an adsorption system configured to generate a flow of oxygen enriched gas, a compressor that includes a motor, a battery, a plurality of sieve beds configured to extract oxygen-enriched gas from ambient air, and a controller in communication with the control pad.