Oxygen Concentrator Dual-Path Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional oxygen concentrators are unable to provide high pressures required by certain oxygen delivery devices, such as smaller nasal cannulas, leading to limited usability and increased power consumption when attempting to increase pressure through pump speed, which reduces device lifetime and portability.
Innovation Solution
An oxygen concentrator that alternates operation between two sieve beds to double oxygen throughput and uses a pressure amplifier to generate high pressures, allowing selection of oxygen flow paths based on connected devices or backpressure, thereby delivering oxygen at a range of pressures from 5 to 50 psig without significant power increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If pump speed is increased to provide higher oxygen pressure, then oxygen delivery pressure is improved, but mechanical fatigue increases and device lifetime decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the oxygen delivery system into two separate pathways: a first pathway for low-pressure oxygen delivery using the existing compression pump, and a second pathway for high-pressure oxygen delivery using a separate high-pressure compression pump. This segmentation allows each pump to operate at optimized speeds for their respective pressure ranges, preventing the low-pressure pump from excessive speed increases that would cause mechanical fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a pressure regulator as an intermediary component in the high-pressure pathway that controls and stabilizes the oxygen pressure before delivery. This intermediary device allows the high-pressure pump to operate at constant, optimized speeds while still providing variable pressure output through the regulator, thereby preventing mechanical fatigue from speed variations.
2Stress or pressure
If pump speed is increased to provide higher oxygen pressure, then oxygen delivery pressure is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compression function into two specialized pumps: a first compression pump optimized for low-pressure operation and a second compression pump optimized for high-pressure operation. Each pump operates at its most energy-efficient speed range for its designated pressure level, avoiding the excessive power consumption that would result from operating a single pump at high speeds to achieve high pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure regulator serves as an energy-efficient intermediary that allows the high-pressure pump to operate at constant, optimized speeds while providing variable pressure output. This eliminates the need to increase pump speed to increase pressure, thereby maintaining low power consumption across different delivery pressure requirements.
3Stress or pressure
If pump speed is increased to provide higher oxygen pressure, then oxygen delivery pressure is improved, but battery size must increase which reduces portability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the compression function into two specialized pumps operating at different pressure levels, with each pump running at optimized, lower speeds. This segmentation reduces the total power consumption compared to using a single high-speed pump, thereby reducing battery size requirements and improving portability while still providing high-pressure capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure regulator acts as an intermediary that decouples pump speed from delivery pressure. This allows the system to maintain low, optimized pump speeds while providing high-pressure output when required, reducing overall power consumption and battery size requirements, thereby improving portability.
4Device complexity
If single pressure pathway is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different delivery devices is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oxygen delivery system into two distinct pathways with different pressure characteristics: a first pathway for low-pressure delivery compatible with conventional devices, and a second pathway for high-pressure delivery compatible with smaller nasal cannulas. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different delivery device requirements without requiring a single complex variable-pressure mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal oxygen delivery system that can serve multiple delivery device types through two standardized pathways. The system provides both low-pressure and high-pressure output capabilities, making it universally compatible with various oxygen delivery devices including masks, conventional nasal cannulas, and smaller low-profile nasal cannulas, without requiring complex adaptive mechanisms.
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
Enables the use of both low and high-pressure oxygen delivery devices without mechanical fatigue or increased power consumption, improving usability and maintaining portability by automatically selecting appropriate pressures based on device type or connector.
Implementation Method 1
rely on one or more compression pumps that force air through a zeolitic sieve bed
Implementation Method 2
zeolitic sieve bed that adsorbs nitrogen
Implementation Method 3
compresses the first quantity of oxygen to a third pressure using a pressure differential between the first pressure and the second pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
An oxygen concentrator is configured to provide oxygen at either lower pressures or higher pressures. When providing low pressure oxygen, the disclosed oxygen concentrator may be used with a conventional, low pressure oxygen delivery device, such as an oxygen cannula or mask, that is configured to deliver oxygen at approximate source pressures of 5 psig to 8 psig. When providing high pressure oxygen, the disclosed oxygen concentrator may be used with a high pressure oxygen delivery device, such as a low profile nasal cannula, that is configured to deliver oxygen at higher pressures. The disclosed oxygen concentrator is configured to automatically select whether low pressure oxygen or high pressure oxygen should be output to the user based on the type of connector used to couple a delivery device thereto, or based on characteristics of the delivery device itself.