Pulsed Pressure Swing Adsorption Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current oxygen concentrators using pressure swing adsorption (PSA) systems are bulky, energy inefficient, and fail to synchronize oxygen production with the user's breathing cycle, leading to waste and inadequate oxygen delivery, especially during high-demand situations or varying breathing patterns.
Innovation Solution
A pulsed pressure swing adsorption (PPSA) system that synchronizes PSA cycles with the user's breathing pattern, producing oxygen only during inhalation phases and ceasing production during exhalation, using a controller to actuate valves and adjust oxygen flow based on breathing parameters, thereby optimizing oxygen output and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous oxygen production is maintained to ensure adequate oxygen supply, then oxygen availability is improved, but energy consumption and system size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic pulsed pressure swing adsorption cycles synchronized to the user's breathing pattern, producing oxygen only during inhalation phases. This periodic operation eliminates continuous production during exhalation, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate oxygen supply when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts oxygen production parameters (flow rate, pressure, timing) based on real-time detection of breathing patterns. By changing operational parameters to match physiological demand, the system ensures adequate oxygen availability only when required, reducing unnecessary energy consumption during periods of low or no demand.
2Reliability
If multiple zeolite beds and valves are used to maintain continuous oxygen production, then oxygen supply reliability is improved, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a single zeolite bed operated in periodic pulsed cycles rather than multiple beds operating continuously. By synchronizing oxygen production to the user's inhalation phases, the system eliminates the need for redundant beds and complex valve assemblies required for continuous production, significantly reducing device weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and eliminates unnecessary components (additional zeolite beds, complex valve systems) that were required for continuous oxygen production. By transitioning to on-demand periodic production synchronized to breathing, the invention removes redundant hardware, reducing overall device weight and complexity.
3Reliability
If oxygen is produced continuously regardless of breathing phase, then oxygen availability is maintained, but oxygen waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic oxygen production that is synchronized to the user's breathing cycle, delivering oxygen only during inhalation phases when it is physiologically useful. This eliminates continuous production during exhalation, preventing oxygen waste while maintaining adequate availability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from breathing pattern detection to control oxygen production timing and flow rate. By continuously monitoring inhalation/exhalation phases and adjusting production accordingly, the system ensures oxygen is delivered only when physiologically useful, eliminating waste while maintaining reliability.
4Device complexity
If fixed PSA cycle timing is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to varying breathing patterns is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from fixed static PSA cycle timing to dynamic timing that adapts to the user's varying breathing patterns. By continuously detecting inhalation/exhalation phases and adjusting cycle timing accordingly, the system maintains simplicity while achieving adaptability to different respiratory rates and patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters (cycle timing, flow rate, pressure) based on detected breathing patterns. This allows the simple PSA mechanism to adapt to varying physiological demands without increasing inherent system complexity, merely by adjusting timing parameters.
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 PPSA system reduces the size and weight of oxygen concentrators, enhances energy efficiency, and ensures oxygen delivery matches the user's demand, minimizing waste and improving mobility and clinical efficacy for patients with conditions like COPD.
Implementation Method 1
Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is a cyclical adsorption process wherein inlet gas is pressurized and separated to produce a raffinate product. This adsorption process occurs when pressurized inlet gas interacts with a molecular sieve such as zeolite. Air is pressurized, and the nitrogen gas component of the inlet air is selectively adsorbed by the molecular sieve compared to the oxygen.
Implementation Method 2
When air at elevated pressure is passed through a bed containing adsorbent material such as zeolite, the nitrogen in the air is adsorbed into the zeolite and air with a dramatically higher percentage of oxygen emerging from the zeolite bed.
Implementation Method 3
This adsorbed gas is then desorbed by depressurizing the adsorbent bed, therein regenerating the adsorbent bed, allowing for additional product gas such as oxygen to be produced.
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system and methods for controlling each PSA cycle performed by the PSA system to produce oxygen enriched gas during productive portions of a user breathing cycle, and to cease production of oxygen enriched gas during non-productive portions of the user breathing cycle, is provided. The PSA system synchronizes PSA cycle phases including adsorption and desorption phases with a user's individual inhalation and exhalation phases, on a breath by breath basis, such that each PSA cycle can be dynamically varied from a succeeding PSA cycle, in real time in response to variations in the user's breathing cycle. An oxygen delivery device including a breathing cycle sensor provides breathing cycle inputs to a controller for use with at least one algorithm to detect breathing flow phases during each user breath, and to synchronize each PSA cycle to the user's breathing flow phases, on a breath-by-breath basis.