# US 10,441,740 B2 · Humidification breathing apparatus control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,740 B2 - Document ID: US10441740B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/432,159 - Filed: 2013-09-30 - Published: 2015-08-06 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-28 - Assignees: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Applicants: Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited - Inventors: Alastair Edwin Mcauley; Igor Olegovich Yatsevich; Nimansha Budhiraja; Dongxue You - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441740B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/109: {the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent} - A61M 16/0003: {Accessories therefor, e.g. sensors, vibrators, negative pressure} - A61M 16/06: Respiratory or anaesthetic masks - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - A61M 16/0051: {with alarm devices} - A61M 16/0069: {the speed thereof being controlled by respiratory parameters, e.g. by inhalation} - A61M 16/026: {specially adapted for predicting, e.g. for determining an information representative of a flow limitation during a ventilation cycle by using a root square technique or a regression analysis} - A61M 16/1095: {in the connecting tubes} - A61M 16/161: {with means for measuring the humidity} - A61M 2016/003: {with a flowmeter} - A61M 2016/0039: {in the inspiratory circuit} - A61M 2016/0042: {in the expiratory circuit} - A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards - A61M 2230/50: Temperature - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A humidification breathing apparatus for generating and delivering humidified air to a patient at a desired humidity proximate the patient, the apparatus comprising an air flow path and a controller for controlling operation of the humidification breathing apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to operate the humidification breathing apparatus to control humidity at a point in the flow path to achieve the desired delivered humidity proximate the patient based on the patient exhaled humidity and flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A humidification breathing apparatus for generating and delivering humidified air to a patient at a delivered temperature proximate the patient comprising: an air flow path, and a controller for controlling operation of the humidification breathing apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to operate the humidification breathing apparatus to control temperature at a target point in the air flow path to a target temperature to achieve a delivered temperature at a downstream patient delivery point in the air flow path proximate the patient, wherein the controller utilizes a model of the contributions to heat balance downstream of the target point to predict the target temperature that achieves the delivered temperature at the downstream patient delivery point, the contributions to heat balance including at least the patient exhaled temperature and flow, wherein the controller adjusts the temperature at the target point based on the predicted target temperature, wherein patient exhaled temperature comprises a predetermined value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conduit coupled to a patient interface, wherein the conduit and the patient interface form part of the air flow path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the target point in the air flow path where the controller is configured to control temperature is at or near an end of the conduit near the patient interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the patient interface is a mask, wherein the relationship between the target temperature, patient exhaled temperature and flow is based on a balance of heat flow into and out of the mask. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the balance of heat flow into and out of the mask comprises a balance of the heat out comprising the heat energy carried by the air flow path out through an exhaust and the heat energy lost to the ambient through the mask surface, and the heat in comprising the heat energy carried by the air flow path and the heat energy carried by patient flow into the mask. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the target temperature is a function of actual flow characteristics of the patient. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the target temperature is a function of characteristics of the mask. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the target point in the air flow path where the controller is configured to control temperature is at or near an outlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control temperature by controlling a heater in the conduit or a heater plate apparatus, to heat the delivered humidified air. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flow sensor to sense the flow. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow comprises: average flow rate, peak flow rate, or tidal volume. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control temperature based on input air temperature, wherein the input air temperature comprises ambient air temperature or a predetermined value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The humidification breathing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control humidity based on mask information, wherein the mask information comprises: mask internal volume, mask surface area, or mask material.