# US 10,864,346 B2 · Humidifier for a respiratory therapy device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,346 B2 - Document ID: US10864346B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/555,712 - Filed: 2016-03-07 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-05 - Assignees: ResMed Pty Ltd - Applicants: ResMed Pty Ltd - Inventors: Matthew Rolf Harrington; David Creusot; Dmitri Anatolievich Doudkine; Andrew Sims; Luke Andrew Stanislas; Nan Hai Wu; Arthur Kin-Wai Yee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864346B2 ## CPC - A61M 16/162: {Water-reservoir filling system, e.g. automatic} - A61M 16/109: {the humidifying liquid or the beneficial agent} - A61M 16/16: Devices to humidify the respiration air {(A61M16/1045 takes precedence)} - A61M 16/161: {with means for measuring the humidity} - A61M 16/0051: {with alarm devices} - A61M 16/0066: {Blowers or centrifugal pumps} - 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 16/145: {using hollow fibres} - A61M 2205/15: Detection of leaks - A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate - A61M 2205/3344: Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/42: Reducing noise - A61M 2206/14: Static flow deviators in tubes disturbing laminar flow in tubes, e.g. archimedes screws - A61M 2230/42: Rate - 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 medical humidifier for humidification of air to be delivered to a patient's airways may include a humidification chamber, a reservoir and a water delivery mechanism. The humidification chamber may include a water retention feature such as a wick, a heating element for heating the humidification chamber, and an air flow baffle configured to promote humidification. The humidifier may be further configured to execute one or more algorithms, for example to determine a condition of the humidifier and/or to mitigate any detected faults. In some forms, the humidifier may also comprise algorithms for controlling one or more components of the humidifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A humidifier for increasing an absolute humidity of a flow of air to be delivered to a patient's airways, the humidifier comprising: a reservoir configured to retain a first volume of water; a humidifier chamber comprising: an outer housing including: a water feed inlet; an inlet portion forming an air inlet configured to receive the flow of air; and an outlet portion forming an air outlet for delivering the flow of air with increased absolute humidity; a humidifier wick positioned inside of the outer housing, the humidifier wick being configured to retain a second volume of water, the humidifier wick forming a path for the flow of air through the humidifier chamber, and the humidifier wick being removable from the humidifier chamber; a frame positioned inside of the outer housing and comprising: a wick remover engaged with the humidifier wick, the frame being removable from the humidifier chamber such that engagement of the wick remover with the humidifier wick removes the humidifier wick from the humidifier chamber when the frame is removed from the humidifier chamber; and an air flow baffle positioned within the path formed by the humidifier wick to lengthen a distance travelled by the flow of air along the path; a heating element positioned and configured to heat the humidifier wick to vaporise the second volume of water to add absolute humidity to the flow of air travelling along the path formed by the humidifier wick; and a delivery mechanism configured to deliver water from the reservoir to the humidifier wick via the water feed inlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wick remover is shaped and dimensioned to engage an end portion of the humidifier wick. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wick remover is positioned on the frame so as to extend toward an inner surface of the humidification chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wick remover is shaped and dimensioned to scrape the interior of the outer housing when the frame is removed from the humidifier chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wick remover is configured to be removed from the frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame is axially tapered. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame comprises at least one seal configured to engage a complementary interior surface of the outer housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The humidifier as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one seal and the complementary interior surface are configured to gradually engage during insertion of the frame into the outer housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame further comprises at least one air filter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The humidifier as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one air filter comprises anti-bacterial properties in order to prevent propagation of bacteria from a first side of the at least one air filter to a second side of the at least one air filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air flow baffle comprises a plurality of blades. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The humidifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the blades is curved. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The humidifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cross-section of at least one of the blades tapers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The humidifier as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the blades comprises a cross section profile varying in one or more directions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The humidifier as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one of the blades comprises a cross section profile varying in an axial direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is removable from the humidifier chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is configured to be biased to remain in position relative to the humidification chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The humidifier as claimed in claim 17, wherein the heating element comprises a hollow cylinder having a longitudinal slot extending between its ends. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of temperature sensors located along a direction that is transverse to the flow of air through the humidifier chamber. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first temperature sensor located at a peripheral portion of the humidifier wick proximate to a first end of the humidifier wick; a second temperature sensor located at a peripheral portion of the humidifier wick proximate to a second end of the humidifier wick; and a controller configured to determine a condition of the humidifier wick based at least in part on a temperature differential between the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The humidifier as claimed in claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the humidifier wick is in a first condition or a second condition based on whether the temperature differential is above or below a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the humidifier wick is tapered from a first end to a second end. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is configured to engage an outer periphery of the outer housing portion. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A respiratory therapy system configured to supply air at positive pressure to a patient for respiratory therapy, the respiratory therapy system comprising: a respiratory pressure therapy device configured to supply air at positive pressure; and the humidifier as claimed in claim 1, the humidifier being configured and positioned to humidify the air supplied by respiratory pressure therapy device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The respiratory therapy system as claimed in claim 24, further comprising: a patient interface configured to seal with the patient's face to deliver the flow of air with increased absolute humidity to the patient's airways; and an air conduit configured to direct the flow of air with increased absolute humidity from the humidifier to the patient interface. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The humidifier as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism further comprises a water pump.