# US 10,946,160 B2 · Medical vaporizer with carrier gas characterization, measurement, and/or compensation

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- Number: US 10,946,160 B2
- Document ID: US10946160B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/467,483
- Filed: 2017-03-23
- Published: 2018-09-27
- Granted: 2021-03-16
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-23
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Douglas Kirk Bottom
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946160B2

## CPC

- A61M 16/1005: {with O2 features or with parameter measurement}
- A61M 16/024: {including calculation means, e.g. using a processor}
- A61M 16/0891: {Closed circuit, e.g. for anaesthesia}
- A61M 16/104: {specially adapted for anaesthetics (A61M16/18 takes precedence)}
- A61M 16/18: Vaporising devices for anaesthetic preparations
- A61M 16/201: {Controlled valves}
- A61M 16/203: {Proportional}
- G01N 29/024: by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
- G01N 29/30: Arrangements for calibrating or comparing, e.g. with standard objects
- G01N 33/0006: {Calibrating gas analysers}
- G05D 11/131: {by measuring the values related to the quantity of the individual components (G05D11/139 takes precedence)}
- G05D 11/135: {by sensing at least one property of the mixture (G05D11/139 takes precedence)}
- G05D 21/02: characterised by the use of electric means
- A61M 16/0075: {Bellows-type}
- A61M 16/0833: {T- or Y-type connectors, e.g. Y-piece}
- A61M 16/085: {Gas sampling}
- A61M 16/12: by mixing different gases
- A61M 16/208: {Non-controlled one-way valves, e.g. exhalation, check, pop-off non-rebreathing valves}
- A61M 16/22: Carbon dioxide-absorbing devices {; Other means for removing carbon dioxide}(cartridges with absorbing substances for respiratory apparatus A62B19/00)
- A61M 2016/0027: {pressure meter}
- A61M 2016/102: {Measuring a parameter of the content of the delivered gas}
- A61M 2016/1035: {the anaesthetic agent concentration}
- A61M 2202/0208: Oxygen
- A61M 2202/0225: Carbon oxides, e.g. Carbon dioxide
- A61M 2202/025: Helium
- A61M 2202/0283: Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- A61M 2205/3334: Measuring or controlling the flow rate
- A61M 2205/3368: Temperature
- A61M 2205/3375: Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
- A61M 2205/502: User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
- A61M 2205/60: with identification means
- A61M 2205/70: with testing or calibration facilities
- G01N 2291/021: Gases
- 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)}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A medical vaporizer is provided. In one embodiment, dual-purpose sensors are employed, such as in a configuration in which one is positioned in the mixed gas flow channel and one is positioned in the main gas flow channel. The sensors provide measurements that may be used to determine both gas flow and gas concentration in the mixed and main gas channels, even when the identity and/or properties of the gas in the main gas channel are unknown. The measurements derived from the dual-purpose sensors may be used to measure and report the total anesthetic being delivered at the vaporizer output and/or improve vaporizer accuracy.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medical vaporizer, comprising:
a main gas channel through which a first gas flows during operation, wherein the first gas is unknown to a vaporizer controller;
a side gas channel, comprising one or more side channel control valves that during operation control a second flow of a second gas through the side gas channel;
a mixed gas channel configured to receive the first flow of the first gas and the second flow of the second gas during operation and to output a mixed gas;
a first dual-purpose sensor positioned in the main gas channel and configured to generate a first set of measurements during operation;
a second dual-purpose sensor positioned in the mixed gas channel and configured to generate a second set of measurements during operation, wherein the first and second dual-purpose sensors are each configured both to measure gas flow and generate measurements for gas concentration; and
the vaporizer controller configured to receive the first set of measurements, the second set of measurements, and a stored calibration measurement set, to calculate one or more of the identity of one or more components of the first gas or concentration of one or more components of the first gas based on the first set of measurements and the stored calibration measurement set, to calculate concentration of one or more components of the mixed gas based on the second set of measurements, and to control operation of one or more of the side channel control valves based upon one or more of the calculated identities or concentrations, wherein the stored calibration measurement set is derived from time-of-flight measurements by the first dual-purpose sensor of a known gas flowing through the main gas channel, and wherein the vaporizer controller is configured to utilize the calculated identity or concentration of the one or more components of the first gas flowing in the main gas channel to correct measurements of gas flow in one or more of the main gas channel and the mixed gas channel and to correct the calculated concentration of the one or more components of the mixed gas in the mixed gas channel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer controller is further configured to display one or more of the identity of one or more components of the first gas, concentration of one or more components of the first gas, or concentration of one or more components of the mixed gas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein no dual-purpose sensor is positioned in the side gas channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first set of measurements or the second set of measurements comprises one or more time-of-flight measurements.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the first dual-purpose sensor and the second dual-purpose sensor comprise ultrasonic sensors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The medical vaporizer of claim 5, wherein the ultrasonic sensors each comprise a pair of ultrasonic transducers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The medical vaporizer of claim 5, wherein the ultrasonic sensors further comprise one or both of a pressure transducer or a temperature transducer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein one or both of the identity or properties of the first gas are unknown to the vaporizer controller.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first gas or second gas may be a pure gas or a gas blend.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The medical vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the vaporizer controller is configured to utilize the calculated identity or concentration of the one or more components of the first gas flowing in the main gas channel to determine one or more flow correction factors for correcting the measurements of gas flow in one or more of the main gas channel and the mixed gas channel and to determine a concentration correct factor for correcting the calculated concentration of the one or more components of the mixed gas in the mixed gas channel.