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US 11,433,189 B2Granted
Aerosol delivery system with humidification
AssigneeStamford Devices Limited
InventorPatrick Power
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An aerosol delivery system has a nebulizer and a humidifier providing a gas flow to the nebulizer. A controller varies humidity level of the gas flow to the nebulizer so that if the nebulizer is not operating it has about 100% humidity and it is operating the value is less to allow for the humidification effect of the nebulizer. The control may be achieved by dynamically varying proportions of flow through a dry branch and a humidification branch.
Claims18
A method of controlling an aerosol delivery system, comprising:
- determining when a nebulizer is actively delivering medication;
- and
- when the nebulizer is actively delivering medication, dynamically varying a humidity level of a gas flow upstream of the nebulizer via a humidifier in communication with a controller to achieve a target humidity level of the gas flow upstream of the nebulizer, and
- wherein the varying of the humidity level includes, as often as necessary, adjusting a gas flow valve positioned upstream of a humidification branch of a gas flow circuit, the humidification branch including the humidifier, and the gas flow valve being further positioned upstream of the nebulizer
- wherein a required variation in humidity is continuously determined by the controller;
- wherein the determination of the required variation of humidity is based on a humidity downstream of the nebulizer;
- wherein the humidity downstream of the nebulizer is measured by a humidity sensor located downstream of the nebulizer;
- and
- wherein the varying of the humidity level occurs when the nebulizer is actively delivering medication.
6 more elements
A method of controlling an aerosol delivery system, comprising:
- sensing a humidity level of a gas flow at an exit of a nebulizer of a gas flow circuit;
- and
- based on the sensing, adjusting a proportion of the gas flow entering a humidification branch of the gas flow circuit upstream of the nebulizer to vary a humidity level of the gas flow to the nebulizer such that the humidity level of the gas flow at the exit of the nebulizer is maintained at about 100% when (1) the nebulizer is actively delivering aerosol to the gas flow circuit, and (2) when the nebulizer is not delivering aerosol to the gas flow circuit;
- wherein actively varying a humidity level comprises continuing to vary the humidity level of the gas by continually sensing a humidity level of the gas flow at the exit of the nebulizer;
- and
- wherein a required variation in humidity level is determined by a controller based at least in part on sensing of the humidity level of the gas flow at the exit of the nebulizer.
3 more elements
A method of controlling an aerosol delivery system, comprising:
- determining when a nebulizer is actively delivering medication;
- and
- varying a humidity level of a gas flow upstream of the nebulizer via a humidifier in communication with a controller to achieve a target humidity level of the gas flow upstream of the nebulizer,
- wherein the varying of the humidity level includes adjusting a gas flow valve positioned upstream of a humidification branch of a gas flow circuit, the humidification branch including the humidifier, and the gas flow valve being further positioned upstream of the nebulizer,
- wherein when the nebulizer is actively delivering medication, the varying the humidity level includes controlling the gas flow valve to reduce a proportion of the gas flow passing through the humidification branch, and
- wherein when the nebulizer is not actively delivering medication, the varying the humidity level includes controlling the gas flow valve such that an entirety of the gas flow upstream of the nebulizer passes through the humidification branch upstream of the nebulizer;
- wherein a required variation in humidification is continuously determined by the controller;
- wherein the determination of the required variation of humidification is based on a humidity downstream of the nebulizer;
- wherein the humidity downstream of the nebulizer is measured by a humidity sensor located downstream of the nebulizer;
- and
- wherein varying of the humidity level is performed as often as necessary based on the determined required variation in humidification.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.