US 11,529,481 B2 · Systems and methods for active power management in a medical device

Abstract

A respiratory treatment device includes a blower for providing flow of breathable gas to a patient and one or more accessory devices. The respiratory treatment device includes active power management to distribute power from a power source that does not have sufficient power to simultaneously power the blower and the accessory devices. The active power management prioritizes power to the blower and limits, based on current measurements of the blower and the accessory devices, the power supplied to the accessory devices to keep the sum of the power drawn at or below the capacity of the power supply. When additional power is available, due reduced power consumption of the blower, the power to one or more accessory devices is raised beyond a target in order to compensate for when power was not supplied to the one or more accessory devices.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A respiratory treatment apparatus comprising:

a power supply;
a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of air;
a heating element configured to heat the generated flow of air;
one or more sensors configured to generate sensor signals representing a property of the flow of air;
and
a processing system configured to:
receive the sensor signals;
based on the received sensor signals, determine a control signal for controlling the heating element;
receive signals corresponding to current drawn by the pressure generator;
receive signals corresponding to current drawn by the heating element;
based on (1) the signals corresponding to current drawn by the pressure generator, (2) the signals corresponding to current drawn by the heating element, (3) the determined control signal for the heating element, and (4) power of the power supply, generate a new control signal for controlling the heating element;
and
control operation of the heating element using the new control signal for controlling the heating element,
wherein generating the new control signal comprises, when the current drawn by the pressure generator and the current drawn by the heating element using the determined control signal for the heating element will cause current drawn by the respiratory treatment apparatus to exceed a maximum current of the power supply, generating the new control signal to reduce current drawn by the heating element.

11 more elements

An apparatus for treating a respiratory disorder in a patient, the apparatus comprising:

a power supply;
a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating the respiratory disorder;
a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas and comprising a first heating element configured to heat the supply of water;
a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to the patient;
a transducer configured to generate a flow signal representing a property of the flow of breathable gas;
a controller configured to:
based on the flow signal, determine a first control signal for controlling the first heating element, and a second control signal for controlling the second heating element;
based on (1) measured current drawn by the pressure generator during operation of the pressure generator, (2) the first control signal, and (3) the second control signal, determine if power to be used by the apparatus exceeds a peak power of the power supply;
if it is determined that the power to be used by the apparatus exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modify the first control signal and/or the second control signal to decrease the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element;
and
if it is determined that the power to be used by the apparatus does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, modify the first control signal and/or the second control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element.

8 more elements

A method of operating a respiratory treatment apparatus for generating a flow of breathable gas in order to treat a respiratory disorder, the method comprising:

measuring a property of the flow of breathable gas, using a transducer;
determining, by a controller and based on the measured property, a first control signal for controlling a pressure generator configured to generate a flow of breathable gas for treating the respiratory disorder, a second control signal for controlling a first heating element disposed in a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas, and a third control signal for controlling a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient;
determining, by the controller and based on (1) measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal, if power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus exceeds a peak power of a power supply used to power the respiratory treatment apparatus, wherein the power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus includes power used by the pressure generator operated using the first control signal, power used by the first heating element operated using the second control signal, and power used by the second heating element operated using the third control signal;
if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying, by the controller, the second control signal and/or the third control signal to decrease the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element;
and
if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, modifying, by the controller, the second control signal and/or the third control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element.

3 more elements

A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein an information processing program for controlling operation of a respiratory treatment apparatus configured to generate a flow of breathable gas in order to treat a respiratory disorder, the program, when executed, causing the respiratory treatment apparatus to:

receive a property of the flow of breathable gas from a transducer;
determine, based on the property of the flow of breathable gas, a first control signal for controlling a pressure generator configured to generate the flow of breathable gas, a second control signal for controlling a first heating element disposed in a humidifier configured to store a supply of water to humidify the breathable gas, and a third control signal for controlling a second heating element configured to heat the humidified breathable gas in a hose configured to deliver the humidified breathable gas to a patient;
determining, based on (1) measured current drawn by the pressure generator during control of the pressure generator using the first control signal, (2) the second control signal, and (3) the third control signal, if power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus exceeds a peak power of a power supply used to power the respiratory treatment apparatus, wherein the power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus includes power used by the pressure generator operated using the first control signal, power used by the first heating element operated using the second control signal, and power used by the second heating element operated using the third control signal;
if it is determined that the power to be used by the respiratory treatment apparatus exceeds the peak power of the power supply, modifying the second control signal and/or the third control signal to decrease the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element;
and
if it is determined that the power to be used by the apparatus does not exceed the peak power of the power supply, modifying the second control signal and/or the third control signal to increase the power used by the first heating element and/or the second heating element.

3 more elements

A respiratory treatment device comprising:

a power supply;
a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient;
one or more heating elements;
a processing system including at least one processor, the processing system configured to determine heating control signals for controlling the one or more heating elements and flow control signals for controlling the flow generator;
and
hardware circuitry configured to:
receive heating control signals for controlling the one or more heating elements;
receive flow generator current signal and current signals for the one or more heating elements;
based on operation of the flow generator and the one or more heating elements, determine a power consumption signal representing total power consumption, wherein the power consumption signal is determined by summing voltages representing the received flow generator current signal and voltages representing the received current signals for the one or more heating elements;
and
based on the power consumption signal and a peak power of the power supply, output modified heating control signals for controlling the one or more heating elements.

8 more elements

A respiratory treatment device comprising:

a power supply;
a flow generator configured to provide a flow of breathable gas to a patient;
one or more heating elements;
hardware circuitry configured to:
receive flow generator current signal representing current drawn by the flow generator and current signals for the one or more heating elements representing the current drawn by the one or more heating elements, and determine a power consumption signal by summing a voltage representing the received flow generator current signal and voltages representing the received current signals for the one or more heating elements;
and
a processing system including at least one processor, the processing system configured to:
receive, from the hardware circuitry, the power consumption signal;
determine flow control signals for controlling the flow generator;
determine, based on the power consumption signal and a peak power of the power supply, heating control signals for controlling the one or more heating elements;
and
control operation of the one or more heating elements based on the determined heating control signals.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for active power management in a medical device

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for active power management in a medical device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32