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US 12,280,218 B2Granted
Systems and methods for an ultrasonically driven anesthetic vaporizer
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJoseph James Lacey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for delivering anesthetic agent to a patient. In one embodiment, an anesthetic vaporizer includes a sump configured to hold a liquid anesthetic agent; an ultrasonic transducer coupled to a bottom of the sump and at least partially disposed within the sump; a vaporizing chamber fluidically coupled to the sump; and a heating element coupled to the vaporizing chamber and configured to increase a temperature of a surface disposed within the vaporizing chamber.
Claims16
A system for an anesthesia vaporizer, comprising:
- a sump configured to hold a liquid anesthetic agent;
- an ultrasonic transducer coupled to a bottom of the sump and at least partially disposed within the sump;
- a vaporizing chamber fluidically coupled to the sump;
- a heating element coupled to the vaporizing chamber and configured to increase a temperature of a surface disposed within the vaporizing chamber;
- a mist transfer tube at least partially disposed within the sump, the ultrasonic transducer coupled within a bottom opening of the mist transfer tube, a top opening of the mist transfer tube extending within the vaporizing chamber;
- and a vapor delivery passage that fluidically couples the vaporizing chamber to a venturi.
3 more elements
A system for an anesthesia machine, comprising:
- an anesthetic vaporizer, the anesthetic vaporizer including a vaporizing chamber coupled to a housing of a sump, the sump and the vaporizing chamber fluidically coupled by a tube that extends from a bottom of the sump to an interior of the vaporizing chamber;
- an ultrasonic transducer coupled to the bottom of the sump and extending within the tube;
- a heater coupled to the vaporizing chamber;
- a vapor delivery passage that fluidically couples the vaporizing chamber to a throat region of a venturi, an inlet of the venturi coupled to a fresh gas flow and an outlet of the venturi coupled to a patient breathing circuit;
- a valve disposed in the vapor delivery passage;
- and
- a controller storing executable instructions in non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
- operate each of the ultrasonic transducer, the heater, and the valve at a first setpoint to flow vaporized anesthetic agent from the anesthesia machine to the patient breathing circuit;
- and
- adjust one or more of the ultrasonic transducer, the heater, and the valve from the first setpoint to a second setpoint based on an electronic feedback signal.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.