Desiccant cartridge

A removably attachable compact portable desiccant cartridge for dehumidifying a gas feedstream in a portable gas liquefying apparatus, said desiccant cartridge comprising:

• a gas feedstream inlet adapted to receive a gas feedstream from a gas feedstream generating device and adapted to forming a hermetically sealed joint with the gas feedstream generating device;
• a dehumidifying zone in communication with said gas feedstream inlet and comprising a traversing gas flow path, wherein said dehumidifying zone is filled with a material comprising a desiccant that is capable of dehumidifying at least a portion of the gas feedstream flowing through said dehumidifying zone;
• and
• a dehumidified gas feedstream outlet in communication with said dehumidifying zone for allowing a dehumidified gas feedstream to exit the desiccant cartridge, wherein said dehumidified gas feedstrem outlet is adapted to form a hermetic seal with a cryocooling device that is used to liquefy the dehumidified gas feedstream.

A method for liquefying a medically useful gas, wherein the medically useful gas comprises oxygen, nitrogen or a combination thereof, said method comprising:

• enriching a medically useful gas from a fluid comprising the medically useful gas to produce a medically useful gas feedstream;
• dehumidifying the medically useful gas feedstream using a compact portable desiccant cartridge to produce a dehumidified gas feedstream;
• and
• liquefying at least a portion of the dehumidified gas feedstream using a portable cryocooling device to produce a liquefied gas.

In a portable apparatus for producing a liquefied medically useful gas, wherein the medically useful gas comprises enriched oxygen or enriched nitrogen gas, a desiccant cartridge comprising:

• a means for removably attaching and hermetically sealing a gas feedstream inlet of the desiccant cartridge to an outlet of a portable device for generating a medically useful gas feedstream, thereby allowing the gas feedstream from the portable device to be introduced into the desiccant cartridge;
• a dehumidifying zone in communication with the gas feedstream inlet and comprising a multiply traversing gas flow path, wherein the dehumidifying zone is filled with a material comprising a desiccant that is capable of dehumidifying at least a portion of the gas feedstream flowing through the dehumidifying zone;
• and
• a dehumidified gas feedstream outlet in communication with the dehumidifying zone, wherein the dehumidified gas feedstream outlet is removably attached and hermetically sealed to a portable cryocooling device that is capable of liquefying at least a portion of the dehumidified gas feedstream.

In a non-cryogenic gas separating apparatus for producing a medically useful gas, wherein the medically useful gas comprises enriched nitrogen or enriched oxygen gas, a desiccant cartridge for dehumidifying the medically useful gas, said desiccant cartridge comprising:

• a gas feedstream inlet in communication with and removably attached to the non-cryogenic gas separating apparatus for introducing the medically useful gas into the desiccant cartridge;
• a dehumidifying zone in communication with the gas feedstream inlet and comprising a multiply traversing gas flow path, wherein the dehumidifying zone is filled with a material comprising a desiccant that is capable of dehumidifying at least a portion of the medically useful gas flowing through the dehumidifying zone;
• and
• a dehumidified gas feedstream outlet in communication with the dehumidifying zone for producing a dehumidified medically useful gas,
• wherein the desiccant cartridge is capable of reducing the dew point of the medically useful gas of at least about 10° C. or more.

A method for producing and storing a medically useful gas in a vessel using a portable liquefaction apparatus, wherein the medically useful gas comprises oxygen, nitrogen or a mixture thereof, said method comprising:

• producing a medically useful gas-enriched feedstream from air using a non-cryogenic gas separating device;
• dehumidifying the medically useful gas-enriched feedstream to reduce the dew point of at least about 10° C. or more of the medically useful gas-enriched feedstream;
• liquefying at least a portion of the dehumidified medically useful gas-enriched feedstream using a portable cryocooling device;
• drying a transporting gas;
• and
• transferring the liquefied medically useful gas from the portable cryocooling device to a storage vessel by a pneumatic means by introducing the dried transporting gas into the portable cryocooling device.