US 2010/0300444 A1Published application

Oxygen conserving oxygen delivery system

AssigneeIpg, LLC

InventorsThomas D. Decker, Patrick L. McLaughlin

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Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, computer program products, and circuits for conserving oxygen during the delivery of oxygen to a user. Embodiments of the invention use a microphone to detect breathing sounds indicative of different portions of a breathing cycle. Sounds not related to the breathing cycle are filtered out of the signal. Using the breathing sounds, a microprocessor differentiates inspiration from other portions of the breathing cycle. When inspiration is detected, a valve is transitioned to permit the flow of oxygen from an oxygen source to a user to deliver an appropriate bolus of oxygen. The microprocessor can also detect fault conditions, such as, for example, apnea, failure to deliver a bolus of oxygen, and restrictions in the flow of oxygen from the oxygen source to a user.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An oxygen delivery system operative to regulate a flow of oxygen during an inspiration event of a respiratory cycle, and comprising:

an oxygen source;
a first portion of conduit pneumatically coupling the oxygen source to a first port of an electronically controlled valve;
a second portion of conduit pneumatically coupling the electronically controlled valve to the oxygen output device and to a microphone
wherein the electronically controlled valve has at least an open setting that permits the flow of oxygen from the first port to the second port and having at least a closed setting that prevents the flow of oxygen from the first port to the second port;
wherein the microphone is configured with a diaphragm and a transducer, movement of the diaphragm influenced by sound in the second conduit, pressure changes in the second conduit, and user breathing at the oxygen output device, movement of the diaphragm resulting in a microphone signal having a sound component, a pneumatically induced noise component, and a user breathing component, the transducer configured to convert diaphragm U movements into microphone output electrical signals;
a microcontroller electrically connected to the microphone, the microcontroller for regulating operation of the oxygen delivery system so as to conserve oxygen, wherein the microcontroller is also electrical connected to a valve assembly that controls the electronically controlled valve via an electrical connection, the microcontroller configured to indicate to the valve assembly when the electronically controlled valve is to transition from the closed setting to the open setting, when the electronically controlled valve is to maintain the open setting, when the electronically controlled valve is to transition from an open setting to a closed setting, and when the electronically controlled valve is to maintain the closed setting, the microcontroller further configured to:
receive output electrical signals from the microphone;
filter portions of the sound component and portions of the pneumatically induced noise component from received microphone output electrical signals, leaving primarily the breathing component of the microphone output electrical signals as a filtered output signal;
determine when the filtered output signal is indicative of an inspiration event such that the electronically controlled valve can be transitioned to the open setting to deliver a specified bolus of oxygen;
and
determine when delivery of the specified bolus of oxygen is complete such that the electronically controlled valve can be transitioned to the closed setting.

8 more elements

A circuit for regulating the flow of oxygen in an oxygen deliver system, the circuit comprising:

an electrical connection to a microphone, the electrical connection for receiving an electrical signal the microphone, the electrical signal representing detected sounds in a conduit used to deliver oxygen to a user, the electrical signal including a sound component, a pneumatically induced noise component, and a user breathing component;
a microprocessor, the microprocessor including:
an input port for receiving the output electrical signal;
an analog to digital converted for converting the output electrical signal to digital data;
a filter for filtering out portions of the sound component and portions of the pneumatically induced noise component from the digital data, leaving primarily the breathing component of the microphone output electrical signal as a filtered digital data signal;
logic for determining when an inspiration portion of the breathing cycle is represented in the filtered digital data and for activating a signal indicating that a bolus of oxygen is to be delivered from an oxygen source;
and
an output port for sending the signal indicating that the bolus of oxygen is to be delivered from the oxygen source;
and
a transistor connected to the output port, the transistor configured to receive signals sent from the output port and cause a valve to transition from a closed setting to an open setting to deliver a bolus of oxygen for the oxygen source in response to receiving a signal indicating that a bolus of oxygen is to be delivered.

7 more elements

A method for supplying oxygen to a user's respiratory system during a respiration cycle that includes inspiration, the method comprising

an act of detecting movement of a microphone diaphragm influenced by sound, pressure changes, and user breathing in a conduit, movement of the diaphragm resulting in a microphone signal having a sound component, a pneumatically induced noise component, and a user breathing component, the conduit pneumatically coupled to an oxygen delivery device, the oxygen delivery device supplying oxygen from an oxygen source to the user;
an act of converting microphone detected movement to an electrical signal collectively representing the sound component, the pneumatically induced noise component, and the user breathing component;
an act of filtering portions of the sound component and portions of the pneumatically induced noise component from the electrical signal, leaving primarily the breathing component of the electrical signal as a filtered output signal;
an act of processing the filtered output signal to detect what portion of the respiration cycle the user is in;
an act of based on the detected portion of the respiration cycle, selectively permitting oxygen to flow from the oxygen source to the oxygen delivery device, including:
an act of permitting oxygen flow from the oxygen source to the oxygen delivery device to deliver an appropriate bolus of oxygen to the user in response to detecting an inspiration portion of the breathing cycle;
and
an act of preventing oxygen flow from the oxygen source to the oxygen delivery device after the appropriate bolus of oxygen is delivered and until an inspiration portion of the breathing cycle is again detected so as to conserve oxygen.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.