US 5,850,833 AGranted

Apparatus for hypoxic training and therapy

OwnerIgor K. Kotliarinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus is provided for hypoxic training or therapy. The apparatus provides a user air having a lower oxygen content than the ambient atmosphere. The apparatus reduces the oxygen content of the air by passing the ambient air through a membrane separator which extracts the oxygen therefrom by a vacuum pump attached to the permeate outlet of the separator. Alternatively, the oxygen content can be reduced by adsorption of oxygen from the ambient air or by adding a low oxygen gas to air taken from the environment. This low oxygen gas may be stored nitrogen or stored gas which is low in oxygen, or it may be derived from the exhaled air from the user. If the exhaled air from the user used, carbon dioxide and water are extracted by a membrane separator or by physical or chemical process which adsorbs carbon dioxide from the gas.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An apparatus for supplying a low oxygen gas mixture to a user, said apparatus comprising

an oxygen reducing apparatus communicating with the ambient atmosphere and receiving air therefrom, and an outlet supplying air having an oxygen concentration lower than that of the ambient atmosphere;
and
a breathing device having an inlet structure communicating with the outlet of said oxygen reducing apparatus and supplying said reduced oxygen air to said user to breathe;
said oxygen reducing apparatus including
a separating unit defining therein an interior space, and having therein a membrane structure separating said interior space into a retentate space and a permeate space;
said separating unit having a gas inlet receiving air from the ambient atmosphere and communicating with said retentate space, a retentate outlet communicating with said retentate space and with said outlet of said oxygen reducing apparatus, and a permeate outlet communicating with said permeate space;
and
a vacuum pump device connected with said permeate outlet and drawing gas from said permeate space and causing separation of gas entering the retentate space, said vacuum pump device drawing said gas so that said separating unit yields at said retentate outlet an air mixture having an oxygen content of about 7 to 17%;
and
said breathing device further having an outlet structure transmitting air exhaled by the user;
and
air transmitting means receiving said exhaled air and transmitting the exhaled air to the gas inlet of the separating unit so that said exhaled air is separated in the separating unit together with air received from the external environment.

9 more elements

A device for supplying a gas mixture having a reduced oxygen content relative to the ambient air, said device comprising

a gas preparation system communicating with the surrounding atmosphere and receiving air therefrom, said gas preparation system including an outlet supplying a reduced-oxygen gas mixture having an oxygen content lower than that of the air received from the surrounding atmosphere;
and a breathing device having an inlet connected with the outlet of said gas preparation system and receiving therefrom said reduced-oxygen gas mixture and supplying said reduced oxygen gas mixture to a user to breathe;
said gas preparation system including a mixing structure defining a space therein and having first and second mixing inlets and a mixing outlet communicating with said interior space, said first mixing inlet being operatively associated with the surrounding atmosphere and receiving air therefrom;
said mixing outlet communicating with said breathing device inlet and supplying said reduced oxygen gas mixture thereto to be breathed by the user;
said breathing device further comprising an outlet structure transmitting air exhaled by the user;
and
a gas transmitting structure receiving said exhaled air and transmitting said exhaled air to said second mixing inlet.

4 more elements

A device for supplying a gas mixture having a reduced oxygen content relative to the ambient air, said device comprising

a gas preparation system communicating with the surrounding atmosphere and receiving air therefrom, said gas preparation system including an outlet supplying a reduced-oxygen gas mixture having an oxygen content lower than that of the air received from the surrounding atmosphere;
and a breathing device having an inlet connected with the outlet of said gas preparation system and receiving therefrom said reduced-oxygen gas mixture and supplying said reduced oxygen gas mixture to a user to breathe;
said gas preparation system including a mixing structure defining a space therein and having first and second mixing inlets and a mixing outlet communicating with said interior space, said first mixing inlet being operatively associated with the surrounding atmosphere and receiving air therefrom;
a device supplying a low oxygen gas mixture which is lower in oxygen content than the ambient atmosphere being connected with said second mixing inlet;
and
said mixing outlet communicating with said breathing device inlet and supplying a said reduced oxygen gas mixture thereto to be breathed by the user;
said breathing device having an outlet, said breathing device inlet being equipped with an inlet valve structure which permits only intake of gas there through into the breathing device and said outlet being equipped with an outlet valve structure which permits only the flow of exhaled gas therethrough out of the breathing device;
the device supplying reduced oxygen gas mixture comprising a carbon dioxide extraction system receiving exhaled gas from the outlet of the breathing device and removing at least a portion of carbon dioxide therefrom and transmitting the reduced carbon dioxide gas to the mixing structure.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/445,677Filed 22 May 1995
Granted: 22 Dec 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification27 codes

A61M 16/0045
Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. ventilators ; Tracheal tubes: means for re-breathing exhaled…
A61G 10/00
Treatment rooms or enclosures for medical purposes
A61G 10/04
Treatment rooms or enclosures for medical purposes: oxygen tents ; Oxygen hoods
A61M 16/10
Devices for influencing the respiratory system of patients by gas treatment, e.g. ventilators ; Tracheal tubes: preparation of respiratory gases…