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AssigneeInvacare Corporation
InventorsGregory A. Michaels, Homayoun Birangi
Estimating the term…
An acoustic oxygen sensor is provided which can be used in the output lines leading from the sieve beds. This sensor can be used in communication with a microprocessor to control the production and evacuation cycles of the sieve beds, i.e., for example to determine the period for which a bed is supplied with compressed air and communicates with the reservoir as well as to determine the pressure of the compressed air and to determine the amount of time that the product gas is fed through the flow equalization path to supply an aliquot of purging gas to a used bed. In the feedback loop, the microprocessor utilizes the measured oxygen concentration and flow rate to optimize the settings necessary to achieve maximum oxygen concentration and flow rate efficiency. Since the microprocessor has the ability to make incremental changes and compare relative values, the optimum values can be determined empirically eliminating the need to perform complex theoretical calculations.
A method of controlling a pressure swing adsorption cycle in an oxygen concentrator having at least one fractionation bed with an inlet end in selective fluid communication with a source of pressurized air and depressurization means, said inlet end being separated by an area of fractionation medium from an output end, said output end being in fluid communication with a product tank, an oxygen sensor sensing the oxygen output from said bed, and having electronic control means capable of actuating said source of pressurized air and said depressurization means;
An oxygen concentrator having at least two fraction beds, said beds each having an output end and inlet end connected to a pressurization flow path to an air compressor and alternatively being vented to atmosphere, said flow path being regulated by a cross-over valve, and the output end of said fractionation beds each in communication with a product tank and in communication with the other bed by a concentration equalization flow path regulated by a concentration equalization valve, said concentrator further having electronic control means in communication with said cross-over valve and said concentration equalization valve, and an acoustic oxygen sensor which determines a value for an oxygen concentration output from each of said fractionation beds, such that said electronic control means subsequently uses said value to actuate at least one of said cross-over valve and said concentration equalization valve.
An oxygen concentrator, comprising at least one fractionation bed with an inlet end in selective fluid communication with a source of pressurized air and depressurization means, said inlet end being separated by an area of fractionation medium from an output end, said output end being in selective fluid communication with a product tank, an acoustic oxygen sensor sensing the oxygen output from said bed, and electronic control means capable of actuating said source of pressurized air and said depressurization means and in communication with the acoustic oxygen sensor to determine a value for said oxygen output of said fractionation bed such that said electronic control means subsequently uses said value to selectively initiate the fluid communication with the source of pressurized air and the depressurization means.
An oxygen concentrator having at least two fractionation beds, said fractionation beds each having an output end and an inlet end connected to a pressurization flow path to an air compressor and alternatively being vented to atmosphere, said flow path being regulated by a cross-over valve, and the output end of said fractionation beds each in communication with a product tank and in communication with the other bed by a concentration equalization flow path regulated by a concentration equalization valve, said concentrator further having a microprocessor in communication with said cross-over valve and said concentration equalization valve, and an oxygen sensor which determines a value for an oxygen concentration output from each of said fractionation beds, such that said microprocessor subsequently uses said value to actuate at least one of said cross-over valve and said concentration equalization valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.