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US 6,805,122 B2Granted
Oxygen conserving device utilizing a radial multi-stage compressor for high-pressure mobile storage
AssigneeInvacare Corporation
InventorsJoseph B. Richey, II, Gerald G. Goertzen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and process for supplying low pressure oxygen-enriched gas to a patient and at a moderate pressure to a radial compressor, whereupon it is compressed and fed to a high pressure storage tank. The oxygen-enriched gas is prioritized so that it is continuously supplied via a patient flow line to the patient.
Claims24
An apparatus for supplying oxygen-enriched gas to a patient and to a high pressure storage tank, comprising;
- a first compressor which receives ambient air;
- an oxygen concentrator which produces oxygen enriched gas, said oxygen concentrator having an inlet which receives air from said first compressor and an outlet which provides oxygen enriched gas to a product storage tank;
- a first outlet flow line which operatively delivers said oxygen enriched gas from said product tank to a patient, said flow line having a pressure from about 3 to about 10 psi;
- a second outlet flow line which operatively delivers said oxygen enriched gas from said product tank to a buffer tank at a pressure from about 12 to about 22 psi, said buffer tank operatively connected by a flow line to a radial compressor, said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen enriched gas and transferring the oxygen enriched gas to a high pressure storage tank, and a prioritizing apparatus which terminates the operation of said radial compressor when the oxygen concentration of said oxygen enriched gas operatively delivered to said radial compressor falls below a predetermined value so that said oxygen enriched gas is continuously supplied to the patient;
- wherein said high pressure storage tank is capable of storing compressed gas at a pressure between about 21 psi and about 4000 psi.
2 more elements
An apparatus for supplying oxygen-enriched gas to a patient and to a high pressure storage tank, comprising:
- a low pressure, oxygen-enriched gas patient flow line for use by a patient, wherein said low pressure patient gas flow line is between about 1 psi and 14 psi;
- a separate moderate pressure, oxygen-enriched gas buffer flow line operatively connected to a buffer tank;
- said moderate pressure being between about 5 psi and about 21 psi and is greater than said low pressure;
- said patient flow line and said buffer tank flow line being prioritized so as to continuously supply said oxygen-enriched gas for use by a patient;
- a radial compressor operated by a power source other than said oxygen enriched gas, said buffer tank solely and operatively connected to said radial compressor;
- said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen-enriched gas to a high pressure, wherein said high pressure is between about 21 psi and 4000 psi;
- and a high pressure storage tank for portable storage of said high pressure oxygen-enriched gas.
4 more elements
A process for supplying oxygen-enriched gas to a patient and to a high pressure storage tank, comprising the steps of:
- continuously supplying low pressure oxygen-enriched gas through a patient flow line, wherein said low pressure is between about 1 psi and about 14 psi;
- separately supplying a moderate pressure, oxygen-enriched gas through a buffer tank flow line to a buffer tank;
- said moderate pressure being between about 5 psi and about 21 psi and is greater than said low pressure;
- operatively supplying said oxygen-enriched gas from said buffer tank to a radial compressor;
- compressing said oxygen enriched gas in said radial compressor and feeding said compressed oxygen-enriched gas to a high pressure storage tank, wherein said high pressure is between about 21 psi and 4000 psi;
- and prioritizing said patient flow line and said buffer tank flow line so that said patient flow line is continuously supplied with said oxygen-enriched gas.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.