Gases delivery conduit
AssigneeFisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited
InventorsScott Robert Mackie, Craig Karl White, Brett John Huddart, Daniel John Smith, Hussein Kadhum, Malcolm David Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gases delivery conduit for the supply of humidified medical gases as formed from an extruded plastic tube. The extruded plastic tube includes at least one heating element embedded within the wall of the tube. The heating element includes a pair of electrical conductors separated by a positive temperature coefficient material wherein the localised resistance of the material is positively related to the localised temperature.
Claims19
A gases delivery conduit for the supply of humidified medical gases, said conduit comprising:
- an extruded plastic tube useful for the supply of humidified medical gases to a patient, and
- at least one healing element embedded within the wall of the tube to be partially or wholly contained within said wall, said heater element including a pair of electrical conductors separated by a positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) material wherein the localised resistance of said material is positively related to the localised temperature, said positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) material having a phase transformation temperature between 28° C. and 45° C.
A method of manufacturing a conduit for the supply of humidified medical gases comprising:
- preparing at least one elongate heating element including a pair of electrical conductors separated by a positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) material wherein the localised resistance of said material is positively related to the localised temperature, said positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) material having a phase transformation temperature between 28° C. and 45° C.
- extruding a plastic tube and simultaneously drawing said heating element into the melt of the extruded tube such that the element is embedded within the wall of the tube and captured as the melt solidifies.
A method of terminating an extruded plastic tube with an embedded heating element, the heating element including a pair of electrical conductors separated by a positive temperature coefficient (“PTC”) material wherein the localised resistance of said material is positively related to the localised temperature, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) removing tube material to expose conductors of the heating element, and
- (b) sliding a connector over the trimmed and untrimmed section of the conduit to completely cover the exposed conductors, said connector including at least one electrical contact on its inner surface, which thereby come into contact with said exposed conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.