Gas blender with auxiliary mixed gas outlet

A gas blender with source pressure auxiliary mixed gas outlet (100) for mixing a primary gas (10), at a primary gas source pressure, and a secondary gas (20), at a secondary gas source pressure, in a controlled manner to produce a mixed gas (30) having a predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and a predetermined control setpoint (34), and providing a mixed gas (30) source at a pressure of at least fifty percent of the first gas source pressure for selective use by at least one auxiliary piece of equipment, comprising:

• a primary gas inlet passageway (200) having a primary gas inlet port (210), for receiving the primary gas (10) from an external source, and a primary gas inlet passageway discharge (220);
• a secondary gas inlet passageway (300) having a secondary gas inlet port (310), for receiving the secondary gas (20) from an external source, and a secondary gas inlet passageway discharge (320);
• a gas mixing apparatus (400), including a primary gas control valve (410) and a secondary gas control valve (460), in fluid communication with the primary gas inlet passageway (200), the secondary gas inlet passageway (300), and a mixed gas distribution passageway (500), wherein the primary gas control valve (410) receives primary gas (10) through the primary gas inlet passageway (200) and the secondary gas control valve (460) receives secondary gas (20) through the secondary gas inlet passageway (300), wherein the primary gas control valve (410) is a 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) and the secondary gas control valve (460) is a 2-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (480), wherein the 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) is in fluid communication with the primary gas inlet passageway (200) and a primary gas controlled passageway (1100) such that the 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) receives the primary gas (10) from the primary gas inlet passageway (200), modulates in response to a mixing control signal (1010), and discharges the modulated primary gas (10) to the primary gas controlled passageway (1100) that is in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500), and wherein the 2-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (480) is in fluid communication with the secondary gas inlet passageway (300) and a secondary gas controlled passageway (1200) such that the 2-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (480) receives the secondary gas (20) from the secondary gas inlet passageway (300), modulates in response to the mixing control signal (1010), and discharges the modulated secondary gas (20) to the secondary gas controlled passageway (1200) that is in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500), such that the modulated primary gas (10) and the modulated secondary gas (20) mix in the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) to achieve the predetermined mixture setpoint (32), and wherein the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) has an auxiliary mixed gas outlet (510) for supplying the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and a pressure of at least fifty percent of the primary gas source pressure for use by the at least one auxiliary piece of equipment, wherein the at least one auxiliary piece of equipment comprises one of a nebulizer and a resuscitation bag;
• a gas sensor (600) in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) for producing a gas signal (610);
• a mixed gas delivery control valve (700) in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) and a mixed gas controlled passageway (800), wherein the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) receives the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and modulates in response to a delivery control signal (1020) thereby fixing the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and the predetermined control setpoint (34) that then exits the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) via the mixed gas controlled passageway (800) at a mixed gas controlled passageway discharge (820) separate from the auxiliary mixed gas outlet (510);
• a delivery sensor (900) in fluid communication with the mixed gas (30) after it exits the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) for generating a delivery sensing signal (910);
• and
• a controller (1000) for comparing the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and the gas signal (610), and generating the mixing control signal (1010), and for comparing the predetermined control setpoint (34) and the delivery sensing signal (910), and generating the delivery control signal (1020).

A gas blender with source pressure auxiliary mixed gas outlet (100) for mixing a primary gas (10), at a primary gas source pressure, and a secondary gas (20), at a secondary gas source pressure, in a controlled manner to produce a mixed gas (30) having a predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and a predetermined control setpoint (34), and providing a mixed gas (30) source at a pressure of at least fifty percent of the first gas source pressure for selective use by at least one auxiliary piece of equipment, comprising:

• a primary gas inlet passageway (200) having a primary gas inlet port (210), for receiving the primary gas (10) from an external source, and a primary gas inlet passageway discharge (220);
• a secondary gas inlet passageway (300) having a secondary gas inlet port (310), for receiving the secondary gas (20) from an external source, and a secondary gas inlet passageway discharge (320);
• a gas mixing apparatus (400), including a primary gas control valve (410) and a secondary gas control valve (460), in fluid communication with the primary gas inlet passageway (200), the secondary gas inlet passageway (300), and a mixed gas distribution passageway (500), wherein the primary gas control valve (410) is a 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) and the secondary gas control valve (460) is a 3-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (490), wherein the 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) is in fluid communication with the primary gas inlet passageway (200) and a primary gas controlled passageway (1100) such that the 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) received the primary gas (10) from the primary gas inlet passageway (200), modulates in response to a mixing control signal (1010) only when the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) is at or above a predetermined high concentration setpoint (36), otherwise the 2-way primary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) is fully open, and discharges the primary gas (10) to the primary gas controlled passageway (1100) that is in fluid communication with the 3-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (490), and wherein the 3-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (490) is in fluid communication with the secondary gas inlet passageway (300), the primary gas controlled passageway (1100), and the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) such that the 3-way secondary gas proportional solenoid valve (430) receives the secondary gas (20) from the secondary gas inlet passageway (300) and receives the primary gas (10) from the primary gas controlled passageway (1100), modulates in response to the mixing control signal (1010), and discharges the mixed gas (30) to the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32), wherein the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) has an auxiliary mixed gas outlet (510) for supplying the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and a pressure of at least fifty percent of the primary gas source pressure for use by the at least one auxiliary piece of equipment, wherein the at least one auxiliary piece of equipment comprises one of a nebulizer and a resuscitation bag;
• a gas sensor (600) in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) for producing a gas signal (610);
• a mixed gas delivery control valve (700) in fluid communication with the mixed gas distribution passageway (500) and a mixed gas controlled passageway (800), wherein the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) receives the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and modulates in response to a delivery control signal (1020) thereby fixing the mixed gas (30) at the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and the predetermined control setpoint (34) that then exits the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) via the mixed gas controlled passageway (800) at a mixed gas controlled passageway discharge (820) separate from the auxiliary mixed gas outlet (510);
• a delivery sensor (900) in fluid communication with the mixed gas (30) after it exits the mixed gas delivery control valve (700) for generating a delivery sensing signal (910);
• and
• a controller (1000) for comparing the predetermined mixture setpoint (32) and the gas signal (610), and generating the mixing control signal (1010), and for comparing the predetermined control setpoint (34) and the delivery sensing signal (910), and generating the delivery control signal (1020).