WO2008011660A1

WO2008011660A1 - Humidification vessel

Info

Publication number: WO2008011660A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/000988
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fred May
Original assignee: Compumedics Medical Innovation Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-24
Filing date: 2007-07-10
Publication date: 2008-01-31

Abstract

The present invention provides a vessel for humidifying the delivered air of a gas-delivery system for positive airway pressure delivery. The vessel incorporates at least one extendable wall for changing the volume of the vessel and an aperture for forming a gas pathway with the gas-delivery system. The at least one extendable wall may incorporate folds for deforming and extending the walls. The vessel may be made from plastic material that is lightweight and transmits light for easy determination of the water level. The invention includes a method for inserting a collapsible humidification vessel into a gas-delivery system. The invention further includes a method of providing humidified air in a gas-delivery system.

Description

Title

Humidification Vessel

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to water vessels for humidifying gases, in particular air delivered with pressurised air delivery devices, and more particularly, in air delivery devices for supplying pressurised air for treatment of breathing disorders.

Background A proportion of the population suffers from sleep disordered breathing (SDB) such as sleep apnoea (SA), which has many potentially serious health consequences if not treated. A number of products can be found which are used to treat SA by delivering pressurised air to the nose and airways of a sufferer. Delivering air to the airways of an SA sufferer with a gas-delivery system can be very beneficial to maintain appropriate respiration and to maintain good health. However, the air must be suitably humidified to optimise comfort and sleep for a patient to enjoy relatively long uninterrupted periods of sleep.

Recent models of air-delivery systems, such as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) or APAP (Automatic Positive Airway Pressure) systems, used for the treatment of SA often include a water vessel to function as a humidification reservoir for air for pressurised delivery to the airways of a patient. Inclusion of such water vessels into air-delivery systems requires a number of considerations, such as volume, materials, and contamination and cleaning. The volume of a water vessel must be adequate to maintain a suitable humidity of pressurised delivery air over long periods without requiring recharging, usually with tap water, particularly in a home treatment situation. The water reservoir is often heated to maintain a desired humidity of the air delivered to the user.

A heated reservoir may provide a suitable solution for growth and contamination by various organisms, such as bacteria, and their undesired side effects. Avoiding this growth requires frequent cleaning or replacement of water vessels in known gas- delivery systems. Cleaning may be difficult or insufficient to remove all the contamination that could build up in a water vessel over long periods of repeated use. This may make compliance with treatment using gas-delivery systems by patients at home less effective if the contamination leads to unintended contraction of disease or the system is simply not used because the water vessel requires regular cleaning to avoid distasteful smells and the like. Ideally, to minimise the contamination of water vessels, the vessels will be disposable. To make disposal of water vessels economical in the use of gas-delivery systems the vessels must be simple to manufacture from inexpensive materials. What is needed is a disposable water vessel that is easy to manufacture from inexpensive, light materials. Such a water vessel would enable minimal packaging and handling costs per unit to ensure that a gas-delivery system that uses disposable water vessels is easy and economical to use in long-term treatment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a side view of a vessel constructed according to the invention. Figure 2 shows in side view vessels in expanded and compressed states. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a vessel in engaged with a lid in operative position within a gas-delivery system.

Summary of the Invention

In one aspect, the invention provides a humidification vessel for incorporation in a gas-delivery system, the vessel comprising a first wall defining an aperture; and at least one extendable wall. Preferably, the humidification vessel includes a sealing means for forming a seal with the gas-delivery system. Preferably, the humidification vessel is comprised of a plastic material. Preferably the extendable wall incorporates folds. Preferably the vessel is comprised of light-transmitting material. Preferably the at least one extendable wall is comprised of deformable material.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for incorporating a humidification vessel into a gas-delivery system including the steps of extending the walls of the humidification vessel from a first configuration to a second configuration and inserting the humidification vessel into a gas-delivery system. Preferably the method includes the step of placing in fluid communication the air in the humidification vessel with the gas stream of the gas-delivery system. Preferably, the method includes the step of sealing the humidification vessel by engaging an engagement means with the gas- delivery system.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method for humidifying air of a gas- delivery system including the steps of extending the walls of a vessel having an aperture and extendable walls into a fluid receiving position, inserting the vessel into a humidification device, charging the vessel with fluid, and directing gas for humidification through the charged vessel.

Detailed Description of the Drawings and Most Preferred Embodiment

It is an object of the invention to provide a vessel having variable volume for holding liquids. It is a further object of the invention to provide a vessel that has extendable walls to facilitate the reduction in volume. It is a further object of the invention to provide a vessel that is made of lightweight material that functions to hold liquids but facilitates easy handling and transport, making it very cost effective to manufacture and sell.

The invention provides a vessel having extendable walls, constructed of at least portions of deformable material, allowing the vessel to be extended or compressed along an axis so as to occupy a reduced volume when in an unextended configuration. Preferably, the extendable walls of the vessel include deformable portions. Preferably, the deformable portions incorporate moulded-in geometry. In operation, in one orientation, said deformable portions increase the volume of the vessel from an unextended or compressed configuration to an extended configuration. Preferably the deformable portions of the vessel are comprised of a plastic material. A plastic material advantageously confers lightweight properties on the vessel.

Being lightweight and having compressible walls enables a number of vessels to occupy a relatively small volume, enabling reduced transportation costs. Reduced shipping and handling costs enable the vessel to be priced less than larger non- collapsible vessels of the same material. Being comprised of a lightweight plastic material allows for further savings in transport costs.

In extended configuration, the vessel most advantageously operates as a humidification vessel for gas-delivery systems, such as CPAP or APAP devices.

The most preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures. It will be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment illustrated herein and that other embodiments will achieve the objects of the invention. Figurei shows an embodiment of the vessel 1 according to the invention. The vessel 1 is preferably comprised of a blow-moulded plastic shell with no seams or joints, although other suitable materials may be used. At least a portion of the vessel 1 defines an aperture 2 through which a liquid, particularly water, can be delivered to charge the vessel. Said apertures may be located in either of a top-forming portion and/or another portion of the vessel 1 , such as a side portion. Said aperture is preferably defined by engagement means 3 for engaging a lid 5 as shown in Figure 3. Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of an engagement means, preferably being a ridge conveniently moulded into the periphery of the top wall forming the aperture 2. Figure 3 shows a vessel constructed according to the invention in operative position in a gas-delivery system, the engagement means engaged with a suitably defined surface of a lid 5. Engagement of the lid 5 with the engagement means 3 seals the vessel and defines the pathway of gases introduced into the vessel. The preferred embodiment described herein has a rectangular box shape with a plurality of folds 4 in the walls. However, it will be understood that the scope of the invention includes other shapes such as cylinders, square boxes, spheres and the like. It will be further understood that the extendable walls include walls extendable in any direction such as horizontal, vertical and angles therebetween.

Preferably, the vessel walls contain at least portions of materials having light transmission properties that enable visibility of the interior of the vessel and its contents. An example of such material is transparent or translucent plastic material that is light and easy to mould and to deform, thus achieving the extended configuration of the vessel.

In the preferred embodiment, the extension of the walls of the vessel is accomplished by the extending operation of a series of "bellows type" ribs 4 moulded into the walls. The configuration of these ribs allows them to hold an open or closed position until force is applied in the opposite direction. This type of vessel geometry is commonly known as an "accordion bellows". It will be understood that the scope of the invention includes other types of extending operations, the only requirement being that the vessel remain leak-proof when the walls are in extended configuration and when positioned for operation in the gas-delivery system.

In operation, when a force is applied to the extendable walls of the vessel in the correct direction, the walls will deform and extend or compress according to the accordion bellows configuration and remain in the compressed configuration 6 as illustrated in Figure 2a. Alternatively, when a force is applied to the extendable walls of a vessel in the collapsed state in the opposite direction, the vessel will expand into the extended configuration and remain in the extended configuration 7 illustrated in Figure 2b.

The advantageous incorporation of the extendable feature herein described enables a larger number of vessels to occupy a given volume in the compressed configuration than in the extended configuration. This advantage can reduce the cost of transport of vessels, the cost often being determined by volume. Similarly, the use of lightweight plastic material in the construction of a vessel reduces the weight per vessel, likewise reducing the cost of transport. In turn, the reductions in cost makes it more economical for a user to dispose of a vessel after a period of use, thus reducing the possibility of build-up of contamination on the walls of the vessel, leading potentially to the transmission of disease to a user of a gas-delivery system.

Installation of a vessel construction according to the invention into a gas-delivery system may be conveniently achieved by extending the walls of the vessel to the maximum extended position then installing it into the gas-delivery system 8 as shown in Figure 3. When removed, the vessel can remain in the extended configuration or compressed configuration for ease of storage or disposal.

Claims

1. A humidification vessel for incorporation in a gas-delivery system, the vessel comprising: a first wall defining an aperture; and at least one extendable wall.

2 The humidification vessel of claim 1 further comprising sealing means for forming a seal with the gas-delivery system.

3 The humidification vessel of claim 1 wherein the vessel is comprised of a plastic material.

4 The humidification vessel of claim 1 wherein the at least one extendable wall incorporates folds.

5 The humidification vessel of claim 1 further comprised of light-transmitting material.

6 The humidification vessel of claim 1 wherein the at least one extendable wall is comprised of deformable material.

7 A method for incorporating a humidification vessel into a gas-delivery system including the steps of: extending the walls of the humidification vessel from a first configuration to a second configuration; and inserting the humidification vessel into a gas-delivery system.

8 The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of placing in fluid communication the air in the humidification vessel with the gas stream of the gas-delivery system.

9 The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of sealing the humidification vessel by engaging an engagement means with the gas-delivery system.

10 A method for humidifying air of a gas-delivery system including the steps of: extending the walls of a vessel having an aperture and extendable walls into a fluid receiving position; inserting the vessel into a humidification device; charging the vessel with fluid; and directing gas for humidification through the charged vessel.