Patent Application
20190184210
In general, the present invention relates to systems and methods that automatically control the release of gas from a container when predetermined criteria are met. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods that release measured volumes of oxygen for the benefit of a single person or for improving air quality in a room.
The breathing of oxygen is required for life. For most people, adequate amounts of oxygen can be provided to the body by merely breathing ambient air. However, for some people, the breathing of air is inadequate to provide the oxygen needed by the body. These people require supplemental sources of oxygen, such as oxygen from a canister or an oxygen generator. Depending upon the individual, some people require a constant supply of oxygen, while others require only occasional doses of supplemental oxygen.
Healthy individuals also can benefit from a supplemental oxygen supply. Doses of oxygen can help a person “catch their breath” after exerting their body. This is why many professional athletes dose with supplemental oxygen during breaks in a game. Doses of supplemental oxygen also help in the treatment and prevention of headaches, the treatment of impotence, and the improvement of wound healing. However, breathing supplemental oxygen does have some disadvantages. Oxygen has vasoconstrictive effects on the circulatory system and can reduce peripheral circulation. Oxygen also makes items burn far more rapidly and. intensely. As such, the use of ox gen near any burning object or heat source should be avoided.
It been discovered that many of the benefits of supplemental oxygen can be achieved, and many of the disadvantages avoided, by only using short periodic doses of oxygen. That is, enabling a person to breath regular air most of the time and only occasionally supplementing the air being breathed with a dose of supplemental oxygen. This provides many of the benefits of breathing supplemental oxygen. without causing a fire hazard or causing adverse vasoconstrictive effects.
In the prior art, large volumes of oxygen are packaged in traditional tanks. However, smaller volumes of oxygen are often bottled in pressurized containers, like spray paint, and are sold to the general public. Consumers buy the containers and dispense the oxygen by momentarily depressing a release valve on the container, therein releasing a short burst of oxygen. The trouble with the existing products is that a person must remember to periodically use the container of oxygen in order to obtain the benefits of the oxygen. This is seldom done with any consistency. Rather, as is often. the case, individuals will use the oxygen far too frequently, until the oxygen supply is exhausted, or they will not use the oxygen frequently enough to produce a useful effect.
A need therefore exists for a portable source of oxygen, that is available to consumers, and can provide oxygen in measured periodic doses. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a system and method for periodically releasing oxygen rich gas in a manner that enables the gas to be inhaled by a user. The periodic release rate is coordinated with the user's rate of respiration. As such, the release rate can be as often as one pulse every breath, but is preferably one pulse every few breaths.
The system utilizes a container that is filled, at least in part, with oxygen gas in a concentration greater than that of ambient air. The container has a release valve that can be used to selectively release some of the oxygen gas from the container.
An activation unit is provided that is connected to the container. The activation unit operates the release valve at a selected rate, therein causing periodic pulses of the oxygen gas to be released from the container. Each periodic pulse contains a volume of the oxygen gas released over a first period of time. The first period of time is preferably no longer than the time it takes a user to take a breath. The periodic pulses are spaced to correspond to the rate of respiration or some multiple thereof. For example, one pulse can be provided for every fourth breath.
A dispenser is provided that receives the periodic pulses of oxygen gas being released. The dispenser directs the pulses into an area where the periodic pulses of oxygen gas can be readily inhaled by a user.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Although the present invention oxygen pulse system can be adapted for use with many types of commercially sold oxygen canisters and oxygen tanks, only two examples are illustrated and described. The exemplary embodiments are selected in order to set forth two of the best modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely exemplary and should not be considered a limitation when interpreting the scope of the appended claims.
Referring to
The average person has a respiration rate of between 10 breaths per minute and twenty breaths per minute. The average duration of a breath is between 2 seconds and five seconds, with half that time being dedicated to inhalation and half to exhalation. Additionally, during a breath, an average person inhales approximately 0.5 liters of air. The oxygen pulse system 10 creates pulses of oxygen. Each pulse lasts between 1 second and three seconds, to correspond to the period of time it takes a user to inhale. The pulses preferably occur between every three seconds and thirty seconds. In this manner, the pulses can be coordinated to occur on every breath, every other breath, and up to once every tenth breath. Each pulse releases between 0.05 liters and 0.5 liters of oxygen. In this manner at least 10% of an intake of breath can contain the supplied oxygen.
The gas canister 12 can hold pure oxygen or a combination of compressed gases 18 that includes oxygen and other gases. For example, the gas canister 12 can hold an air/oxygen mix with a higher concentration of oxygen than is present in ambient air. The compressed gases 18 can also contain a small amount of scent so that the dispensing of the compressed gases 18 is more readily perceived by a user. Since the compressed gases 18 are to be inhaled into the body, the compressed gases 18 are sterile and are filtered to meet the appropriate federal and state standards required for inhaled gases.
The compressed gases 18 are held in a traditional gas canister 12 having a release valve 20. Oxygen canisters of this type are commercially available from a variety of manufacturers, such as Boost Oxygen, LLC of Bridgeport, Connecticut. A nozzle 22 is provided that engages the release valve 20. When the nozzle 22 is pressed, the release valve 20 opens and some of the compressed gas 18 is released from the gas cannister 12. The nozzle 22 has a tube connector 24 that extends forward. The tube connector 24 terminates with a tube connection head 26.
The tube connection head 26 can attach to a variety of dispensing interfaces 16. The purpose of the dispensing interface 16 is to channel the released oxygen into an area or position where it can be inhaled by a user. The dispensing interface 16 can be configured as a diffuser 28. The diffuser 28 can be used to diffuse the released compressed gases 18 into a room or some other confined space. The dispensing interface 16 can also be configured as a facemask 30. The facemask 30 can be used to diffuse the compressed gases 18 into the mouth/nose of a person wearing the facemask 30. Likewise, the dispensing interface 16 can also be configured as a breathing tube 32 that can direct the compressed gases 18 into the nose or mouth of a user. Other dispensing interfaces can be used. What is important is that the compressed gases 18 within the gas canister 12 are permitted to diffuse in a controlled manner so that they can be safely inhaled by a user.
Referring to
The electric motor 34 is selectively activated and deactivated by a controller 38. The controller 38 can be a dedicated logic circuit or a programable CPU. The controller 38 receives input from an internal clock 39. In this manner, the controller 38 can be programmed to operate the electric motor 34 at various times. The controller 38 is connected to a control panel 40 that enables a person to program the controller 38. The control panel 40 also contains an instant activation button 42 that causes the controller 38 to cycle the electric motor 34 on demand.
The control panel 40 preferably has a display 44 that can display time between cycles and time remaining until the next cycle. The display 44 can also display other useful information, such as the selected rate of discharge, how long the gas canister 12 will last at the selected rate of discharge, the number of discharges made, and/or the number of discharges remaining.
The controller 38 may have the option of being programmed and operated remotely. A wireless transceiver 46, such as a BlueTooth® transceiver, can be included within the activation unit 14. The wireless transceiver 46 enables the controller 38 to communicate with a remove device, such as a smart phone. In this manner, the controller 38 can be programmed through software to run on a user's smartphone.
In use, a user programs the controller 38 with the operational parameters. These may include the duration of a discharge event and the time between discharge events. The duration of the discharge event should be no longer than the time it takes the user to inhale. Otherwise, some of the oxygen released would be wasted. Likewise, the time between discharge events should be coordinated with the respiration rate of the user. At the preprogrammed time of a discharge event, the oxygen pulse system 10 releases a pulse of the compressed gases 18. The duration of the discharge may be set by the manufacturer or may be programed by controlling the rotation rate of the electric motor 34. It is also possible that the oxygen pulse system 10 can be sold with a variety of different interchangeable cam wheels 36. In this manner, the length of a discharge event can be altered by replacing a cam wheel 36. The ability to change the length of the discharge event enables different volumes of the compressed gases 18 to be released during any one release event.
If the selected dispensing interface 16 is a diffuser 28 that vents the compressed gases 18 into an area, then a timed release is all that is required.
However, if the selected dispensing interface 16 is a facemask 30 or a breathing tube 32, then it would be prudent to synchronize a discharge event with the inhalation of a breath by the user. Any discharge event that occurs during the exhalation of a breath may be wasted. To coordinate a discharge event with an inhalation, a sensor 48 is used. The sensor 48 connects to the controller 38 and is used to inform the controller 38 of the cadence of inhalations. The sensor 48 can be either a chest expansion sensor or a pressure sensor. If a chest expansion sensor is used, the sensor 48 is placed on the user's chest and detects when the chest expands and contracts. From the sensor data, the controller 38 can predict the rate of breathing and can delay or advance a scheduled discharge event by a few seconds so that the discharge event occurs at the moment of inhalation. Alternately, the sensor 48 can be a simple pressure sensor that is placed near the nose at the end of a breathing tube 32. The sensor 48 will detect the low pressure during an inhalation and the increased pressure during an exhalation. From the sensor data, the controller 38 can predict the rate of breathing and can delay or advance a scheduled discharge event by a few seconds so that the discharge event occurs at the moment of inhalation.
Referring to
It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention that are illustrated and described are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to those embodiments. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/599,676, filed Dec. 15, 2017.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62599676 | Dec 2017 | US |
