Patent Application
20070215220
Not Applicable
Not Applicable.
The present disclosure relates to a system having a manifold which transfers gas from a large cylinder into portable cylinders, in particular, the present disclosure relates to repeatedly filling high purity oxygen from a home based supply cylinder into a portable cylinder without having to purge/clean the portable cylinder prior to subsequent and repeated fill cycles of the portable cylinder.
Due to a variety of health reasons, numerous patients rely upon concentrated oxygen supplies for assisted breathing for in-home use and personal activity use.
The oxygen for direct consumption by the patient is typically supplied by regulated compressed gas cylinders (bottled oxygen); or by liquid oxygen systems or by concentrators. Concentrators only supply oxygen purity levels of 93%, as compared to 99+% for bottled oxygen. Purity of the concentrator also relies on a properly functioning unit as controlled by the patient. Furthermore, concentrators comprise bulky equipment that takes up space within a patient's home. Additionally, concentrators generate noise when drawing in ambient air and when discharging oxygen into the portable cylinder.
Although cylinders of liquid oxygen systems can be re-charged/filled in the home, a certified supplier/technician must visit the patient's home to conduct each re-fill. Furthermore, liquid oxygen systems are expensive to initially order and are expensive to maintain.
Current compressed gas cylinders can contain high purity oxygen (liquid and concentrated), wherein the Food and Drug Administration regulates these cylinders as a drug. Furthermore, current gas cylinders are sold in commerce with non-interchangeable, dedicated Compressed Gas Association (CGA) connections. As such, personnel for regulated oxygen suppliers fill the heavy and large reservoir/supply cylinders and the portable cylinders. The large, non-portable reservoir cylinders and the small portable cylinders are then delivered to the patient's home. The heavy supply cylinders are only for in-home use, while the small portable cylinders are used for travel or other activities outside the home.
Once the patient exhausts the oxygen supply from the portable cylinder, the portable cylinder must be delivered to and serviced by the regulated supplier to properly purge and clean the used portable cylinder. The used portable cylinder requires servicing due to potential contamination issues. When the pressure in the portable cylinder is depleted (i.e., the portable cylinder is virtually empty) atmospheric air laden with impurities, such as water vapor, can be introduced into the cylinder and, consequently contaminate the oxygen contained therein or contaminate the oxygen that will fill during the next charging of that portable cylinder. Special procedures are required to empty and to vacuum the contaminated cylinder prior to any refilling at the cylinder
Unfortunately, there presently exists no compact and cost-effective system to enable a patient to personally fill or refill a portable oxygen cylinder from a large in-home oxygen cylinder for repeated use of. the portable oxygen cylinder by the patient.
Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the following drawings which form a part of the specification:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The present disclosure relates to a system and method that allows a patient to repeatedly transfer high purity oxygen from a home based supply cylinder into a portable cylinder without having to purge/clean the portable cylinder prior to subsequent and repeated filling cycles of the portable cylinder.
The system comprises a regulator that removeably connects to a body of the supply cylinder that stores the high purity oxygen. A cylinder valve of the system connects with the outlet of the regulator while a residual pressure valve operatively connects to the cylinder valve. The residual pressure valve includes a chamber in communication with the cylinder valve, wherein a piston assembly separates the chamber into a high pressure area and a low pressure area.
During a fill process, the portable cylinder removeably connects to a valve outlet of the cylinder valve such that the high purity oxygen flows directly into the chamber via the regulator and cylinder valve to slide the piston assembly within the chamber to allow the flow of the high purity oxygen through the chamber and into the portable cylinder. During a non-fill process, pressure of residual high purity oxygen slides the piston assembly in contact with the cylinder valve to seal the chamber from atmospheric contaminants while maintaining a residual pressure of the residual high purity oxygen within the portable cylinder. As such, the residual pressure valve thereafter retains the desired amount of residual pressurized gas in the portable cylinder to minimize backfill contamination between subsequent fill cycles.
The following detailed description illustrates the disclosure by way of example and not by way of limitation. The description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure, describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives, and uses of the disclosure, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the disclosure.
Referring to the drawings, the system A for transferring pressurized gas 10 from a supply source 12 to a portable cylinder 14 for repeated personal use of the portable cylinder 14 by a patient P is shown in
As shown in
The supply source 12 includes a body 26 and a valve assembly 28 (
Turning to
The inlet 32 is capable of removeably connecting to the supply source 12 via the valve assembly 28. The inlet 32 includes a connection such as a threaded coupling that removeably connects with the valve assembly 28 of the supply source 12 (
As shown in
The regulator body 30 further positions the pin 48 of the key assembly 46 above the valve aperture 44 while positioning the extensions 52 below the valve aperture 44. The pin 48 and the channel 50 of the key assembly 46 prevent non-compliant cylinder valves from connecting with the regulator 20. In other words, the key assembly 46 connects together the cylinder valve 22 and the regulator 20 such that the pin 48 matingly engages the channel 50 in a predetermined orientation.
The regulator assembly 42 includes another inlet 58, outlet 60, flow path 62 and flow control mechanism 64. The bypass inlet 58 communicates with the gas flow path 36 of the regulator body 30 wherein the bypass control mechanism 64 again reduces the pressure of the pressurized gas 10 as the pressurized gas 10 exits the outlet 60 of the regulator assembly 42. In one embodiment, the regulator assembly 42 reduces the pressure of the pressurized gas 10 to a range of 22 to 50 psi. The regulator assembly 42 allows a patient P to connect a mask to the bypass outlet 60 via tubing (not shown) and to directly access the pressurized gas 10 stored in the supply source 12 while the regulator 20 remains connected to the supply source 12. As such, the regulator assembly 42 allows the patient P to directly access the pressurized gas 10 of the supply source 12 without having to use the portable cylinder 14. Accordingly, if the electronic power goes out within the home, the patient P can access the high purity gas via the regulator assembly 42.
Turning to
Referring to
When the cylinder valve 22 inserts within the valve aperture 44 (
When the regulator 20 and cylinder valve 22 are allowed to connect via the key assembly 46, the extensions 52 (
As shown in
The flow channel 78 removeably connects with the valve outlet 70 of the cylinder valve 22. As shown, in an embodiment, the flow channel 78 and the valve outlet 70 include threaded connections that mate with each other. This connection positions the gas flow path 72 in communication with the chamber 80 via the flow channel 78. Once the residual pressure valve 24 connects with the cylinder valve 22, the cylinder valve 22 removeably connects with an outlet of the portable cylinder 14 via connections such as threaded connections. As such, the residual pressure valve 24 is removeably insertable within the portable cylinder 14 via the cylinder valve 22.
The chamber 80 has opposing side walls 82, a top wall 84 and a bottom wall 86. Each wall has a gas flow port 88 defined therethrough. In one embodiment, the chamber 80 comprises separate portions such as side portions 90, a top portion 92 and a bottom portion 94 wherein small inserts 96 exist between the side portions 90 and the bottom portion 94.
The piston assembly 76, which is slidable within the chamber 80, has a rod 98, a diaphragm member 100, a first stop 102, a second stop 104 and a bias member 106. The diaphragm member 100 is positioned around the rod 98 and extends outwardly to insert within the inserts 96 of the chamber portions 92, 94. As such, the diaphragm member 100 separates the chamber 80 into a high pressure area 108 and a low pressure area 110. The rod 98 positions the first stop 102 and the second stop 104 at opposing ends of the rod 98. As shown in
During a fill process as shown in
Turning to
The gas transfer system A allows for the transfer of the pressurized gas 10 from the gas supply cylinder 12 to the portable cylinder 14 to fill the portable cylinder 14. The residual pressure valve 24 thereafter retains desired pressure level of the residual pressurized gas in the portable cylinder 24 to minimize backfill contamination of atmospheric contaminants between subsequent fill cycles at the portable cylinder 14. In one embodiment, the residual pressure valve 24 retains the desired pressure level in the portable cylinder 14 to allow only a known amount of backfill contamination into the portable cylinder between subsequent fill cycles of the portable cylinder. In an embodiment, the known amount of backfill contamination comprises 1% of the amount of the pressurized gas 10 within the portable cylinder 14.
Turning to
During use, the present disclosure provides a method of repeatably filling a portable gas cylinder 14 without the need for purging or evacuating the portable gas cylinder 14 during each fill cycle subsequent an initial fill cycle. At a regulated facility, the oxygen supplier connects the residual pressure valve 24 to the cylinder valve 22 by mating together the flow channel 78 of the residual pressure valve 24 and the outlet 70 of the cylinder valve 22. Once the residual pressure valve 24 connects to the cylinder valve 22, the oxygen supplier connects together the cylinder valve 22 and the portable cylinder 14 mating the outlet 70 of the cylinder valve 22 with the top connection of the portable cylinder 14. This connection positions the residual pressure valve 24 within the interior of the portable cylinder 14. As previously noted, the residual pressure valve 24 may be built within the cylinder valve 22.
Once the residual pressure valve 24 is positioned with the portable cylinder 14, the oxygen supplier then purges and evacuates the portable gas cylinder 14. After this procedure, the oxygen supplier performs a fill cycle to fill the portable gas cylinder 14 with the pressurized gas 10.
An example of the fill cycle comprises connecting the portable gas cylinder 14 to the supply source 12 having the pressurized gas 10 pressurized to a first pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. In one embodiment, the first pressure has a value up to and including 3,000 psi. The fill cycle then comprises filling the portable gas cylinder 14 to a second pressure from the supply source 12. The second pressure is less than or equal to the first pressure. In one embodiment, the second pressure has a value up to and including 2,200 psi. Then the cycle comprises removing the portable cylinder 14 from the supply source 12 and exhausting the pressurized gas 10 from the portable gas cylinder 14 down to a minimum third pressure level within the portable gas cylinder 14. This third pressure level is less than the second pressure level but greater than atmospheric pressure. This third pressure only allows the known amount of backfill contamination into the portable gas cylinder 14 during the exhausting of the portable gas cylinder 14. In an embodiment, the known amount of backfill contamination comprises 1% of the amount of the pressurized gas 10 within the portable cylinder 14.
This fill cycle maybe repeated for a known period of time. During this known period of time, the known amount of backfill contamination remains constant. In one embodiment, the known period of time comprises five (5) years from the date of manufacture of the portable cylinder 14. The portable cylinder 14 may include an inscription of the known period of time on the neck of the portable cylinder 14. Furthermore, the instructions for the portable cylinder 14 may include an inscription of the known period of time. Thus, the method of the present disclosure provides for repeatably filling the portable gas cylinder 14 without contaminating the gas cylinder 14 and without purging or evacuating the portable gas 14 during each fill cycle as performed by the patient P.
In another example, the method comprises connecting the residual pressure valve 24 with the cylinder valve 22. The residual pressure valve 24 is capable of automatically stopping the flow of pressurized gas 10 out of the portable gas cylinder 14 when the pressure in the portable gas cylinder 14 drops below the desired pressure level or below atmospheric pressure. Then the method comprises connecting the cylinder valve 22 to the portable gas cylinder 14 wherein the cylinder valve 22 is capable of opening and closing to controllably allow pressurized gas 10 to flow into and out of the portable gas cylinder 14.
Next, the method comprises connecting the regulator 20 to the cylinder valve 22 and to the supply source 12. The regulator 20 is capable of regulating a flow of the pressurized gas 10 from the supply source 12 into the portable gas cylinder 14. Once the cylinder valve 24 is open, the regulator 20 controllably fills the portable gas cylinder 14 with the desired amount of pressurized gas from the supply source 10. Once filled, the cylinder valve 22 is closed and the portable gas cylinder 14 is disconnected from the regulator 20. Once the portable gas cylinder 14 is disconnected from the regulator 20, the cylinder valve 22 is opened to release the pressurized gas 10 from within the portable gas cylinder 14. As such, the portable cylinder 14 has been evacuated prior to any connection of the portable cylinder 14 to the regulator 20 prior to any initial use by the patient P of the portable cylinder 14.
In another example, the oxygen supplier delivers the large supply source 12 (charged with the pressurized gas 10) and at least one portable cylinder 14 to the patient P. The portable cylinder 14 may be delivered to the patient P in a full condition, an empty condition or a partially full condition. In one embodiment, the portable cylinder 14 in the partially full condition is filled to a capacity of 40 psi or less. In this partially full capacity, the oxygen supplier can deliver/ship the portable cylinders 14 as non-hazardous cargo.
At the patient's home, the supply source 12 is safely secured. A patient P or the oxygen supplier connects the regulator 20 to the supply source 12. The regulator 20 operatively connects to the body 26 of the supply source 12, wherein the inlet 32 of the regulator 20 removeably connects with the valve assembly 28 of the supply source 12. At this point, the valve assembly 28 of the supply source 12 remains closed. The patient P then conveniently slides the cylinder valve 22 within the valve aperture 44 of the regulator body 30. Alternatively, in an embodiment, the patient P rotates the yoke assembly 54 to the open position to expose the valve aperture 44. In this open position, the patient P conveniently inserts the cylinder valve 22 within the valve aperture 44.
The patient P then rotates the yoke assembly 54 to the closed position.
In moving the cylinder valve 22 within the valve aperture 44, the patient P aligns the extension channels 53 on the cylinder valve 22 opposite the extensions 52 of the regulator 20. The patient P further aligns the channel 50 of the key assembly 46 positioned on the cylinder valve 22 in alignment with the pin 48 of the key assembly 46 positioned on the regulator 20. Once these components are aligned, the patient P easily mates the channel 50 with the pin 48 and the extensions 52 with the extension channels 53 to connect the outlet 34 of the regulator body 30 with the inlet 68 of the regulator valve 22. Since the key assembly 46 matches the appropriate cylinder valve 22 with the regulator 20, the key assembly 46 prevents the patient P from connecting the regulator 20 with a non-compliant cylinder. As such the key assembly 46 interlocks the cylinder valve 22 in fluid communication with the regulator 20.
As noted, the combination of the cylinder valve 22, residual pressure valve 24 and the portable cylinder 14 are patient specific due to the proprietary mating of the key assembly 46. When the inlet 68 of the cylinder valve 22 connects with the outlet 34 of the regulator body 30, the safety check valve 40 of the regulator body 30 moves away from the outlet 34 and toward the gas flow control mechanism 38 of the regulator body 30. As such, the gas flow path 36 is continuous from the supply source 12 to the cylinder valve 22.
Once the cylinder valve 22 is connected to the regulator 20, the patient P slowly opens the valve assembly 28 of the supply source 12. The valve assembly 28 discharges the high purity oxygen 10 through the orifice and into the gas flow path 36 wherein the internal control mechanism 38 reduces the pressure to the appropriate pressure of the portable cylinder 14. The patient P observes the regulator pressure gauge during this fill process, wherein the gauge reading will initially drop and slowly rise during the filling cycle. When the gauge stops rising, the filling cycle is complete. In one embodiment, an alert such as a timer alarm notifies the patient P when the filling cycle is complete.
During the fill process, when the portable cylinder 14 removeably connects to the valve outlet 70 to position the residual pressure valve 24 within the interior of the portable cylinder 14, the pressurized gas 10 flows through the flow channel 78 and against the first stop 102 and diaphragm member 100 to displace the first stop 102 and diaphragm member 100 against the bias member 106. The pressure of the gas flow further seats the second stop 104 within the bottom gas flow port 114. In this position of the piston assembly 76, the high pressure gas 10 flows through the side gas flow ports 116 and into the portable cylinder 14. Once the portable cylinder 14 is full as noted by a pressure gauge positioned on the exterior of the portable cylinder 14, the patient P disconnects the cylinder valve 22 from the regulator 20 so that the patient P can use the portable cylinder 14. The patient P is free to use the charged portable cylinder 14 for personal activity use. At any time, however, the patient P can also directly access the high purity oxygen 10 of the supply source 12 by connecting tubes to the bypass regulator assembly 42.
During use of the portable cylinder 14 and/or a non-fill process of the portable cylinder 14, the internal pressure of the residual pressurized gas 10 and the bias member 106, via the internal pressure, move the diaphragm member 100 out of the inserts 96 of the chamber 80 and upward in contact with the side gas flow ports 116. Additionally, the pressure of the residual pressurized gas 10 and the bias member 106 move the second stop 104 away from the bottom gas flow port 114 while seating the first stop 102 within the top gas flow port 112. As such, the seated first stop 102 and the diaphragm member 100 seal the chamber 80 from atmospheric contaminates. The residual pressurized gas 10 maintains the desired residual pressure level within the low pressure area 110 of the chamber 80. This desired residual pressure level is higher than the atmospheric pressure exposed to the exterior of the portable cylinder 14.
Once the patient P nearly exhausts the high purity oxygen 10 from the portable cylinder 14, the patient P reconnects the portable cylinder 14 to the regulator 20. Since a residual pressure of the high purity oxygen 10 remains sealed within the portable cylinder 14, atmospheric contaminants cannot enter the portable cylinder 14. As such, the patient P simply reconnects the cylinder valve 22 to the regulator 20 to repeat the fill process for the portable cylinder 14. Accordingly, the patient P can re-fill the portable cylinder 14 with high purity oxygen 10 in the home and without having to clean the portable cylinder 14. Furthermore, the patient P can re-fill the portable cylinder 14 without analyzing the purity content of the portable cylinder 14 since the residual pressure as regulated by the residual valve 24 minimizes backfill contamination between subsequent fill cycles of the portable cylinder 14.
The components of the present disclosure may be constructed of a variety of materials, including but not limited to various metals, plastics, ceramics, wood, or any other suitable material that will provide sufficient structural integrity for the each component to perform its desired function as stated herein. Each dimension of the disclosure, and thereby all of its components, may be of varying sizes. Of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that structural members may be added to strategic positions on or in the disclosure to allow the use of a variety of materials.
The detailed description above illustrates the disclosure by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the disclosure, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the disclosure, including what I presently believe is the best mode of carrying out the disclosure. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
