JPH11314903A - Medical oxygen concentration apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to detect and store the non-inhalation of oxygen in the case of such non-inhalation by a user's own will or by a mistake even if an oxygen concentration apparatus is in normal operation by providing the apparatus with a means for detecting the respiration phase of the user and a means for storing the detection time of the respiration phase. SOLUTION: Air is pressurized and supplied to an adsorption cylinder 1 packed with an adsorbent 10 for selectively adsorbing nitrogen from oxygen and the unadsorbed oxygen is set at a supply flow rate by a flow rate setter 3. After this air is humidified by a humidifier 7, the oxygen-concentrated air is supplied via a nose canula 14 to the user. A pressure sensor 9 disposed on the outlet side of the humidifier 7 is mounted at the root of a juncture of an oxygen dosing implement, such as canula. When the oxygen is inhaled from this apparatus, the pressure fluctuation may be detected by accompanying the patient's respiration and the presence or absence of the respiration may be judged based on the detection. This detection information is sent together with the oxygen generation information, etc., of the oxygen concentrator to a CPU 11 where the information is controlled. This information is stored together with the detection time in the memory means 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an oxygen concentrator for separating and using oxygen-enriched air from the atmosphere. More specifically, it detects whether the user is breathing oxygen-enriched air reliably, records the actual usage time of the user, and despite the fact that oxygen is supplied from the oxygen concentrator, The present invention relates to an improved medical oxygen concentrator having a means for issuing an alarm when the user does not smoke and notifying the user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis tends to increase. One of the most effective treatments is oxygen inhalation therapy. Oxygen concentrators for directly separating oxygen-enriched gas from the inside have been developed, and are becoming increasingly popular as therapeutic devices for oxygen inhalation therapy because of their convenience in use and ease of maintenance.

[0003] As such an oxygen concentrator, an adsorbent oxygen concentrator in which one or more adsorbents capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen are filled in an adsorbent bed is known. Among them, a pressure using a compressor as an air supply means is known. A variable adsorption type oxygen concentrator is used as a home oxygen inhalation therapy device.

In the case of home oxygen inhalation therapy, the oxygen flow rate and inhalation time of the oxygen concentrator are determined by the doctor's prescription,
The patient inhales oxygen at home accordingly. However, there are some patients who do not always adhere to the doctor's prescription, especially those who are moderately mild, who have not inhaled oxygen for a fixed time. On the other hand, whether a patient follows a prescription and inhales oxygen largely depends on the consultation of a physician at a medical institution.On the other hand, for such a patient, an accurate declaration is not always made. The problem arises that physicians cannot determine the correct course of treatment.

[0005] In addition, when a child is performing oxygen inhalation therapy, the parent removes the nasal cannula, which is an oxygen inhalation means, in a space where his / her eyes are away, and is unable to inhale oxygen. Has the problem of causing cyanosis.

As a method for detecting the operation information of the oxygen concentrator, a device information such as an operation time and an oxygen concentration of the oxygen concentrator is stored as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-143451. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a respiratory gas supply system that feeds back information to a medical institution via a medical device. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-233744, a system is known in which vital signs such as blood oxygen concentration of a patient are stored and information is fed back to a medical institution. However, it is not economically possible to constantly monitor such a system,
Usually, the stored information is communicated once a day to an information center via a telephone line, and if there is an abnormality in the data, the system is fed back to a doctor.

[0007] Information such as the patient's FiO2 and the operating time of the oxygen concentrator is collected. However, from such information, it is not directly known whether or not the patient is actually breathing oxygen. At present, there is no other way but to grasp indirectly through the biological information of the patient.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, there is a problem in a conventional oxygen concentrator, that is, a user inhales oxygen by his / her own will or negligence despite the normal operation of the oxygen concentrator. It is an object of the present invention to provide an oxygen concentrator capable of detecting and recording when not performed, and issuing an abnormal alarm to notify a patient or a caregiver thereof.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of diligent studies on such a problem, the present applicant has provided a means for detecting a respiratory phase in an oxygen concentrator and a means for recording such a detection time. It was found that the true oxygen inhalation amount and inhalation time of a patient who did not inhale oxygen can be grasped.

Furthermore, the oxygen concentrator is provided with a means for detecting the respiratory phase, and a warning is issued when the respiratory phase is not detected despite the normal oxygen supply, so that the child or the like can unconsciously use the oxygen supply means. It has been found that it is possible to inform the caregiver when the removal oxygen is not inhaled.

That is, the present invention provides at least one adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen, air supply means for supplying air to the adsorption bed, A medical oxygen concentrator having oxygen supplying means for supplying the user with oxygen-enriched air, comprising a respiratory phase detecting means for detecting a respiratory phase of the user, and storing a detection time of the respiratory phase. A medical oxygen concentrator characterized by comprising the storage means of (1).

Also, the present invention provides at least one adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen, air supply means for supplying air to the adsorption bed, In a medical oxygen concentrator equipped with an oxygen supply means for supplying the user with oxygen-enriched air, a detection means for detecting supply of oxygen from the oxygen supply means to the user and a respiratory phase of the user are detected. A medical oxygen concentrator comprising: a respiratory phase detecting means; and an alarming means for issuing an alarm when the respiratory phase is not detected despite oxygen being supplied from the oxygen supplying means. Things.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention provides a pressurized air supply as a means for supplying air to at least one adsorbent bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen as an oxygen source. Then, a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator that adsorbs nitrogen and takes out unadsorbed oxygen can be used. In addition, it can be applied to an oxygen cylinder and the like.

The oxygen supply means for supplying the oxygen-enriched air generated by the adsorbent bed to the user includes a respiratory nose mask for inhaling oxygen from the user's nose through a cannula, and a mouth and nose. Use a nasal mask for inhalation.
An extension tube for working away from the oxygen concentrator body can be used together.

As a respiratory phase detecting means for detecting a user's respiratory phase used in the medical oxygen concentrator of the present invention, a micro pressure sensor such as a capacitance type pressure transducer, a differential transformer or a strain gauge type is used. A pressure transducer such as an inductance conversion method or an electric resistance conversion method can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use a semiconductor pressure sensor.

The location of the detection means may be provided in a nasal cannula which is an oxygen supply means, and a conducting wire may be provided in the cannula or along the cannula to lead to the oxygen concentrator body. It is preferably provided on the vessel main body side and the oxygen supply outlet side.

The detection time of the respiratory phase can be stored in a semiconductor memory by providing a clock means in the oxygen concentrator body and storing a detection start time and a detection end time or a method of storing a detection integration time. It is preferable to memorize.

Further, as the detecting means for detecting the supply of oxygen from the oxygen supplying means of the present invention, a flow rate detecting means, a pressure detecting means and the like can be used.

Then, an alarm is issued when the respiratory phase detecting means does not detect respiration despite detecting such data. Such an alarm means informs the patient or caregiver that the user is not breathing oxygen. As the signal of the alarm means, a buzzer, an audio signal, lighting of a warning light or display by blinking thereof is preferable.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the oxygen concentrator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as necessary.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the flow of the adsorption type oxygen concentrator of the present invention.

A compressor 4 pressurizes and supplies air from the atmosphere to an adsorption cylinder 1 filled with a zeolite adsorbent 10 as an adsorbent for selectively adsorbing nitrogen rather than oxygen, thereby taking out unadsorbed oxygen, and a surge tank. After storing the oxygen in the nasal cannula 1, the oxygen supply flow rate is set by the orifice type flow rate setting device 3 and humidified by the humidifier 7.
Oxygen-enriched air is supplied via 4.

A pressure sensor 9 provided on the outlet side of the humidifier 7 is attached to a connection base of an oxygen administration device such as a cannula. When oxygen is inhaled from such a device,
Pressure fluctuations as shown in FIG. 2 can be detected along with the patient's breathing, and based on this, the presence or absence of breathing can be determined.

The pressure detection information is sent to the CPU 11 together with the oxygen generation information of the oxygen concentrator and the like, and is controlled. Then, such information is stored in the storage unit 12 together with the detection time. If there is no pressure information from the pressure sensor 9 even though the oxygen generation information is detected, the alarm means 13 issues an alarm to the user or caregiver by voice, buzzer, blinking, or the like.

[0025]

In the conventional oxygen concentrators, there have been means for indicating that oxygen is being generated and those which indicate an alarm.
However, such indications and alarms did not function sufficiently when the patient did not breathe or the oxygen-supplying device such as a cannula was detached even though oxygen was generated.
This may have worsened the patient's condition. The device detects when the patient is using it and records and alerts if the patient is not breathing or oxygen equipment such as a cannula has been released, despite the generation of oxygen. , It is possible to take necessary measures.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an oxygen concentrator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an example of pressure detection of the oxygen concentrator according to the present invention.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. At least one adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen, air supply means for supplying air to the adsorption bed, oxygen-enriched air generated by the adsorption bed In a medical oxygen concentrator provided with oxygen supply means for supplying a user with a respiratory phase detecting means for detecting the respiratory phase of the user, storage means for storing the detection time of the respiratory phase A medical oxygen concentrator characterized by comprising: 2. At least one adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen over oxygen, air supply means for supplying air to the adsorption bed, and oxygen-enriched air generated by the adsorption bed A medical oxygen concentrator provided with oxygen supply means for supplying the user with oxygen, comprising a detection means for detecting the supply of oxygen from the oxygen supply means and a respiration phase detection means for detecting the respiration phase of the user, An oxygen concentrator for medical use, comprising alarm means for issuing an alarm when the respiratory phase is not detected despite oxygen being supplied from the oxygen supply means.