JP2001314507A - Medical oxygen concentrator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical oxygen concentrator having the function of urging a smoker to stop smoking when a patient performing an oxygen inhalation treatment, a family or a caregiver of the patient smokes tobacco on the side of an oxygen concentrator. SOLUTION: This medical oxygen concentrator having an oxygen concentrating means for concentrating oxygen by separating the oxygen from air and an oxygen supply means for supplying oxygen concentrated air generated by the oxygen concentrating means to a user, is characterized by having a smoke detecting means for detecting smoke of the surroundings, and having a warning means for issuing a warning to the user when the smoke detecting means detects the smoke.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a medical oxygen supply apparatus for stably supplying oxygen-enriched air having an increased oxygen concentration from air to a user. More specifically, the present invention relates to a medical oxygen concentrator having a function of monitoring the air around the medical oxygen concentrator and preventing the generation of smoke in the environment where the device is used, and in particular, the function of preventing a user or a caregiver from smoking. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Oxygen inhalation therapy is one of the preferred treatments for patients suffering from respiratory tract diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. As an oxygen source used in such oxygen inhalation therapy, a medical oxygen supply device that obtains oxygen-enriched air from the air has been developed, and is becoming increasingly popular as a therapeutic device because of its convenience at the time of use and ease of maintenance. It has become to.

[0003] As such an oxygen concentrator, a membrane oxygen concentrator using a membrane that selectively permeates oxygen and an adsorption type oxygen concentrator using an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen or oxygen are frequently used. Above all, an adsorption step in which compressed air is introduced by a compressor into an adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen and nitrogen is adsorbed in a pressurized state to obtain an oxygen-enriched gas; 2. Description of the Related Art A pressure fluctuation adsorption-type oxygen concentrator for obtaining an oxygen-enriched gas by alternately performing a desorption step of desorbing nitrogen by reducing an internal pressure to regenerate an adsorbent is used.

Since such medical oxygen supply devices are often used in hospitals and in patients' homes where doctors cannot see them,
In order to ensure the safety of the operation of the oxygen concentrator, a system is provided for detecting equipment abnormalities such as abnormal pressure, abnormal oxygen concentration, and abnormal equipment temperature.

[0005]

Patients with respiratory disease requiring oxygen inhalation therapy should avoid inhaling tobacco smoke. However, if the patient is a smoker, or if the patient's family or caregiver is a smoker, one would be inhaling oxygen while inhaling tobacco smoke,
It will adversely affect the patient's condition. It also means that there is a fire on the side of the oxygen source as well as the health problem of the patient, and there is a possibility of fire, especially when the patient himself smokes and inhales oxygen at the same time. There is also the danger of causing

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and when a patient on oxygen inhalation therapy, a patient's family or a caregiver smokes on the side of the oxygen concentrator, the smoker is stopped from smoking. An object of the present invention is to provide a medical oxygen concentrator having a function of prompting.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventors of the present invention have made intensive studies on such problems and found the following oxygen concentrator. That is, the present invention relates to a medical oxygen concentrator provided with oxygen concentrating means for separating and concentrating oxygen from air, and oxygen supplying means for supplying oxygen-enriched air generated by the oxygen concentrating means to a user. It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical oxygen concentrator comprising a smoke detecting means for detecting smoke, and an alarm means for issuing an alarm to a user when the smoke detecting means detects smoke.

Further, the present invention provides a medical oxygen concentrator characterized in that the smoke detecting means is provided in the oxygen supplying means.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the alarming means is an alarming means for issuing an alarm when the signal detected by the smoke detecting means is intermittently a smoke density detection signal. A concentrating device is provided.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The oxygen concentrator according to the present invention comprises oxygen concentrating means for separating and concentrating oxygen from air, and oxygen supplying means for supplying oxygen-enriched air generated by the oxygen concentrating means to a user. Medical oxygen concentrator. Such oxygen concentrating means is means for separating and concentrating oxygen in the air, and pressurized air is compressed by a compressor or the like into an adsorbent bed filled with an adsorbent such as zeolite 5A or zeolite 13X, which selectively adsorbs nitrogen over oxygen. A pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator that supplies and extracts unadsorbed oxygen, a membrane oxygen concentrator using a polymer oxygen-enriched membrane or a solid electrolyte membrane that selectively transmits oxygen, and the like are preferably used.

As the smoke detecting means of the present invention, a sensor for detecting fine smoke particles, an odor sensor for detecting odor, or the like can be used. Above all, it is possible to use a sensor unit that includes a sensor unit including an LED and a light receiving unit that are opposed to each other and that includes a unit that measures and monitors the transmittance of infrared light or visible light that passes through the air between the LED and the light receiving unit. If the sensor unit detects a decrease in the transmittance of infrared light or visible light in the air, it determines whether the cause of the decrease in transmittance is smoke from the amount of decrease, and if it is determined that smoke is the cause, an alarm is issued. It has a warning lamp and a mechanism to urge the smoker to stop smoking by some means such as stopping operation.

When the cause of smoke is cigarette smoking, the concentration of smoke changes in accordance with the respiratory cycle, and the concentration repeatedly increases during expiration and decreases during inspiration.
Therefore, when the smoke detecting means continuously detects a change in the smoke concentration that repeats the rise and fall with the respiration cycle for a certain period of time, it notifies the person or a nearby person with a voice or a warning lamp as a cigarette warning, and furthermore, If the detection is continued, it is desirable that the device be a device that stops the operation of the oxygen concentrating means and controls the supply of oxygen.

Such a smoke detecting means can be provided with a sensor part on the surface of the oxygen concentrator main body on the outside air side, and a user of oxygen enriched air such as a nasal cannula in a feed air introduction path of the oxygen concentrator. To the means for supplying oxygen to the air. In particular, if the user is a smoker, care should be taken not to prevent the user from activating the safety sensor by masking the detection means, such as the source air introduction path and the sensor installation site. Is preferred.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the medical oxygen concentrator according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a principle structural view showing an embodiment of the smoke detection system of the present invention.

The medical oxygen supply device draws air around the device into the device in order to generate oxygen-enriched air. By installing a sensor section in the air suction path in the device, the air supply around the device is reduced. The presence or absence of smoke can be monitored.
In this case, it is desirable that the sensor unit is installed as upstream of the air flow path as possible. Sensor part is LE installed opposite
D and a light receiving unit. The LED always emits a certain amount of infrared light or visible light, and the light receiving unit receives infrared light or visible light from the LED. If there is an obstacle in the air between the LED and the light receiving unit, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit decreases. C
The PU determines whether or not the obstacle between the LED and the light receiving unit is smoke by comparing the set value stored in the memory in advance with the light receiving reduction amount.

When it is determined that the obstacle substance is smoke, C
The PU prompts a smoker around the device to stop smoking by some predetermined means such as an alarm, a warning lamp, and a shutdown.

FIG. 2 shows a smoke detection system according to the present invention.
It is a fundamental structural diagram showing an embodiment in which a sensor unit is provided in a medical oxygen supply tool for supplying oxygen-enriched air to a user. When a patient inhales oxygen-enriched air at a location remote from a medical oxygen supply device, it is difficult for a sensor unit installed in the medical oxygen supply device to monitor air around the patient. Therefore, a sensor section is installed in a nasal cannula that is a means for supplying oxygen to a patient, and monitors air around the patient.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a medical oxygen concentrator according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a smoke detecting means used in the medical oxygen concentrator according to the present invention.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A medical oxygen concentrator comprising: oxygen concentrating means for separating and concentrating oxygen from air; and oxygen supplying means for supplying oxygen-enriched air generated by the oxygen concentrating means to a user. A medical oxygen concentrator comprising: smoke detection means for detecting smoke; and alarm means for issuing an alarm to a user when the smoke detection means detects smoke. 2. The medical oxygen concentrator according to claim 1, wherein said smoke detection means is provided in an oxygen supply means. 3. The alarm device according to claim 1, wherein the alarm unit is configured to issue an alarm when a signal detected by the smoke detection unit continuously detects a detection signal of the density of the smoke for a predetermined period. 3. The medical oxygen concentrator according to 2.