JPH11319095A - Portable oxygen concentrator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mount a humidifier on a patient when the patient requires the humidifier and to easily detach the same along with a humidifier fixing means when the patient requires no humidifier by making the fixing means capable of attaching and detaching the humidifier detachable with respect to an oxygen concentrator. SOLUTION: An oxygen concentrator is made detachable along with a humidifier fixing means 2 and, further, by using a clip system (clip 5) in this attaching and detaching means, the oxygen concentrator can be attached and detached by one-action operation. The humidifier fixing means 2 and a humidifier 4 are also made detachable and, at a time of the supply of water to the humidifier 4 at a time when the humidifier 4 is mounted to use the oxygen concentrator or the maintenance of the humidifier 4 is held, only the humidifier 4 can be detached. Herein, by using a clip system (clip 6) even in the method for fixing the humidifier 4, the oxygen concentrator can be easily attached and detached by one-action operation. As the material quality of the clip, plastic or metal is pref. in order to use the spring action of the clip in fixing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an oxygen concentrator, and more particularly to a mobile oxygen concentrator suitable for medical use. More specifically,
The present invention relates to a fixing device for fixing a humidifier to an oxygen concentrator (hereinafter referred to as humidifier fixing device) as a mobile oxygen concentrator for medical use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A medical oxygen concentrator is used when a patient suffering from a respiratory disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis receives a therapy of oxygen inhalation therapy. In recent years, it is said that the number of patients with these respiratory diseases tends to increase, and oxygen inhalation therapy is regarded as one of the most effective means of the treatment.

[0003] Oxygen inhalation therapy is a treatment method in which a patient inhales oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched gas. The means for supplying the oxygen gas or oxygen-enriched gas includes a high-pressure oxygen cylinder, a liquid oxygen cylinder, There is an oxygen concentrator etc.
Oxygen concentrators are becoming widespread in terms of ease of use.

[0004] The oxygen concentrator is a device for separating and concentrating oxygen in the air. As a method for separating and concentrating oxygen, a separation membrane system for obtaining an oxygen-enriched gas mainly using an oxygen permeable membrane and a method for selecting nitrogen and oxygen are used. There are two types of adsorption systems using adsorbents having specific adsorption performance, but the adsorption type oxygen concentrator is becoming mainstream in view of the obtained oxygen concentration.

[0005] The adsorption type oxygen concentrator mainly comprises an adsorbent bed,
A compressor, a fan for cooling the heat generated by the compressor, a discharging means for discharging unnecessary gases other than the oxygen-enriched gas obtained in the adsorption tower, and an electromagnetic means for switching between adsorption and desorption of the adsorption bed It comprises a valve, supply means for supplying oxygen-enriched gas to the patient, and a humidifier for humidifying the oxygen-enriched gas before supplying it to the patient.

Here, the humidifier is used, for example, when the patient inhales oxygen-enriched gas using a respiratory synchronizing device or when the patient is used for short-time inhalation such as when going out.
A humidifier may not always be required. However, in the conventional oxygen concentrator, the humidifier itself is detachable, but the humidifier forms a part of the oxygen supply pipe, so that oxygen cannot be supplied without the humidifier, or the humidifier cannot be supplied. The fixing means was incorporated in the oxygen concentrator and could not be attached or detached together with the humidifier fixing means. For this reason, the humidifier must always be used with the humidifier attached, and the weight and size of the entire device will increase by that much. Had to move in state.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a small and lightweight mobile oxygen concentrator in a medical oxygen concentrator. More specifically, a mobile humidifier having a humidifier and a humidifier fixing means which can be easily attached and detached together with the humidifier when the patient requires the humidifier, and when not necessary. It is to provide a concentration device.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventor of the present invention has made intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, has made it possible to attach and detach a humidifier that is not always used together with humidifier fixing means. When the humidifier is not needed, remove the humidifier fixing means together to reduce the burden on the patient when moving, and when necessary, remove only the humidifier from the humidifier fixing means to maintain the humidifier. We found that it was easy to replenish water, etc., and as a method for attaching and detaching it, using a clip method can simplify the attaching and detaching device, so that the entire oxygen concentrator can be designed to be small and lightweight, and the attaching and detaching operation itself is also possible. It has been found that the present invention can be easily performed, and the present invention has been achieved.

That is, the present invention provides a means for generating oxygen-enriched gas, a means for supplying the gas to the patient, a means for exhausting unnecessary gases other than the oxygen-enriched gas, and a method for supplying the oxygen-enriched gas to the patient. A mobile oxygen concentrator, comprising: a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator having a humidifier for humidifying, wherein fixing means capable of attaching and detaching the humidifier is detachable from the oxygen concentrator. Further, a mobile oxygen concentrator in which the fixing method for the oxygen concentrator and the humidifier is a clip system.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail. The oxygen concentrator according to the present invention obtains oxygen-enriched gas from the air using an adsorbent having selective adsorption performance, and uses a compressor as a means for supplying air as a raw material. Further, the compressor generates heat during its operation, and thus is provided with a fan for cooling the heat. Raw material air pressurized and supplied by a compressor is a device that selectively adsorbs specific components in the adsorption bed, and then reduces the pressure in the adsorption bed to perform desorption to obtain a gas with an increased oxygen concentration. It is.

[0011] In the apparatus of the present invention, the adsorbent bed comprises:
One or two or more may be used, but two or less are desirable for a small and lightweight mobile oxygen concentrator for medical use and home treatment. In general, various types of compressors are commercially available, but any type can be used as long as it can supply raw material air at a predetermined pressure and flow rate. However,
Oil-lubricated compressors may contain oil in the compressed air and require post-processing,
In order to reduce the size of the device, an oil-free type compressor is desirable. As a cooling fan,
In some cases, a fan can be directly attached to the power shaft of the compressor, but this alone often does not provide sufficient cooling capacity, so it is desirable to add another fan.
There are various types of humidifiers, such as a method of humidifying by passing a gas to be humidified into water filled in a container, and a method of humidifying by spraying a humidified gas onto the surface of a member holding moisture. A humidifier that is small and lightweight is desirable in consideration of use during transportation.

The humidifier fixing means of the present invention is characterized in that it can be easily attached to and detached from the oxygen concentrator and the humidifier, and the clip method is preferable as the fixing method. In an oxygen concentrator generally used in home therapy, the humidifier fixing means is incorporated in the oxygen concentrator main body or fixed to the exterior. In the present invention, the humidifier fixing means can be attached and detached together, and the clipping method is used for the attaching and detaching means, so that the humidifier can be easily attached and detached with one touch. Also, the humidifier fixing means and the humidifier are removable, so when installing the humidifier and using the oxygen concentrator, supply water to the humidifier or remove only the humidifier when performing maintenance on the humidifier. Can be. Here, the humidifier can be easily attached and detached with one touch by using the clip method also for the fixing method. The material of the clip is preferably plastic or metal because the spring action of the clip is used for fixing.

Further, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example in which a humidifier fixing means and a humidifier are mounted on an oxygen concentrator, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which a humidifier is mounted on the humidifier fixing means. FIG. 3 shows a method of fixing a humidifier mounted on the humidifier fixing means to the oxygen concentrator, and FIG. 4 shows the mounted state. In these figures, 1 is an oxygen concentrator main body, 2 is a humidifier fixing means, 3 is a moving handle fixed to the oxygen concentrator main body, 4 is a humidifier, 5 is a humidifier fixing clip, and 6 is a humidifier. This is a clip for fixing the vessel fixing means to the oxygen concentrator main body (a moving handle in this example). Further, in these figures, a conduit for leading concentrated oxygen from the oxygen concentrator main body to the humidifier and a supply means for leading oxygen-enriched gas from the humidifier to the patient are omitted. In the conventional oxygen concentrator, the humidifier fixing means is mounted in advance as a part of the oxygen concentrator main body,
Although it could not be easily removed, in the present invention, the humidifier fixing means can be easily detached from the oxygen concentrator main body as in this embodiment.

[0014]

According to the present invention, when the patient does not use the humidifier, the humidifier fixing means can be easily removed and the oxygen concentrator can be used, so that the burden on the patient when using the humidifier can be reduced while moving. The trouble of the maintenance of the humidifier is also released, and the handling of the patient becomes easy. On the other hand, since restrictions on the design of the oxygen concentrator main body are reduced, a small and lightweight oxygen concentrator can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an embodiment in which a humidifier fixing means and a humidifier of the present invention are mounted.

FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a method of mounting a humidifier on the humidifier fixing means of the present invention and a mounted state.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a method of attaching a humidifier fixed to humidifier fixing means to an oxygen concentrator main body.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where the camera is mounted as a result of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Oxygen concentrator main body 2 Humidifier fixing means 3 Moving handle 4 Humidifier 5 Humidifier fixing clip 6 Clip for fixing humidifier fixing means to the oxygen concentrator main body

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Oxygen-enriched gas generating means, supply means for supplying the gas to the patient, exhaust means for exhausting unnecessary gases other than the oxygen-enriched gas, and means for humidifying the oxygen-enriched gas before supplying it to the patient A mobile oxygen concentrator, comprising: a pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator equipped with a humidifier, wherein fixing means capable of attaching and detaching the humidifier is detachable from the oxygen concentrator. 2. The mobile oxygen concentrator according to claim 1, wherein the method of fixing the oxygen concentrator and the humidifier is a clip system.