US20210371066A1

US20210371066A1 - Perpetual Aquatic Rebreather

Info

Publication number: US20210371066A1
Application number: US16/886,771
Authority: US
Inventors: Srikar Vuyyuru
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-05-29
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2021-12-02

Abstract

This device, the PAR, surpasses most currently available SCUBA-type devices in terms of range, time-limits, portability, and etc. Using countercurrent exchange, the design with which fish and other organisms with gill-like structures absorb oxygen from their environment, the invention can produce oxygen almost indefinitely. Through electrolysis of water, and the hydrophobic properties of Teflon, the PAR is able to gain a person access to a reliable oxygen source while submerged underwater. Furthermore, the inner working of the PAR can be summarized as using the electricity from the attached power source to evaporate or split incoming water particles into a gas composed of roughly 33% hydrogen and 66% oxygen, this dilutes the oxygen gas and reduces its toxicity. The gas is then diffused through a hydrophobic Teflon filter and brought to the user, all without any complicated external pipes and heavy tanks.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of the prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,788B, better known as, “Artificial gills for deep diving without incurring the bends and for scavenging O2 from and dispelling CO2 into water or thin air”, which is referred to in the section titled “Brief Summary of the Invention”. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,489A, better known as “Membrane Oxygenator”, which is referred to in the section titled “Background of the Invention”.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT (If applicable)

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM

LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX (if Applicable)

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Perpetual Aquatic Rebreather (PAR) aims to decrease the risk of pipes being dislocated upon sudden impact/shock, of drowning, and to surpass the range of SCUBA-type devices without the implementation of external pipes, gas-tanks, etc. The PAR works upon the principles of countercurrent exchange. Countercurrent exchange is a design by which fish and other organisms with gill-like structures absorb oxygen directly from their environment (water, in this case) by running blood and water past a permeable surface against each other. However, as an external device, the PAR utilizes the Carbon Dioxide exhaled by the human body, instead of blood as a medium for this transfer. This device also utilizes Teflon/PTFE as the permeable surface, or filter, in this process. Experiments with a process similar to countercurrent exchange relating to the Membrane Oxygenator have shown that with Polyethylene 0.0008″ thick, 3 cc of oxygen are allowed to diffuse through per minute, and 8 cc are allowed per minute with Teflon 0.00075″ thick. In addition, at esophageal temperatures of 28 degrees celsius, the human lung consumes 5-6 mL of Oxygen per minute, which means that it is within the PAR's ability to provide enough oxygen for human survival under the current design.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Perpetual Aquatic Rebreather can be employed to assist survival in elongated oceanic/aquatic excursions, because of its' ability to provide a self-replenishing supply of oxygen where a sufficient power-source is available, the PAR is able to sustain life under conditions that render devices of a similar function obsolete. Based upon these principles, the PAR provides solutions to the problems stated in the Background of the Invention section such as: decreasing the risk of drowning, and surpassing the range of SCUBA-type devices without the implementation of external pipes, gas-tanks, etc. by, as also stated in the aforementioned section, using the processes of countercurrent exchange to provide a sufficient supply of oxygen to the user through a portable mask-like apparatus without external aid or assistance. The PAR can then pull oxygen from its environment and sustain life as long as a sufficient power source is available. The prior art in U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,788B utilizes the same principle of countercurrent exchange for a similar purpose, but its design is such that the actual mechanism that produces the oxygen is held within a backpack and is then connected to the user's blood flow to help infuse Oxygen and diffuse Carbon Dioxide, whereas, the PAR is an external device that has no need to come into contact with blood of any kind during use, is a device that is free to move without the burden of a “backpack” or tanks, and dispels Carbon Dioxide through the low-pressure system(s) created when oxygen and hydrogen permeate to the other tube. Hydrogen is also allowed to permeate together with the Oxygen because as humans breathe 100% Oxygen, the lungs eventually fill with fluid and absorption slows down, thereby causing sometimes irreparable damage to the body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The mentioned features and advantages shall become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following descriptions of the preferred embodiment and structure, especially when the drawings with corresponding numerals and views are taken into consideration.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire PAR

FIG. 2 is a planar view depicting the bottom of the PAR, a side not shown in FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the PAR along the plane represented by the dashed line in FIG. 1

FIG. 4 is a planar view depicting the final side of the PAR not shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For this invention, certain terminology shall be used for convenience of description and are in no way meant to constrict this device. Vocabulary and vernacular such as (but not limited to) “downwards”, “attach”, or “cut” shall be used in this section to refer to directions/orientation and alignment in the preferred embodiment. Any mention of specific materials beside the permeable Teflon or Polyethylene filter/surface and measurements shall be left to the discretion of those skilled in the art as long as the materials resemble and/or serve a similar purpose to those mentioned in this section. Furthermore, these instructions must be taken into consideration with the drawings provided to form a more accurate and complete picture. Also information that is supplementary but crucial to clarifying certain steps in this process shall be included as notes.

1. Cut out or obtain 2 pieces of 4 by 3 inch material, indicated by reference number 3 and 6, and 2 pieces of 4 by 2.5-inch sheet material, indicated by reference number 1, to attach in the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Before attaching the pieces, cut them with the shapes shown in the drawings mentioned above.
2. Cut 2 pieces of ¼ inch thick (at inside diameter) flexible pipe at a length of 6⅜ inches, and 2 pieces of ¼ inch thick (at inside diameter) flexible pipe at a length of 3.5 inches. (Note: When adjusting these measurements per the manufacturing craftsman's discretion, the pipes cut in this step must be cut in such a way that they are able to be configured in the way shown by reference numbers 7 and 8.
3. (Note: This step must be repeated until you have two copies of the product made in this step) Join 1 piece of 3.5-inch-long flexible piping with the 6⅜ inch piece of pipe. But first, cut a 3/16 by 1-inch rectangular hole where the two pipes are supposed to be joined and attach a 0.0008 in thick hydrophobic PTFE filter. Then bend the excess of the 3.5-inch pipe over the other side of the 6⅜ inch pipe and bend the farthest end of the longer pipe up and over back towards the other end, see FIG. 3, reference numbers 7 and 8 for clarification on configurations.
4. Cut 2, 3 by 2.5-inch stainless metal sheets. On one of which 4 circles, each with diameter ¼ inch must be cut in 2 equally spaced rows of 2, on one, see reference number 9.
5. Cut 2 squares at the height of the 3.5-inch-long pipe seen in the pipe configuration of FIG. 3 and with a side length of ¼ inches on the other sheet, see FIG. 1, reference number 2.
6. Insert the two copies of the “product” made in step 3 into the husk made in step 1, and line up the pipes pointing downwards with the edges of the hole/space of reference number 6 before positioning the “product” as shown in FIG. 3 and fixing it in place, making sure that they pipes aren't obstructed by the battery pack shown in reference number 5.
7. Next, take the sheets made in step 4 & 5, see reference numbers 9 and 2, and align the free ends of the flexible piping structures before attaching.
8. After the main body is constructed through the steps mentioned previously, the craftsmen must then join a power source sufficient to help evaporate moving water, such as a waterproof double 12 V 23A battery holder, see reference number 5, with the underside of the main body as shown in FIG. 2.
9. Center a silicone nose piece, see reference number 4, on the edge closest to the sheet of stainless metal made in step 4, see FIG. 1.

Through these steps, the craftsman is able to manufacture the PAR, this device is then able to (as mentioned above) provide the user with a sufficient oxygen supply from the surrounding environment without the need for pipes, gas tanks, etc. The PAR also eliminates the danger of losing your oxygen supply if stunned and/or paralyzed. Further, the PAR differs from the prior art mentioned in the background of the invention section as it is an external device and does not require the direct interaction of blood.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Any mechanical apparatus that is not unlike the PAR in purpose and uses the countercurrent exchange principle to deliver the gas to the user.

2. Any mechanical apparatus that is not unlike the PAR in purpose that produces and delivers gases through the interaction of insulated pipes and permeable filters (e.g. Teflon/PTFE) as described in the Detailed Description of the Invention and depicted in the drawings.

3. Any mechanical apparatus that is not unlike the PAR in purpose that produces gasses with the help of a sufficient power source like (but not limited to) the waterproof, 12 Volt 23A batteries mentioned in the Detailed Description of the Invention.