Patents Examined by Valerie L Skorupa
  • Patent number: 9586702
    Abstract: A multi-function nitrous oxide system is disclosed for producing breathing air. The system includes a nitrous oxide storage container and a nitrous oxide conversion element connected with the nitrous oxide storage container. The nitrous oxide conversion element is downstream from the nitrous oxide storage container and produces hot fluid. The system includes a breathing air storage container connected with the nitrous oxide conversion element downstream from the nitrous oxide conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Aerojet Rocketdyne of DE, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian W. Lariviere
  • Patent number: 9358358
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for humidifying ventilation gas. Systems and methods may include a nasal interface apparatus for receiving ventilation gas from gas delivery tubing and for humidifying ventilation gas. The nasal interface apparatus may have one or more channels within the nasal interface to deliver gas from a gas delivery circuit to a patient's nose; one or more structures in fluid communication with the one or more channels to direct ventilation gas to the patient's nose; and a hygroscopic material within the nasal interface in the flow path of the ventilation gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Breathe Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony D. Wondka, Joseph Cipollone, George A. Kassanis, Todd W. Allum, Enrico Brambilla
  • Patent number: 9345913
    Abstract: Detailed is an aircraft oxygen emergency device including a chemical oxygen generator, an oxygen supply line including a first line section connecting the chemical oxygen generator with a flow regulator unit, and a second line section connecting the flow regulator unit with at least one oxygen mask for supplying oxygen to a mouth or a nose (or both) of a person at a breathing pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Zodiac Aerotechnics
    Inventors: Wolfgang Rittner, Rudiger Meckes, Gunter Boomgaarden, Mark Niedostatek
  • Patent number: 9333313
    Abstract: A patient interface device (10, 10?, 62, 62?, 102, 152, 162, 172) is provided that includes a patient sealing assembly (12, 64, 104), such as a mask having a rigid shell and a cushion coupled to the rigid shell, a forehead support (26, 72, 118) coupled to the patient sealing assembly, and a hinge assembly (40, 40?, 84, 84?, 124, 154, 164, 174) provided between a top portion of the patient sealing assembly and the forehead support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Richard Thomas Haibach
  • Patent number: 9333312
    Abstract: A breathing apparatus has an expiratory flow sensor unit, an expiratory pressure sensor unit, an expiratory pressure regulator, and an expiratory control unit operatively connected to the expiratory pressure sensor unit for a feedback control of an expiratory pressure during an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle. The expiratory control unit is adapted to provide a real time target pressure value during the expiratory phase to the expiratory pressure regulator for adjusting a desired positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) level (PEEPset) based on an inspiratory tidal volume of an inspiratory phase of the same breathing cycle and a currently accumulated expiratory tidal volume measured by the expiratory flow sensor unit. In this manner advantageous regulation of PEEP with minimized work of breathing is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Maquet Critical Care AB
    Inventors: Erik Cardelius, Mathias Eklund
  • Patent number: 9333314
    Abstract: An patient interface that reliably maintains a seal between it and the patient. The patient interface advantageously includes a deformation portion at its point of connection with an air supply, with the deformation portion being relatively more deformable than the other portions of the patient interface in order to resist torque applied by the air supply from disturbing the seal between the patient interface and the patient. While the air supply is pivotably connected with the patient interface and is pivotable about a pivot axis, a torque applied about an axis other than the pivot axis results in deformation of the deformation portion and thus advantageously avoids breaking the seal between the patient interface and the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Gregory John Jablonski
  • Patent number: 9327087
    Abstract: A dust cap for a pMDI having a cap part adapted for a push-fit on the dispensing nozzle of the pMDI and a strap part for connecting the dust cap to the pMDI, wherein the cap part is slidably mounted on the strap part for sliding movement between an extended position and a contracted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited
    Inventors: Allen John Pearson, Ian Cude, Paul Kenneth Rand
  • Patent number: 9326736
    Abstract: Methods and systems for visualizing mechanical ventilation information are provided. One system includes a user interface for a medical system having a ventilator is provided. The user interface includes a memory storing one or more sensor measurements for a patient and a processor. The processor is programmed to display a visualization of a tidal volume determined from one of the sensor measurements of the patient and display a visualization of lung compliance for the patient, wherein the tidal volume visualization and the lung compliance visualization are displayed concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott William Robinson, Paul Hunsicker
  • Patent number: 9327088
    Abstract: There is provided a drug dispenser device comprising a housing defining a first chamber; extending from said housing and defining a second open chamber, an outlet for insertion into a body cavity of a patient; provided to said first chamber of the housing, a discharge block defining a discharge block orifice; receivable within the first chamber for movement therewithin, a drug discharge device, said drug discharge device having a longitudinal axis and comprising a container for storing a drug formulation to be dispensed, a discharge mechanism and a discharge channel from said container, wherein said discharge channel is receivable by said discharge block to enable discharge of said drug formulation via said discharge block orifice to said outlet; provided to the housing; and at least one finger operable member moveable to apply a force directly or indirectly to the drug discharge device for movement along the longitudinal axis towards the discharge block to actuate said discharge mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited
    Inventors: Gregor John McLennan Anderson, Paul Kenneth Rand
  • Patent number: 9320864
    Abstract: A supraglottic airway of the type used to facilitate lung ventilation and the insertion of endo-tracheal tubes or related medical instruments through a patient's laryngeal opening where the shield is designed to have an internal increase in pressure during assisted inhalation such as positive-pressure ventilation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Cookgas, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel J. Cook
  • Patent number: 9320585
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for supplying a fluid, including but not limited to oxygen and/or medications to a non-human animal in a configuration that does not require a human to hold a component on the animal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Extra Air, LLC
    Inventor: Charles Harrison
  • Patent number: 9320456
    Abstract: This invention relates to a measuring head which comprises an intake, an outlet, a mouthpiece and an electrically controlled proportional valve. The intake may be connected to a pressurized gas reservoir. The outlet releases exhaled gas and excess gas into the ambient. A mouthpiece provides gas to a subject and accepts exhaled gas from the subject. The electrically controlled, proportional valve is pneumatically connected between said intake and said mouthpiece for controlling the gas flow from said intake to said mouthpiece and said outlet. The invention further relates to a method for controlling a gas flow from the intake to the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 234 GmbH
    Inventor: Jürgen Reinstädtler
  • Patent number: 9302066
    Abstract: A modularized respiratory treatment apparatus provides various respiratory pressure treatments. The apparatus may be formed by discrete connectable modules such as a flow generator module, alarm module and/or humidifier module. Each module may include its own external casing or housing to independently retain or enclose the respective components that serve the function of the module. Different modules may be adapted with different components and functionalities and may be readily coupled using standardized gas and electrical connection configurations that have flow and communication paths that extend through the modules. When coupled, operation of the respiratory treatment apparatus may be controlled by detection of different modules, such as the alarm module that generates visual and/or audible alarms based on detected conditions, so as to selectively enable or disable different respiratory treatments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ResMed Limited
    Inventors: Mark Bertinetti, Zhuo Ran Tang, Craig Laing, Jing Wen Xie, Jianhua Zhu, Chinmayee Somaiya, Graham Stephen Cutcliffe, Sandra Robyn Curtis, Peter Milliken, Dimitri Marco Maurer
  • Patent number: 9289345
    Abstract: A walking assist device is capable of operating at an appropriate cycle in view of the motion cycle of a human being to be assisted while at the same time reducing the number of control parameters to be adjusted or set. A second phase oscillator, based on which the phase of the periodic operation of each actuator is controlled, is calculated on the basis of the difference between a first phase oscillator, which indicates a phase of the periodic motion of each thigh relative to the upper body of a human being, and the second phase oscillator, and an intrinsic angular velocity. A current intrinsic angular velocity is set by correcting a previous intrinsic angular velocity by an amount based on a previous difference between the first phase oscillator and the second phase oscillator such that the previous difference approaches a desired difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Yasuhara
  • Patent number: 9289572
    Abstract: A system for providing humidification to gas to be provided to a patient to support breathing including: a humidification component configured for adding water vapor to the gas; and a humidification component controller coupled with the humidification component and configured for receiving humidification target value information, the humidification component controller including: a humidification target value determiner configured for determining, based on received humidification target value information, a humidification target value of at least two possible humidification target values, the humidification target value identifying a humidification level setting corresponding to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: CareFusion 207, Inc.
    Inventors: Neil Korneff, Paul David Dixon, Christopher M Varga
  • Patent number: 9289350
    Abstract: A device and method coupled to a therapy garment to apply pressure and repetitive compression forces to a body of a person has an air pulsator and a user programmable time, frequency and pressure controller operable to regulate the duration of operation, frequency of the air pulses and a selected air pressure applied to the body of a person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTROMED, INC.
    Inventors: Lonnie J. Helgeson, Michael W. Larson
  • Patent number: 9283336
    Abstract: A dose delivery device with a mouthpiece having an inlet, an outlet, and an air path extending between the inlet and the outlet. A dose chamber having an opening may hold a dose, e.g., for inhalation by a user. A disc element may be arranged to move between a closed position in which the disc element closes the opening of the dose chamber, and an open position in which the disc opens the dose chamber to permit introduction of the dose into the air path of the device. Movement of the disc element from the closed position to the open position may be in a direction away from the dose chamber (e.g., a puller may engage the disc element and pull the element away from the chamber) and may leave a substantial portion of the dose in the dose chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Manta Devices, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Jones, Richard L. Miller
  • Patent number: 9283339
    Abstract: A life support and monitoring apparatus with malfunction correction guidance is provided. The life support and monitoring apparatus of the present disclosure identifies the root cause or potential cause of a fault/failure and then prompts an operator to take appropriate steps to assure the continuance of life support and critical physiologic monitoring. When multiple faults/failures exist, the apparatus automatically prioritizes them based on risk to the patient and prompts the operator to do the most appropriate intervention to assure patient safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: ZOLL MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Leslie H. Sherman, George Beck, Denise Eizadkhah, Dorian LeCroy
  • Patent number: 9278045
    Abstract: A facial rejuvenating apparatus includes a pad having a concavity in an upper surface thereof. The concavity is configured to receive a human face. A pad breathing hole extends through the pad at a location to align with a nose of the face positioned in the concavity. A nonporous lining is provided to nest with the concavity in the pad. A lining breathing opening registers with the pad breathing opening. Stimulators, such as vibrators, are mounted in the pad to stimulate the face of a person using the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Inventor: Louis Scerbo
  • Patent number: 9272116
    Abstract: A humidifier assembly for a CPAP apparatus includes a liquid storage container configured to hold a body of liquid. The liquid storage container includes a humidifying region above a metallic heat conducting material, the humidifying region being a region inside the liquid storage container in which the liquid is evaporated into pressurized respiratory gas generated in the CPAP apparatus. The CPAP apparatus also includes a base unit configured to a) receive the liquid storage container and b) securely and releasably connect to a CPAP unit of the CPAP apparatus, the base unit having a bottom portion to support the liquid storage container thereon, the bottom portion including a heating element configured to contact the heat conducting material of the liquid storage container when the liquid storage container is supported on the base unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: ResMed R&D Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Mayer, Harald Genger, Stefan Madaus, Andreas Klopp, Stefan Schatzl, Harald Wolfgang Vögele, Bernd Christoph Lang