Patents by Inventor Douglas Adam Whitcher

Douglas Adam Whitcher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12135021
    Abstract: A suspension system for a compressor assembly is provided. The compressor assembly includes at least one cylinder, at least one inlet fluidly connected with the at least one cylinder, an outlet fluidly connected with the at least one cylinder, and a motor housing. The suspension system includes a suspension member and a frame member. The suspension member includes a first fluid conduit connected with the coupling portion and including a first fluid terminal. The first fluid conduit is disposed in fluid communication with one of the outlet and the at least one inlet of the compressor assembly. The frame member includes a base portion, a first support portion, and a second support portion. A first mounting region is formed between the first support portion and the first fluid terminal. The first mounting region defines a first volume that at least partially encloses the first fluid terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Willem Tack, Michiel Allan Aurelius Schalling, Justin Michael Vivian, Douglas Adam Whitcher
  • Publication number: 20230054192
    Abstract: A suspension system for a compressor assembly is provided. The compressor assembly includes at least one cylinder, at least one inlet fluidly connected with the at least one cylinder, an outlet fluidly connected with the at least one cylinder, and a motor housing. The suspension system includes a suspension member and a frame member. The suspension member includes a first fluid conduit connected with the coupling portion and including a first fluid terminal. The first fluid conduit is disposed in fluid communication with one of the outlet and the at least one inlet of the compressor assembly. The frame member includes a base portion, a first support portion, and a second support portion. A first mounting region is formed between the first support portion and the first fluid terminal. The first mounting region defines a first volume that at least partially encloses the first fluid terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Johannes Willem Tack, Michiel Allan Aurelius Schalling, Justin Michael Vivian, Douglas Adam Whitcher
  • Publication number: 20230020263
    Abstract: A ventilation device for providing a gas mixture for a user including a compressor to output compressed air; a valve to receive the compressed air and medical gas and selectively output a gas flow of at least one of the medical gas and the compressed air; a patient interface configured to provide the output gas flow of the valve; and a controller to control the valve to deliver substantially only the medical gas to the patient interface during a first portion of the inspiratory period and deliver substantially only the compressed air to the patient interface during a second portion of the inspiratory period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Daniel Paul Servansky
  • Patent number: 11491438
    Abstract: Provided is a system for adsorbing a gaseous component comprising nitrogen from a pressurized flow of air containing the gaseous component. The system comprises a first adsorption bed, and a second adsorption bed. Each of the adsorption beds are suitable for selectively adsorbing the gaseous component from the flow of air to produce a product gas having a higher oxygen concentration than that of the air. The system includes an adjustable feed gas supply which alternately supplies the first adsorption bed and the second adsorption bed with the air. The first adsorption bed is supplied with air during a first half cycle of operation of the system, and the second adsorption bed is then supplied with air during a second half cycle of operation of the system. The feed gas supply enables adjustment of at least one parameter relating to the amount or respective amounts of air being supplied to the first adsorption bed in the first half cycle and/or to the second adsorption bed in the second half cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Achim Körber, Rainer Hilbig, Paul van der Sluis, Douglas Adam Whitcher, Brian Edward Dickerson, Daniel Paul Servansky
  • Patent number: 11351326
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for maintaining oxygen purity in portable oxygen concentrators, even with asymmetric generation of oxygen enriched gas volumes from different sieve beds of the concentration system. The present system and method compensate for asymmetric oxygen enriched gas generation using asymmetric delivery of purge volumes. Purge valves are used to deliver the asymmetric purge gas volumes, enables the system to maintain oxygen purity without additional power consumption, even when a portable oxygen concentrator does not include a product tank. The present system and method are configured such that asymmetry in enriched oxygen generation can be monitored and the asymmetric purge gas compensation can be applied independently from other control mechanisms of a portable oxygen concentrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Achim Gerhard Rolf Koerber, Rainer Hilbig, Brian Edward Dickerson, Robert William Murdoch, Douglas Adam Whitcher
  • Publication number: 20210260329
    Abstract: There is provided a portable oxygen concentrator. The portable oxygen concentrator comprises a sieve bed comprising an inlet and an outlet; a first region of adsorbent material adjacent the inlet; and a second region of adsorbent material adjacent the outlet. The first and second regions of adsorbent material comprise beads of adsorbent material. The first region comprises beads of a first size and the second region comprises beads of a second size which is larger than the first size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Achim Koerber, Rainer Hilbig, Douglas Adam Whitcher, Brian Edward Dickerson, Joseph Thomas Dolensky, Robert William Murdoch
  • Publication number: 20210229026
    Abstract: Provided is a system for adsorbing a gaseous component comprising nitrogen from a pressurized flow of air containing the gaseous component. The system comprises a first adsorption bed, and a second adsorption bed. Each of the adsorption beds are suitable for selectively adsorbing the gaseous component from the flow of air to produce a product gas having a higher oxygen concentration than that of the air. The system includes an adjustable feed gas supply which alternately supplies the first adsorption bed and the second adsorption bed with the air. The first adsorption bed is supplied with air during a first half cycle of operation of the system, and the second adsorption bed is then supplied with air during a second half cycle of operation of the system. The feed gas supply enables adjustment of at least one parameter relating to the amount or respective amounts of air being supplied to the first adsorption bed in the first half cycle and/or to the second adsorption bed in the second half cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Achim Körber, Rainer Hilbig, Paul van der Sluis, Douglas Adam Whitcher, Brian Edward Dickerson, Daniel Paul Servansky
  • Publication number: 20200155785
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a system and method for maintaining oxygen purity in portable oxygen concentrators, even with asymmetric generation of oxygen enriched gas volumes from different sieve beds of the concentration system. The present system and method compensate for asymmetric oxygen enriched gas generation using asymmetric delivery of purge volumes. Purge valves are used to deliver the asymmetric purge gas volumes, enables the system to maintain oxygen purity without additional power consumption, even when a portable oxygen concentrator does not include a product tank. The present system and method are configured such that asymmetry in enriched oxygen generation can be monitored and the asymmetric purge gas compensation can be applied independently from other control mechanisms of a portable oxygen concentrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: ACHIM GERHARD ROLF KOERBER, RAINER HILBIG, BRIAN EDWARD DICKERSON, ROBERT WILLIAM MURDOCH, DOUGLAS ADAM WHITCHER
  • Patent number: 10583265
    Abstract: Methods and system for concentrating oxygen include providing a portable apparatus having a plurality of sieve beds, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds including a first end and a second end, a reservoir storing oxygen-enriched gas exiting from the second ends of the plurality of sieve beds, a compressor, an oxygen delivery valve communicating with the reservoir via a delivery line, a flow sensor associated with the delivery line, and control electronics adapted to control operation of the oxygen delivery valve; measuring, via the flow sensor, a flow of the oxygen-enriched gas through the sensor and outputting a signal indicative thereof; and controlling, using the control electronics, the opening and closing the oxygen delivery valve to deliver the oxygen-enriched gas from the reservoir to a user based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Bradley Stewart Koeppel, Bernhard Lewis Haberland, Jeremy Webster Blair
  • Publication number: 20180369741
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to sieve bed. The sieve bed comprises a housing configured to define a path for a flow of oxygen comprising gas. The housing comprises a gas inlet configured to guide the flow of oxygen comprising gas into the housing; a gas outlet configured to guide a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the housing; and a sieve bed configured to receive the flow of oxygen comprising gas from the gas inlet, wherein the flow of oxygen comprising gas flows through the sieve bed and oxygen enriched gas flows out of the sieve bed via the gas outlet, and wherein the path of the flow of oxygen comprising gas through the sieve bed is longer than a longest dimension of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: DOUGLAS ADAM WHITCHER, BRIAN EDWARD DICKERSON, RICKEY DEAN BURNS, ROBERT JACKSON MADDOX, ACHIM GERHARD ROLF KOERBER, RAINER HILBIG
  • Patent number: 9841228
    Abstract: A Dewar system is configured to liquefy a flow of fluid, and to store the liquefied fluid. The Dewar system is disposed within a single, portable housing. Disposing the components of the Dewar system within the single housing enables liquefied fluid to be transferred between a heat exchange assembly configured to liquefy fluid and a storage assembly configured to store liquefied fluid in an enhanced manner. In one embodiment, the flow of fluid liquefied and stored by the Dewar system is oxygen (e.g., purified oxygen), nitrogen, and/or some other fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Brian Edward Dickerson, Jeremy Webster Blair, Laurent Brouqueyre, Douglas Adam Whitcher
  • Patent number: 9321001
    Abstract: Methods and system for concentrating oxygen include a plurality of sieve beds configured to absorb nitrogen from air, at least one reservoir configured to store oxygen-enriched gas exiting from the plurality of sieve beds, a compressor configured to deliver air at one or more desired pressures to the plurality of sieve beds, a support member positioned in housing and configured to support the compressor, the plurality of sieve beds and the reservoir, an air manifold providing a plurality of channels therein that at least partially define passages communicating between the compressor and the plurality of sieve beds, and an oxygen delivery manifold providing a plurality of channels therein that at least partially define passages for delivering the oxygen-enriched to a user. The air manifold and the oxygen delivery manifold are integrally formed with the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Bradley Stewart Koeppel, Jeremy Webster Blair
  • Publication number: 20160003525
    Abstract: A Dewar system is configured to liquefy a flow of fluid, and to store the liquefied fluid. The Dewar system is disposed within a single, portable housing. Disposing the components of the Dewar system within the single housing enables liquefied fluid to be transferred between a heat exchange assembly configured to liquefy fluid and a storage assembly configured to store liquefied fluid in an enhanced manner. In one embodiment, the flow of fluid liquefied and stored by the Dewar system is oxygen (e.g., purified oxygen), nitrogen, and/or some other fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: BRIAN EDWARD DICKERSON, JEREMY WEBSTER BLAIR, LAURENT BROUQUEYRE, DOUGLAS ADAM WHITCHER
  • Publication number: 20140345609
    Abstract: Methods and systems for concentrating oxygen include an oxygen concentration subsystem configured to generate a supply of oxygen-enriched gas, an oxygen delivery subsystem configured to communicate oxygen-enriched gas to a respiratory circuit for delivery to an airway of a subject, and one or more batteries configured to act as a sole power supply for the oxygen concentration subsystem and the oxygen delivery subsystem, wherein a ratio ROW is determined as: ROW=(O2 output)/total weight of the oxygen concentrator system, where O2 output is the maximum continuous oxygen output of the oxygen concentrator system, wherein the ratio Row is greater than about 0.19 lpm/lbs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Bradley Stewart Koeppel, Bernhard Lewis Haberland, Jeremy Blair
  • Publication number: 20140224246
    Abstract: Methods and system for concentrating oxygen include providing a portable apparatus having a plurality of sieve beds, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds including a first end and a second end, a reservoir storing oxygen-enriched gas exiting from the second ends of the plurality of sieve beds, a compressor, an oxygen delivery valve communicating with the reservoir via a delivery line, a flow sensor associated with the delivery line, and control electronics adapted to control operation of the oxygen delivery valve; measuring, via the flow sensor, a flow of the oxygen-enriched gas through the sensor and outputting a signal indicative thereof; and controlling, using the control electronics, the opening and closing the oxygen delivery valve to deliver the oxygen-enriched gas from the reservoir to a user based on the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Bradley Stewart Koeppel, Bernhard Lewis Haberland, Jeremy Webster Blair
  • Publication number: 20140224126
    Abstract: Methods and system for concentrating oxygen include a plurality of sieve beds configured to absorb nitrogen from air, at least one reservoir configured to store oxygen-enriched gas exiting from the plurality of sieve beds, a compressor configured to deliver air at one or more desired pressures to the plurality of sieve beds, a support member positioned in housing and configured to support the compressor, the plurality of sieve beds and the reservoir, an air manifold providing a plurality of channels therein that at least partially define passages communicating between the compressor and the plurality of sieve beds, and an oxygen delivery manifold providing a plurality of channels therein that at least partially define passages for delivering the oxygen-enriched to a user. The air manifold and the oxygen delivery manifold are integrally formed with the support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Douglas Adam Whitcher, Bradley Stewart Koeppel, Jeremy Webster Blair
  • Publication number: 20140216453
    Abstract: A portable oxygen concentrator (10) including a reservoir (26) for storing oxygen-enriched gas and a delivery line (41) for delivering the oxygen-enriched gas from the reservoir to a subject. An oxygen delivery valve (36) communicates with the reservoir via the delivery line. A sensor (48) is in communication with gas flowing through the delivery line and generates a signal related to a breathing characteristic of the subject. A controller (21) operates in a first mode wherein the controller opens the oxygen delivery valve for continuous delivery of the gas to the subject and a second mode wherein the controller selectively opens and closes the oxygen delivery valve responsive to the signal of the sensor to deliver the gas in pulsed durations. A relief valve (46) is associated with the delivery line and opens responsive to the pressure within the delivery line exceeding a predetermined threshold so as to decrease pressure within the delivery line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Douglas Adam Whitcher
  • Publication number: 20120180899
    Abstract: A Dewar system is configured to liquefy a flow of fluid, and to store the liquefied fluid. The Dewar system is disposed within a single, portable housing. Disposing the components of the Dewar system within the single housing enables liquefied fluid to be transferred between a heat exchange assembly configured to liquefy fluid and a storage assembly configured to store liquefied fluid in an enhanced manner. In one embodiment, the flow of fluid liquefied and stored by the Dewar system is oxygen (e.g., purified oxygen), nitrogen, and/or some other fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Brian Edward Dickerson, Jeremy Webster Blair, Laurent Brouqueyre, Douglas Adam Whitcher