US 11,744,979 B2
Humidifier
Roger Mervin Lloyd Foote, Sydney (AU); Ronald James Huby, Sydney (AU); and Andrew Roderick Bath, Sydney (AU)
Assigned to ResMed Pty Ltd, Bella Vista (AU)
Filed by ResMed Pty Ltd, Bella Vista (AU)
Filed on Apr. 22, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/390,808.
Application 16/390,808 is a continuation of application No. 13/980,196, granted, now 10,307,559, previously published as PCT/AU2012/000056, filed on Jan. 24, 2012.
Claims priority of application No. 2011900214 (AU), filed on Jan. 24, 2011; and application No. 2011901960 (AU), filed on May 20, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2019/0247608 A1, Aug. 15, 2019
Int. Cl. A61M 16/16 (2006.01); A61M 16/14 (2006.01); A61M 16/10 (2006.01); H05B 3/42 (2006.01); A61M 16/08 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/16 (2013.01) [A61L 9/00 (2013.01); A61M 16/024 (2017.08); A61M 16/0833 (2014.02); A61M 16/109 (2014.02); A61M 16/1075 (2013.01); A61M 16/1095 (2014.02); A61M 16/142 (2014.02); A61M 16/161 (2014.02); H05B 3/42 (2013.01); A61M 16/162 (2013.01); A61M 2016/0024 (2013.01); A61M 2016/0027 (2013.01); A61M 2016/0036 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3368 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3653 (2013.01); A61M 2205/50 (2013.01); A61M 2205/702 (2013.01); F04C 2270/041 (2013.01); H05B 2203/021 (2013.01); H05B 2203/022 (2013.01)] 34 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A humidifier configured to humidify a flow of breathable gas to be delivered to a patient's airways at a target humidity, the humidifier comprising:
a heating element in the form of a resistance heater comprising a porous, electrically resistive material, the heating element being configured to be connected to an electrical power supply;
a housing that encloses at least a portion of the heating element, the housing being formed of electrically insulating material configured to be electrically insulated from electrical energy supplied by the electrical power supply;
a liquid water inlet configured to receive liquid water from a water supply unit, the liquid water inlet and the heating element being configured so that liquid water flowing through the liquid water inlet is conveyed through the porous, electrically resistive material; and
a controller configured to:
determine an ambient humidity;
calculate an amount of liquid water to be supplied to the porous, electrically resistive material based on the determined ambient humidity and the target humidity;
calculate an amount of energy required to vaporise the calculated amount of liquid water;
control the water supply unit to deliver the amount of liquid water to the porous, electrically resistive material; and
energise the heating element with the calculated amount of energy,
wherein the housing is configured to retain the liquid water within the porous, electrically resistive material of the heating element.