US 11,896,772 B2
Heating arrangements for humidification systems
Richard John Boyes, Auckland (NZ); Andrew Martin Letton, Auckland (NZ); Jeremy Livingston Miller, Auckland (NZ); Andrew John Partington, Auckland (NZ); and Nordyn Alami, Auckland (NZ)
Assigned to Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Auckland (NZ)
Appl. No. 16/060,124
Filed by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Auckland (NZ)
PCT Filed Dec. 21, 2016, PCT No. PCT/IB2016/057905
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 7, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/109737, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 29, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/387,385, filed on Dec. 23, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0361104 A1, Dec. 20, 2018
Int. Cl. A61M 16/10 (2006.01); A61M 16/16 (2006.01); H05B 3/14 (2006.01); H05B 3/44 (2006.01); H05B 3/04 (2006.01); H05B 3/78 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/109 (2014.02) [A61M 16/0066 (2013.01); A61M 16/16 (2013.01); H05B 3/04 (2013.01); H05B 3/146 (2013.01); H05B 3/44 (2013.01); H05B 3/78 (2013.01); A61M 2205/02 (2013.01); A61M 2205/0233 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3368 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3653 (2013.01); A61M 2206/14 (2013.01); A61M 2207/00 (2013.01); H05B 2203/021 (2013.01); H05B 2203/022 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A humidifier comprising:
a heater for heating a liquid in a reservoir that is part of or is received by the humidifier;
wherein the heater comprises an electrically conductive plastic (ECP) material and a thermoconductive layer that is non-electrically conductive at least partially covering the ECP material, the ECP material including an electrically conductive additive or a doping agent distributed therethrough or being an intrinsically conductive plastic,
wherein the thermoconductive layer is disposed between the electrically conductive plastic (ECP) material and the liquid,
wherein the thermoconductive layer comprises visually pronounced features which are observable to an unaided eye that form or function as a heat sink to improve a contact area between the thermoconductive layer and the liquid, and
wherein the thermoconductive layer is uncovered within the reservoir.