US 12,233,211 B2
Systems and methods for mitigating noise and vibration in a portable oxygen concentrator
Daniel Wayne Chin, Goleta, CA (US); Peter James Hansen, Santa Barbara, CA (US); and Brenton Alan Taylor, Kenwood, CA (US)
Assigned to Inogen, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed by Inogen, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/709,214.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/169,084, filed on Mar. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0313938 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B01D 53/22 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/10 (2006.01); B01D 53/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/101 (2014.02) [A61M 16/0063 (2014.02); B01D 53/0454 (2013.01); A61M 2205/106 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3365 (2013.01); B01D 2253/104 (2013.01); B01D 2253/108 (2013.01); B01D 2256/12 (2013.01); B01D 2257/102 (2013.01); B01D 2257/504 (2013.01); B01D 2257/80 (2013.01); B01D 2259/4533 (2013.01); B01D 2259/4541 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
4. A portable oxygen concentrator comprising:
a compressor configured to pressurize and direct ambient air flowing into an interior of the portable oxygen concentrator towards a gas separation system of the portable oxygen concentrator, said compressor comprising a motor, at least one chamber for receiving at least a portion of the ambient air, and at least one piston operably coupled to the motor and configured to be moved within the at least one chamber via rotation of the motor, said motor applying a motor torque to the at least one piston responsive to rotation of the motor, said at least one piston applying a variable torque load to the motor that opposes said motor torque and varies as the at least one piston moves within the at least one chamber; and
a controller configured to:
determine an actual motor speed for each of a plurality of commutation steps of the motor during a first rotational cycle of the motor;
determine an average motor speed during the first rotational cycle, wherein the average motor speed during the first rotational cycle differs from at least one of the actual motor speeds for the plurality of commutation steps during the first rotational cycle; and
determine a voltage pattern to be used during a second rotational cycle of the motor, said voltage pattern comprising a plurality of voltage values determined based at least on a comparison of the average motor speed during the first rotational cycle and the actual motor speeds for the plurality of commutation steps of the motor during the first rotational cycle, said voltage pattern usable to reduce differences between said applied motor torque and said variable torque load, thereby minimizing speed oscillations of the motor and noise and vibration of the compressor, wherein at least one of said plurality of voltage values differs from at least one other one of said plurality of voltage values.