US 12,357,787 B2
Methods of detecting a quantity of water in a humidifier
Andrew Roderick Bath, Sydney (AU); Matthew Rolf Harrington, Sydney (AU); Liam Holley, Sydney (AU); Ronald James Huby, North Epping (AU); Richard Llewelyn Jones, Sydney (AU); and Ian Malcolm Smith, Sydney (AU)
Assigned to ResMed Pty Ltd, (AU)
Filed by ResMed Pty Ltd, Bella Vista (AU)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/946,876.
Application 16/946,876 is a continuation of application No. 15/030,402, granted, now 10,758,701, previously published as PCT/AU2014/050286, filed on Oct. 14, 2014.
Claims priority of application No. 2013904049 (AU), filed on Oct. 21, 2013; and application No. 629531 (NZ), filed on Aug. 29, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2020/0338299 A1, Oct. 29, 2020
Int. Cl. A61M 16/16 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/06 (2006.01); A61M 16/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/16 (2013.01) [A61M 16/0051 (2013.01); A61M 16/0066 (2013.01); A61M 16/026 (2017.08); A61M 16/0633 (2014.02); A61M 16/109 (2014.02); A61M 2016/0027 (2013.01); A61M 2016/003 (2013.01); A61M 16/06 (2013.01); A61M 16/1055 (2013.01); A61M 16/107 (2014.02); A61M 2205/3334 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3368 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3375 (2013.01); A61M 2205/3389 (2013.01); A61M 2205/50 (2013.01); A61M 2205/70 (2013.01); A61M 2210/0618 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for humidifying a flow of air to be delivered to a patient, the apparatus comprising:
an inlet to receive the flow of air;
an outlet to emit a humidified flow of air;
a humidifier reservoir configured to contain a body of water for humidifying the flow of air, the humidifier reservoir being in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet;
a humidifier base configured to receive the humidifier reservoir;
a heating element disposed in the humidifier base proximate to a boundary of the humidifier reservoir to heat the body of water of the humidifier reservoir;
a movable portion, the movable portion associated with the humidifier reservoir and configured to move in relation to the body of water;
a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a plurality of positions of the movable portion ranging from a position corresponding to a maximum allowable reservoir water quantity level of the humidifier reservoir to a position corresponding to a minimum allowable reservoir water quantity level of the humidifier reservoir, wherein the sensor is disposed in the humidifier base with the heating element, and the sensor is in a fixed position near the boundary of the humidifier reservoir, wherein the sensor is positioned to sense, through the body of water and without contacting the moveable portion, positions of the plurality of positions of the moveable portion; and
a controller configured to operate the heating element, the controller further configured to provide a reference regarding a reservoir water quantity of the humidifier reservoir based on the signal.