US 12,138,394 B2
HME device for use in a breathing circuit of a ventilation system
Pierre Mühlbauer, Lübeck (DE); Stefan Kolk, Groß Grönau (DE); Manuel Altherr, Steinwenden (DE); and Xenia Subenko, Neuenkirchen-Vörden (DE)
Assigned to DRÄGERWERK AG & CO. KGAA, Lübeck (DE)
Filed by Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA, Lübeck (DE)
Filed on Apr. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/728,428.
Application 17/728,428 is a division of application No. 16/521,312, filed on Jul. 24, 2019, granted, now 11,351,327.
Application 16/521,312 is a division of application No. 15/427,411, filed on Feb. 8, 2017, abandoned.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2016 001 408.3 (DE), filed on Feb. 9, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0241543 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61M 16/10 (2006.01); A61M 16/08 (2006.01); A61M 16/20 (2006.01)
CPC A61M 16/1045 (2013.01) [A61M 16/0891 (2014.02); A61M 16/201 (2014.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A heat and moisture exchanger or humidification moisture exchanger (HME) device for use in a breathing circuit of a ventilation system, the device comprising:
a housing comprising an inner housing portion, an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a bypass channel and an HME chamber arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for receiving an HME medium, the inner housing portion comprising an inlet side housing half and an outlet side housing half, the inlet side housing half and the outlet side housing half being arranged radially around the bypass channel, the inlet side housing half comprising inlet side housing half inlet holes and inlet side housing half diaphragm passages, the outlet side housing half comprising outlet side housing half outlet diaphragms; and
a switching mechanism configured to switch the housing between an HME mode and a bypass mode, the switching mechanism comprising the inlet side housing half and the outlet side housing half, wherein an HME fluid flow path is defined by the inlet opening, at least one of the inlet side housing half diaphragm passages, at least one of the inlet side housing half inlet holes, the HME chamber and the outlet opening in the HME mode, wherein a fluid bypass fluid flow path is defined by the inlet opening, the bypass channel and the outlet opening in the bypass mode, wherein the bypass channel is blocked from the HME chamber in the bypass mode, the outlet side housing half diaphragms releasing the inlet side housing half diaphragm passages and the inlet side housing half inlet holes in the HME mode, the outlet side housing half diaphragms blocking the inlet side housing half inlet diaphragm passages and the inlet side housing half inlet holes in the bypass mode.