JP4594498B2 - Breathing gas supply device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a breathing gas supply device that separates and concentrates oxygen from the air and supplies the oxygen to a user.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, oxygen therapy performed for patients with respiratory diseases includes an oxygen-enriched membrane type that has a high oxygen permeation rate with respect to nitrogen, an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator that uses an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen, or oxygen. Respiratory gas supply devices such as cylinders have been used. In recent years, solid electrolytes having oxygen ion conductivity have been developed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-219861, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-504354, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-500450, etc.), Respiratory gas supply devices that chemically transport oxygen ions and concentrate oxygen have been devised (JP-A-6-150945, JP-A-9-132402, JP-A-2000-70706, etc.). .
[0003]
Since such a breathing gas supply device may be handled at home by a patient with respiratory disease, it is important to ensure the safety of the device. There is concern about circuit heat generation and ignition due to malfunctions in the power supply and control electric circuit used for controlling the apparatus, and in the case of ignition, the fire damage may become serious due to the action of promoting the combustion of concentrated oxygen. Furthermore, depending on the component materials used, toxic gases may be generated during combustion. For example, when ABS resin is combusted, hydrocyanic acid gas is generated. Also, combustion of vinyl chloride resin used for wire coating generates hydrogen chloride and dioxins.
[0004]
In particular, when a solid electrolyte having oxygen ion conductivity is used, a solid electrolyte membrane is generally placed in a high temperature environment of 500 ° C. or higher to separate oxygen from the raw air. Usually, the device is surrounded by an insulating material so that the patient cannot be in direct contact with such a high temperature environment. However, even in this case, combustible substances such as dust in the air taken in may be mixed in the environment of 500 ° C. and ignite.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention aims to improve safety by suppressing ignitability in a breathing gas supply apparatus in which there is a fear of ignition due to an accident or the like, and thereby, a breathing gas with high safety and reliability. A supply device is provided.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a breathing gas generating means for separating oxygen from the air and supplying it to a user, and a breathing gas supply device including a casing having the breathing gas generating means therein. The present invention provides a breathing gas supply device characterized by comprising nitrogen gas filling means for filling high concentration nitrogen gas after oxygen is separated from air around the breathing gas generating means.
[0007]
The present invention further includes an internal housing surrounding at least one of the breathing gas generating means, a power source of the breathing gas generating means, a control circuit, and a raw material air supplying means in the casing, The breathing gas supply apparatus is characterized in that the means is a means for filling the internal casing with the high-concentration nitrogen gas.
[0008]
In the present invention, the breathing gas generating means introduces compressed air into the adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen by the raw air supply means and adsorbs nitrogen in a pressurized state. Pressure-fluctuating adsorption-type oxygen generating means for separating oxygen by alternately performing an adsorption process for obtaining an oxygen-enriched gas and a desorption process for desorbing nitrogen by reducing the internal pressure of the adsorbent bed, or the respiration The gas generating means uses an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane, supplies air onto one surface of the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, reduces oxygen to oxygen ions, and converts oxygen ions to the oxygen ion conductive solid A respiratory gas supply device is provided which is a means for concentrating oxygen by being transported to the other surface of an electrolyte and oxidized to oxygen.
[0009]
The present invention also provides a breathing gas supply device, wherein the nitrogen gas filling means is means for filling a gas having a nitrogen concentration of 82% or more and 99% or less.
[0010]
That is, the present invention utilizes a high nitrogen concentration exhaust gas exhausted from the breathing gas generating means and having a high combustion suppression effect, and at least an electric circuit that electrically controls the power source and the breathing gas generating means that are likely to become ignition sources, and Alternatively, by surrounding the breathing gas generating means with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration, it is possible to make it difficult for ignition to occur even in situations where there is a risk of ignition due to an accident or the like.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a breathing gas supply device including a casing having a breathing gas generating means therein, wherein oxygen is separated from the air inside the casing, that is, around the known breathing gas generating means. A breathing gas supply device comprising a nitrogen gas filling means for filling a later high concentration nitrogen gas. As a matter of course, such a nitrogen-filled portion is excluded from the path for supplying the raw air to the breathing gas generating means.
[0012]
The housing further includes an inner housing surrounding at least one of the breathing gas generating means, a power source of the breathing gas generating means, a control circuit, and a raw material air supply means, and the nitrogen gas filling means The same effect can be achieved by filling the casing with the high-concentration nitrogen gas. For example, in the case of the breathing gas generating means, such an internal housing is not necessarily required to be a housing surrounding the whole, but includes a housing surrounding a part thereof such as a heat source.
[0013]
The breathing gas generating means of the breathing gas supply device of the present invention includes an adsorption type oxygen concentrating means using an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen, and an oxygen concentrating means using a solid electrolyte having oxygen ion conductivity. In particular, it requires electrical, mechanical, and thermal energy as a breathing gas generating means, and such energy may cause a fire.
[0014]
The adsorption-type oxygen concentration means here means oxygen concentration by introducing compressed air with an air compression means into an adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen and adsorbing nitrogen under pressure. It is a breathing gas generating means using a means for concentrating oxygen by alternately performing an adsorption process for obtaining gas and a desorption process for desorbing nitrogen by reducing the internal pressure of the adsorption bed to regenerate the adsorbent.
[0015]
As such an adsorbent, there is a crystalline zeolite molecular sieve having selective adsorptivity to nitrogen. Such zeolites include zeolites having metal elements as cations, such as sodium zeolite X and lithium zeolite X. Examples of the air compression means include a compressor and a pump.
[0016]
The solid electrolyte type oxygen concentrating means here uses an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, supplies air onto one surface of the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, reduces oxygen to oxygen ions, It is a breathing gas generating means using means for concentrating oxygen by transporting ions onto the other surface of the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte and oxidizing them to oxygen. The composition of such a solid electrolyte includes an oxide containing two or more kinds of metal elements in the composition, such as a zirconium-based composite oxide, a cerium-based composite oxide, a hafnium-based composite oxide, or a bismuth-based composite oxide. Used. Such a solid electrolyte remarkably exhibits oxygen ion conductivity at a temperature of 500 ° C. or higher.
[0017]
The solid electrolyte has a flat plate shape, a cylindrical shape, a container shape, a wall having a thickness of 1 mm or less, and can be separated into at least two spaces. A thin layer having electron conductivity is independently laminated on both surfaces of the wall as electrodes, and an oxygen-containing gas such as air is supplied to one electrode laminated wall surface (this is referred to as A surface) while By giving a potential difference between the two electrodes so that the electrode potential is lowered, oxygen molecules are selectively reduced to oxygen ions on the A plane side, and the oxygen ions conduct through the solid electrolyte phase, and the other electrode laminated wall surface ( This is referred to as B-plane). On the B side, oxygen ions are oxidized and returned to oxygen molecules, so that only oxygen gas is selectively concentrated in the space on the B side.
[0018]
Usually, such a breathing gas generating means is housed in a casing (exterior box) for the purpose of soundproofing, prevention of contact with a dangerous place, and appearance. In such an outer box, a power source, a control electric circuit, a control device, piping, and the like are accommodated together with a breathing gas generating means.
[0019]
Since components that operate electrically, such as a power supply and a control electric circuit, may be heated due to malfunction or short circuit and ignite, it is preferable to place such a part in an environment that suppresses ignition at a minimum. In the present invention, an exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration discharged when oxygen is concentrated and used from the air is used as a breathing gas supply device such as plastic used for a substrate of a control electric circuit, wood used as an exterior box material, etc. Focusing on the effect of suppressing the combustibility of the components constituting the circuit, this is used for the environment surrounding the electrically operated components such as the power source and the control electric circuit.
[0020]
The power source includes a power transformer that converts an execution voltage from a commercial power source, an AC / DC converter, or a battery when a DC voltage is used.
Here, high concentration nitrogen means that the nitrogen concentration is 82% or more and 99% or less. Usually, the nitrogen concentration in the air is about 79%. Therefore, at a nitrogen concentration lower than 82%, there is no significant change from the air environment, and the effect of suppressing the combustibility of parts is small. On the other hand, the air usually contains about 1% helium in addition to nitrogen and oxygen. Even if all the oxygen in the air is taken out and used as concentrated oxygen, the nitrogen concentration in the exhaust gas is 99% or less. It is. The range of the nitrogen concentration where the combustibility suppressing effect becomes more remarkable is 90% or more and 99% or less.
[0021]
The nitrogen concentration in the exhaust in the desorption process of the pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen concentrator shows about 82 to 88%, and it is possible to use the total amount of such gas for filling nitrogen, but a higher concentration of nitrogen is required. In this case, it is also possible to slice an exhaust portion containing 90% or more of high concentration nitrogen gas that is discharged at the initial stage of the desorption process and use it for nitrogen filling.
[0022]
Here, the flammability is evaluated according to JIS standard K7201 “Polymer Material Combustion Test Method by Oxygen Index Method”, which tests the flammability of various component materials constituting the breathing gas supply device under various nitrogen concentrations. be able to.
[0023]
For such high-concentration nitrogen temperatures, the solid electrolyte type is particularly dangerous because the patient may touch the outside of the outer box, and it is dangerous to place power supplies that require cooling and control electrical circuits in a high-temperature atmosphere. Except when oxygen concentration means is used as a breathing gas supply means and is supplied to a space surrounding the breathing gas supply means, a heat exchanger is provided, and the temperature of nitrogen gas is filled with a gas in the range of 0 ° C to 50 ° C. Is preferred.
[0024]
At 0 ° C or below, there may be a problem of freezing of moisture contained in the air, and since the breathing gas is normally supplied to the patient through a humidifier using water in the breathing gas supply device, The humidifier may freeze. On the other hand, when the temperature is higher than 50 ° C., it may cause burns if the patient is in contact with the respiratory gas supply device for a long time, which is not preferable.
[0025]
The effect of suppressing the ignition risk by such high-concentration nitrogen gas is particularly manifested in a breathing gas supply device using an adsorption-type oxygen concentration means or a gas generation means using a solid electrolyte-type oxygen concentration means. To do.
[0026]
【Example】
Hereinafter, preferred specific examples of the breathing gas supply device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as necessary.
[0027]
FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram showing an example in which adsorption type oxygen concentrating means is used as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, and the entire outer box is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration. Air is pressurized from the atmosphere to the adsorption cylinder 1 filled with a zeolite adsorbent 10 as an adsorbent that selectively adsorbs nitrogen rather than oxygen by a compressor 4 which is air compression means cooled by a cooling blower 6. After the supplied and unadsorbed oxygen is taken out and stored in the surge tank 2, the oxygen supply amount is set by the orifice type flow rate setting device 3, humidified by the humidifier 7, and then oxygenated to the patient via the nasal cannula 14. Is supplied with a breathing gas enriched. Intake and exhaust are performed by switching a five-way solenoid valve 5 provided between the compressor 4 which is an air compression means and the adsorption cylinder 1. The intake and exhaust cycles of the five-way solenoid valve and the like are controlled by the control electric circuit 12. Electricity is supplied from the power source 11 to the control electric circuit and the compressor. In the desorption process, nitrogen adsorbed on the adsorbent 10 is discharged as exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration via the compressor 4 and the exhaust conduit portion 8 which are air compression means. The exhaust gas is filled in the outer box 13 and then discharged from the outer box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the outer box.
[0028]
FIG. 2 shows an example in which adsorption type oxygen concentrating means is used as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, and a power source and a control electric circuit are housed in an inner box, and the entire inner box is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration. Shown in a simplified diagram. The intake and exhaust processes are the same as in FIG. Exhaust gas with a high nitrogen concentration is led by an exhaust conduit section 8 to an interior box 16 containing a power source 11 and a control electric circuit 12. The exhaust gas is filled in the interior box 16 and then discharged from the interior box exhaust port 17 and the exterior box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the exterior box.
[0029]
FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram showing an example in which adsorption type oxygen concentrating means is used as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, the adsorption cylinder is housed in an interior box, and the entire interior box is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration. Show. The intake and exhaust processes are the same as in FIG. The exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration is led to the interior box 16 containing the adsorption cylinder 1 by the exhaust conduit portion 8. The exhaust gas is filled in the interior box 16 and then discharged from the interior box exhaust port 17 and the exterior box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the exterior box.
[0030]
FIG. 4 shows an example in which an adsorption type oxygen concentrating means is used as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, a compressor as an air compressing means is housed in an inner box, and the entire inner box is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration. Is shown in a simplified diagram. The intake and exhaust processes are the same as in FIG. Exhaust gas with a high nitrogen concentration is guided by an exhaust conduit section 8 to an interior box 16 containing a compressor 4 as air compression means. The exhaust gas is filled in the interior box 16 and then discharged from the interior box exhaust port 17 and the exterior box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the exterior box.
[0031]
FIG. 5 shows an adsorption type oxygen concentrating means as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention. A power source and a control electric circuit are placed in one inner box and a compressor as an air compressing means is put in another inner box. An example when the whole is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration is shown in a simplified diagram. The intake and exhaust processes are the same as in FIG. The exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration is first led by the exhaust conduit portion 8 to the interior box 16 in which the power source 11 and the control electric circuit 12 are housed. The exhaust gas is first filled in the interior box 16, and then guided through the cooling blower 6 from the interior box exhaust port to the interior box 18 containing the compressor 4 as air compression means. The exhaust gas is filled in the interior box 18 and then discharged from the interior box exhaust port 19 and the exterior box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the exterior box.
[0032]
FIG. 6 shows the present invention using a solid electrolyte type oxygen concentrating means as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, wherein the solid electrolyte element and the heating source are housed in a heat insulating inner box, and the entire heat insulating inner box is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration. An example when full is shown in a simplified diagram. Air is supplied from the atmosphere to the solid electrolyte element 21 heated by the heating source 26 by the blower fan 24, and oxygen generated from the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte container 21 is taken out and stored in the surge tank 22. After the oxygen supply amount is set by the flow rate setting device 23 and humidified by the humidifier 25, a breathing gas enriched with oxygen is supplied to the patient via the nasal cannula 30. Power supply to the heating source 26, the solid electrolyte element 21, and the like is controlled by a control electric circuit 28. Electricity is supplied from the power supply 27 to the control electric circuit and the blower fan. The exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration generated in the solid electrolyte element 21 is filled in the heat-insulating inner box 32 containing the solid electrolyte element 21 and the heating source 26, and then the heat-insulating inner box exhaust port 33 and the outer box exhaust port 31. To the outside of the outer box.
[0033]
FIG. 7 shows an adsorption type oxygen concentrating means as a breathing gas generating means in the present invention, in which a solid electrolyte element and a heating source are housed in a heat insulating interior box, and a power source and a control electric circuit are housed in another interior box. An example in which the entire interior is filled with exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration is shown in a simplified diagram. The oxygen concentration step is the same as in FIG. The exhaust gas having a high nitrogen concentration is filled in a heat-insulating inner box 32 containing the solid electrolyte element 21 and the heating source 26, and then, from the heat-insulating inner box exhaust port 33, into the inner box 18 containing a power source and a control electric circuit. , Led through the cooling blower 6. The exhaust gas is filled in the interior box 18 and then discharged from the interior box exhaust port 19 and the exterior box exhaust port 15 to the outside of the exterior box.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, in the gas supply device for breathing, in the power supply and control electric circuit, circuit heat generation due to malfunction, suppression of ignition, and further generation of toxic gas that may be generated by combustion of the component material used are suppressed. can do. In addition, it is possible to suppress ignition of combustible materials in a high temperature environment in a solid electrolyte oxygen concentrator operating in a high temperature environment. Thereby, the safety | security especially when a respiratory disease patient handles directly at home etc. can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 shows an example of filling with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas inside an outer box in an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator which is a breathing gas supply device of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows an example of filling with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas inside an interior box containing a power supply and a control electric circuit in an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator as a breathing gas supply device of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows an example of filling with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas inside the interior box containing the breathing gas generating means in the adsorption-type oxygen concentrator which is the breathing gas supply device of the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows an example of filling with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas inside an interior box containing air compression means in an adsorption-type oxygen concentrator which is a breathing gas supply device of the present invention.
FIG. 5 shows the adsorption oxygen concentrator as a breathing gas supply device according to the present invention filled with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas inside the interior box containing the power supply and control electric circuit and inside the interior box containing the air compression means. Example.
FIG. 6 shows an example of filling the interior box containing the breathing gas generating means with high-concentration nitrogen exhaust gas in the solid oxide oxygen concentrator which is the breathing gas supply apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows high-concentration nitrogen exhaust inside the interior box containing the breathing gas generating means and inside the interior box containing the power supply and control electric circuit in the solid oxide oxygen concentrator as the breathing gas supply device of the present invention. An example of gas filling.

Claims (5)

A breathing gas generating means for separating oxygen from the air and supplying the oxygen to a user, and a breathing gas supply device including a casing having the breathing gas generating means therein, the breathing gas in the casing The high-concentration nitrogen gas filled in the casing is provided with a nitrogen gas filling means that fills the periphery of the generating means with high-concentration nitrogen gas after separating oxygen from air at a concentration that suppresses the combustibility of the parts. A breathing gas supply device configured to be discharged sequentially.   A breathing gas generating means for separating oxygen from the air and supplying the oxygen to a user, and a breathing gas supply device including a casing having the breathing gas generating means therein, A high-concentration nitrogen gas after oxygen is further separated from the air, further comprising an internal housing surrounding at least one of the gas generating means, the power source of the breathing gas generating means, the control circuit, and the raw air supply means A breathing gas supply device comprising a nitrogen gas filling means for filling the internal housing, and configured to sequentially discharge the high-concentration nitrogen gas filled in the internal housing.   The breathing gas generation means obtains oxygen-enriched gas by introducing compressed air into the adsorption bed filled with an adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing nitrogen by the raw air supply means and adsorbing nitrogen in a pressurized state. A pressure fluctuation adsorption type oxygen generating means for separating oxygen by alternately performing an adsorption step and a desorption step of desorbing nitrogen by reducing the internal pressure of the adsorption bed to regenerate the adsorbent. Item 3. A breathing gas supply device according to Item 1 or 2.   The breathing gas generating means uses an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte membrane, supplies air onto one surface of the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, reduces oxygen to oxygen ions, and oxygen ions are transferred to the oxygen ions. The breathing gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the breathing gas supply device is a means for concentrating oxygen by being transported to the other surface of the conductive solid electrolyte and oxidized to oxygen.   The breathing gas supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the nitrogen gas filling means is a means for filling a gas having a nitrogen concentration of 82% or more and 99% or less.

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