Portable oxygen concentrator elements are described including integrated sensor/accumulator assemblies, new muffler designs, and improved airflow and internal gas connectivity. The result of the elements is an extremely compact, light reliable portable oxygen concentrator that is easy to assemble and relatively inexpensive.

Sensing airflow and delivering therapeutic gas to a patient. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: titrating a patient with therapeutic gas during a period of time when a flow state of breathing orifices is in a first state, the titrating results in a prescription titration volume; and then delivering the prescription titration volume of therapeutic gas to the patient when the flow state of the breathing orifices is in a second state different than the first state, the delivering only to the breathing orifices open to flow.

A portable control device (10) for regulating a continuous oxygen flow to a user from an oxygen source, comprising: an inlet (11), to which the oxygen source may be fluidly connected; an outlet (12), to which a breathing device may be fluidly connected; a valve arrangement (20) fluidly connected to said inlet and to said outlet, said valve arrangement being adjustable between a maximum flow state corresponding to a maximum continuous flow of oxygen from the inlet to the outlet, and a minimum flow state corresponding to a minimum continuous flow of oxygen; and an actuator (13) movable between a maximum and a minimum position and being mechanically connected to the valve arrangement so that when said actuator is in the maximum position said valve arrangement is in the maximum flow state and when said actuator is in said minimum position said valve arrangement is in said minimum flow state.

An oxygen concentrator (100) apparatus and a method thereof implement operations control to efficiently release oxygen enriched gas to reduce potential waste. The control methodology may include generating a profile such as a minimum inhalation flow profile of the user. The profile may be based on a size parameter of the user. The method may determine one or more control parameters characterizing a bolus of oxygen enriched gas based on the generated flow profile. The control methodology may then generate a bolus release control signal, such as for a supply valve, according to the determined one or more control parameters. The oxygen concentrator may then, with the control signal, release and deliver a bolus of oxygen enriched gas for a user such as for reducing waste.

This disclosure relates to a nasal cannula without nostril prongs. The nasal cannula may be used together with an oxygen delivery system, such as a portable oxygen concentrator, or another type of breathing device such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. In an example, a nasal cannula includes a tube configured to connect to an oxygen supply, and further includes a fitting configured to connect to the tube. The fitting includes at least one discharge port and does not include nostril prongs.

A method and apparatus to identify the source of oxygen delivery failure to a patient. The apparatus includes a pressure sensor to detect a patient's breathing pressure and ambient pressure, an oxygen flow analyzer to measure oxygen flow to the patient, and a processor to analyze the breathing pressure values, ambient pressure value, and oxygen flow rate values. When the oxygen flow rate value is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the processor is programmed to compare the breathing pressure values to the ambient pressure value and output an apnea alarm or an oxygen delivery device displacement alarm.

Method(s) and apparatus provide a controlled release of enriched gas such as the gas produced by an oxygen concentrator (100) using adaptive triggering. Release of a bolus may be responsive to a generated trigger signal. The trigger signal may be generated by an evaluation of a trigger threshold. The trigger threshold may be derived from or calculated from a pressure signal, such as an adjusted pressure signal, from a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be pneumatically coupled with an airway of a user such that the pressure signal may be representative of airway pressure, or changes in airway pressure, attributable to the user. The trigger signal may be generated from a comparison between the pressure signal and the trigger threshold. The trigger threshold may be derived with an activity signal, such as one computed from the pressure signal, so as to adapt trigging sensitivity.

A method of determining a duration of safe apnoea. Information is obtained relating to a respiratory indicator, and a duration of safe apnoea is determined from the obtained information. A respiratory therapy system has one or more patient interfaces. A processor is configured to determine a duration of safe apnoea based on obtained information relating to a respiratory indicator.

A system includes an oxygen supply; one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information as to whether the patient is in an inspiratory phase or in an expiratory phase; one or more valves; and a computer system. The one or more valves have a) a first configuration in which the one or more valves operate to recover an excess flow of the oxygen-enriched breathing gas during the inspiratory phase, and b) a second configuration in which the one or more valves vent an exhalation flow of the patient during the expiratory phase to atmosphere. One or more physical processors are programmed with computer program instructions which, when executed cause the computer system to provide input to the one or more valves based on the output signals, the provided input causing movement of the one or more valves between the first and second configuration.

This disclosure relates to a nasal cannula without nostril prongs. The nasal cannula may be used together with an oxygen delivery system, such as a portable oxygen concentrator, or another type of breathing device such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. In an example, a nasal cannula includes a tube configured to connect to an oxygen supply, and a fitting configured to connect to the tube. The fitting includes a single discharge port having a first section configured to be situated inferior to a first nostril of a user and a second section configured to be situated inferior to a second nostril of the user. Further, the fitting does not include nostril prongs. Because the fitting does not include nostril prongs, patient comfort is dramatically increased relative to prior designs.