Hme device for use in a closed breathing circuit of a ventilation system

Abstract

An HME device, used in a closed breathing circuit of a ventilation system, has a housing with an inlet opening and with an outlet opening, an HME chamber ( 50 a; 50 b; 50 c; 50 d; 50 e; 50 f; 50 g; 50 h; 50 i ) arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for receiving an HME medium and a switching mechanism ( 70 a; 70 b; 70 c; 70 d; 70 e; 70 f; 70 g; 70 h; 70 i ). The HME device can be switched over between an HME mode (M 1 ), in which an HME fluid passage is provided from the inlet opening through the HME chamber to the outlet opening, and a bypass mode (M 2 ), in which a fluid bypass passage is provided from the inlet opening past the HME chamber through a bypass channel ( 80 a; 80 b; 80 d; 80 e; 80 f; 80 h ) in the housing to the outlet opening. The bypass channel is blocked with respect to the HME chamber in the bypass mode (M 2 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat and moisture exchanger or humidification moisture exchanger (HME) device for use in a closed breathing circuit of a ventilation system, the device comprising:
 a housing with an inlet opening, an outlet opening, an HME chamber arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for receiving an HME medium and a bypass channel; and   a switching mechanism switching over between an HME mode providing an HME fluid passage from the inlet opening through the HME chamber to the outlet opening and a bypass mode providing a fluid bypass passage from the inlet opening past the HME chamber through the bypass channel to the outlet opening, wherein the bypass channel is blocked from the HME chamber in the bypass mode.   
     
     
         2 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing comprises an inlet-side housing half with the inlet opening and with an inlet-side housing half inner wall section;   the housing comprises an outlet-side housing half with the outlet opening and with an outlet-side housing half inner wall section; and   the inlet-side housing half and the outlet-side housing half are arranged rotatably relative to one another for blocking and opening the bypass channel.   
     
     
         3 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein:
 the inlet-side housing half has first inlet holes, second inlet holes, inlet diaphragms and inlet diaphragm passages between the inlet diaphragms;   the outlet-side housing half has outlet holes and outlet diaphragms;   the first inlet holes and the inlet diaphragm passages are covered by the outlet diaphragms in the bypass mode; and   the second inlet holes are arranged at least partly flush with the outlet holes.   
     
     
         4 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 2 , further comprising a bistable holding mechanism holding the two housing halves in defined, different positions in relation to one another, wherein the bistable holding mechanism is formed on the inlet-side housing half or on the outlet-side housing half or on both the inlet-side housing half and on the outlet-side housing half. 
     
     
         5 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a displacing device for displacing the HME medium, wherein:
 the HME chamber is formed by an inner wall section of the housing and by an outer wall section of the displacing device; and   the displacing device is arranged movably for blocking the bypass channel in the bypass mode with respect to the against the HME chamber.   
     
     
         6 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the outer wall section is configured as an at least partly elastically deformable wall section for displacing the HME medium or for blocking the bypass channel or for both displacing the HME medium and blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, with respect to the HME chamber. 
     
     
         7 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein:
 the displacing device has two plate-shaped partition sections for separating the HME medium in at least some sections; and   at least one of the two plate-shaped partition sections is arranged movably for displacing the HME medium or for blocking the bypass channel or for both displacing the HME medium and blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, in relation to the HME chamber.   
     
     
         8 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the two plate-shaped partition sections is configured as an at least partly elastically deformable partition section for displacing the HME medium or for blocking the bypass channel or for both displacing the HME medium and blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, with respect to the HME chamber. 
     
     
         9 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the two plate-shaped partition sections is arranged relatively movably in relation to the other plate-shaped partition sections for displacing the HME medium or for blocking the bypass channel or for both displacing the HME medium and blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, with respect to the HME chamber. 
     
     
         10 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the two plate-shaped partition sections are arranged bent in a same first direction in the HME mode and at least one of the two plate-shaped partition sections is configured as a partition section elastically deformable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, for displacing the HME medium or for blocking the bypass channel or for both displacing the HME medium and blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, with respect to the HME chamber. 
     
     
         11 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the displacing device is arranged and configured elastically deformably such that the at least a portion of the displacing device is deformable in a bistable manner, based on a residual stress of the at least a portion of the displacing device, into an HME end position or into a bypass end position. 
     
     
         12 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the displacing device is fixed at at least one point in the housing. 
     
     
         13 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising at least one manual actuating device arranged for moving or elastically deforming at least a portion of the displacing device. 
     
     
         14 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the manual actuating device is permanently connected to the displacing device and configured monolithically with the displacing device. 
     
     
         15 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein:
 the displacing device has two plate-shaped partition sections for separating the HME medium in at least some sections; and   the manual actuating device has a lifting and rotating mechanism that can be actuated by pressing for moving or elastically deforming at least one of the two plate-shaped partition sections.   
     
     
         16 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein:
 the two partition sections each have an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface; and   the outer wall surfaces correspond to the outer wall section and the inner wall surfaces correspond to an inner wall section of the bypass channel.   
     
     
         17 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein:
 the displacing device has a stationary separating device and a movable separating device; and   the movable separating device is arranged pivotably relative to the stationary separating device about an axis of rotation.   
     
     
         18 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein:
 the stationary separating device and the movable separating device have an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface each; and   the outer wall surfaces and the inner wall surfaces correspond to an inner wall section of the bypass channel.   
     
     
         19 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 17 , further comprising at least one manual actuating device arranged for moving or elastically deforming at least a portion of the displacing device wherein the at least one manual actuating device is arranged outside the housing displaceably in a circumferential direction of the housing for pivoting the movable separating device. 
     
     
         20 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 17 , further comprising at least one manual actuating device arranged for moving or elastically deforming at least a portion of the displacing device wherein the manual actuating device is connected permanently to the movable separating device, and is configured monolithically with the movable separating device. 
     
     
         21 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 2 , further comprising a displacing device for displacing the HME medium, wherein:
 the HME chamber is formed by an inner wall section of the inlet-side housing half, by an inner wall section of the outlet-side housing half and by an outer wall section of the displacing device;   the displacing device comprises a first separating device and a second separating device for blocking the bypass channel, in the bypass mode, with respect to the HME chamber;   the first separating device and the second separating device are arranged pivotably relative to one another about an axis of rotation;   the first separating device is in functional connection with one of the inlet-side housing half and of the outlet-side housing half; and   the second separating device is in functional connection with the other of the inlet-side housing half and of the outlet-side housing half.   
     
     
         22 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first separating device and the second separating device have each an outer wall surface and an inner wall surface; and   the outer wall surfaces correspond to the outer wall section and the inner wall surfaces correspond to an inner wall section of the bypass channel.   
     
     
         23 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein:
 the first separating device is fastened to one of the inlet-side housing half and of the outlet-side housing half and is configured monolithically with the corresponding housing half; and   the second separating device is fastened to the other of the inlet-side housing half and of the outlet-side housing half and is configured monolithically with the corresponding housing half.   
     
     
         24 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 a hollow section is arranged rotatably about an axis of rotation in the housing;   an inner wall section of the HME chamber corresponds to an inner wall section of the hollow section;   a section of the bypass channel is established between a first outer wall section of the hollow section and a first inner wall section of the housing; and   the first outer wall section corresponds to an inner wall section of the bypass channel.   
     
     
         25 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein a second outer wall section of the hollow section is in contact with a second inner wall section of the housing in a flush-integrated manner. 
     
     
         26 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein the HME chamber is formed by an inner wall section of the hollow section and by an inner wall section of the housing. 
     
     
         27 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein the housing has a housing window, through which the hollow section is exposed in some sections to an outside. 
     
     
         28 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein:
 the housing has a fluid inlet channel and a fluid outlet channel;   the fluid inlet channel is connected to a first fluid switchover channel and the fluid outlet channel is connected to a second fluid switchover channel;   the first fluid switchover channel extends at right angles to the fluid inlet channel and the second fluid switchover channel extends at right angles to the fluid outlet channel; and   the fluid inlet channel, the first fluid switchover channel, the second fluid switchover channel and the fluid outlet channel correspond in at least some sections to the bypass channel in the bypass mode.   
     
     
         29 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 28 , wherein the first fluid switchover channel and the second fluid switchover channel are arranged in parallel or essentially in parallel to one another in at least some sections in the HME mode. 
     
     
         30 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 28 , wherein:
 the HME medium is arranged in the HME channel;   the HME medium has a stepped passage channel, in which one of the fluid inlet channel and the fluid outlet channel is arranged displaceably and the other of the fluid inlet channel and of the fluid outlet channel is arranged in at least some sections in a positive-locking manner on a circumferential side with the HME medium.   
     
     
         31 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing has an inlet-side housing half and an outlet-side housing half and a fluid inlet channel is arranged in the inlet-side housing half;   the fluid inlet channel and the inlet-side housing half are arranged rotatably in relation to one another;   the fluid inlet channel has an inlet opening, which corresponds to the inlet opening of the HME device and a passage opening;   the passage opening is directed into the HME chamber in the HME mode and into the bypass channel in the bypass mode.   
     
     
         32 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 31 , wherein
 the passage opening has a lateral opening section and a frontal opening section;   the opening direction of the lateral opening section is directed at right angles to the opening direction of the inlet opening or of the frontal opening section or both to the opening direction of the inlet opening and of the frontal opening section.   
     
     
         33 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 32 , wherein the fluid inlet channel has a wall section, which is arranged, especially flush with the lateral opening section, in the fluid inlet channel in parallel or essentially in parallel to the opening direction of the lateral opening section. 
     
     
         34 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 33 , wherein the wall section has a height that corresponds to at least half the passage height of the fluid inlet channel at a location of the wall section. 
     
     
         35 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein:
 an HME storage frame is arranged in the housing for storing the HME medium and the HME storage frame is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation for switching over between the HME mode and the bypass mode;   the HME storage frame has an outer ring section and a storage frame passage channel within the outer ring section;   the HME chamber is formed by an inner wall section of the housing, by an inner wall section of the outer ring section and by an outer wall section of the storage frame passage channel; and   an inner wall section of the storage frame passage channel corresponds in the bypass mode to an inner wall section of the bypass channel.   
     
     
         36 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein an outer wall section of the outer ring section is in contact with an inner wall section of the housing in a flush-integrated manner. 
     
     
         37 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 35 , wherein:
 an outer wall section of the outer ring section is functionally connected by a housing window to an adjusting element arranged outside the housing; and   the HME storage frame is rotatable about the axis of rotation by moving the adjusting element.   
     
     
         38 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 37 , wherein the adjusting element surrounds the housing in a ring-shaped manner in at least some sections. 
     
     
         39 . An HME device in accordance with  claim 37 , wherein the adjusting element is functionally connected by a projection from the outer wall section of the outer ring section to the HME storage frame.