The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 20, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 29, 2011
Mikhail Fridberg, Sharon, MA (US);
Boris Dubinsky, Newton, MA (US);
Mikhail Fridberg, Sharon, MA (US);
Boris Dubinsky, Newton, MA (US);
Smiths Medical ASD, Inc., Rockland, MA (US);
Abstract
A heater unit is adapted to determine if a humidification chamber thermally coupled to a hot plate of the heater unit is effectively dry based on determining a thermal response of a hot plate of the heater unit. Also, the activation period during which the hot plate is being heated is adjusted toward an optimum period by adjusting the energization or power level to the heater element thereof in relation to the duration of a prior activation period. Further, the air flow rate of gas through the humidification chamber may be estimated based on a temperature of the hot plate determined in predetermined relationship to the beginning of an activation period.