PFI:AIR - TT: Miniaturization of Medical Oxygen Concentrators for Portable and Home Medical Applications

这个PFI: AIR技术翻译项目的重点是开发一种独立的紧凑型原型医用氧气浓缩器（MOC），用于慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）、囊性纤维化和其他肺部疾病患者的氧气康复治疗。从压缩环境空气中生产1至8升/分钟约90%氧气的moc市场正在迅速增长，估计2017年全球市场价值约为20亿美元。世界卫生组织（世卫组织）估计，全世界有8000多万人患有慢性阻塞性肺病，每年有近300万人死于慢性阻塞性肺病。一种更紧凑、更轻的MOC设计，具有更高的氧气回收率和更长的电池运行时间，将为COPD患者提供更大的运动机动性，改善心血管健康和生活质量。该项目旨在通过开发基于新型专利医用氧气浓缩器（MOC）设计的功能齐全的独立原型来实现这一关键目标。我们的MOC设计具有以下优点：(1)与传统的两床快速变压吸附工艺（RPSA）相比，它在储罐内使用单个吸附柱，从而减小了尺寸；(2)使用3-6秒的快速循环时间，可从压缩空气中连续产生高达3升/分钟的~90%氧气，比商用便携式MOC装置的产品交付率高3倍；(3)在给定的产品流量下，它使用的吸附剂库存少于三分之一；(4)由于不需要两塔或多塔系统同步操作，单吸附床设计使用的开关阀和传感器数量较少，过程控制需要更简单。(5)为RPSA过程的各步长选择和优化提供了更大的灵活性；(6)与许多商用便携式设备提供的脉冲产品流相反，它允许连续产品提取；(7)可扩展的尺寸和氧气流量；(8)可作为？提前了?在有压缩空气源的应用中，如医院（军用或民用）、游轮和航空公司中，没有专用压缩机的设备。研究生和博士后将接受基础研究之外的技术转移和商业战略新概念的培训。利哈伊技术创业项目的硕士生将受益于将我们的研究纳入他/她的顶点综合商业设计项目。作为学生创新机会课程的一部分，化学工程专业大四学生将进行实验，将传统化学工程原理整合到一个综合项目中。该项目将产生全面的原型性能数据，为新成立的公司或与MOC制造商达成商业化许可协议提供支持。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on development of a self-contained compact prototype Medical Oxygen Concentrator (MOC) for use in oxygen rehabilitation therapy for patients suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and other pulmonary diseases. The market for MOCs producing 1 to 8 liters/min of ~90 % oxygen from compressed ambient air is rapidly growing with an estimated global market in 2017 valued at ~$2 billion. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 80 million people worldwide have COPD and nearly 3 million deaths per year can be attributed to COPD. A more compact and light-weight MOC design with substantially higher oxygen recovery and longer battery run-time will provide greater mobility to COPD patients for exercise, improved cardiovascular health and quality of life. This project seeks to meet this critical objective through the development of a fully functional self-contained prototype based on a novel patented Medical Oxygen Concentrator (MOC) design. Our MOC design has the following advantages: (1) it uses a single adsorption column inside a storage tank, as opposed to conventional two-bed rapid pressure swing adsorption processes (RPSA), thereby reducing size; (2) it uses fast cycle times in the range of 3-6 seconds to continuously produce up to 3 liters/min of ~90% oxygen from compressed air which is 3 times higher than the product delivery rate of commercial portable MOC units; (3) it uses less than one third of the adsorbent inventory for a given product flow rate; (4) it uses lesser number of switching valves and sensors and needs simpler process control for the single adsorption bed design due to the absence of synchronized operation of two or multi-column systems. (5) it provides more flexibility in selection and optimization of the individual step times of the RPSA process; (6) it allows continuous product withdrawal as opposed to pulsed product flow offered by many commercial portable units; (7) it is scalable in size and oxygen flow rates; (8) it can be used as a ?Snap On? device without a dedicated compressor in applications where a compressed air source is available, such as in hospitals (military or civil), cruise ships and airlines.Graduate and postdoctoral students will be trained on new concepts in technology transfer and business strategies beyond basic research. A master's student from the Technical Entrepreneurship program at Lehigh will benefit from incorporating our study in his/her capstone integrated business design project. Undergraduate Chemical Engineering seniors will conduct experiments that will integrate traditional chemical engineering principles across four years into a single comprehensive project as part of their Opportunities for Student Innovation course. The project will lead to comprehensive prototype performance data for enabling either a new start-up company or for a licensing agreement with a MOC manufacturer for commercialization.