ELECTROCHEMICAL OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR FOR HOME THERAPY

小型移动/便携式氧气发生器，特别是能够在5 psi及以上压力下输送加湿纯（大于99.9%）氧气的小型移动/便携式氧气发生器，将在卫生服务行业中得到许多应用，例如，呼吸系统疾病患者的长期治疗。在美国，大多数患者通过变压吸附（PSA）氧气浓缩器接受家庭氧气治疗，这受到许多技术限制。为了满足对新技术氧气发生器的需求，满足家庭长期氧气治疗的所有要求，本提案的目标是设计、制造和测试一种电化学生命支持系统，能够提供加湿的，但其他方面纯度（大于99.9%）的氧气。该装置将能够提供便携式氧气供应。它将利用一种类似于氢/氧燃料电池和水电解槽的装置，通过将空气中稀释的氧气转移到纯氧流中来生产纯氧。该公司的目标是开发一种电化学氧气发生器，该发生器将在几个领域提供比替代技术更大的改进，包括：氧气纯度（大于99.9%），输送氧气压力范围（5-2,500 psi）；系统重量（小于35磅）、系统紧凑性、系统功耗（小于1kw）、系统启动时间、可靠性和安全性。该系统将能够满足患者在家中的实时氧气需求，并能够重新填充便携式高压氧气瓶。据估计，氧气发生器的成本将不到1200美元。电化学制氧技术在政府和其他商业领域都有应用。建议的商业应用：电化学氧气发生器技术将作为使用点氧气发生器得到许多应用，例如，需要在家中进行长期氧气治疗的患者的氧气发生器。此外，电化学氧气发生器技术具有政府和其他商业应用，例如，军用飞机任务期间的机组人员生命保障，可用于前方医疗区域和伤员运输车辆的战场生命保障系统，用于商用飞机紧急压缩氧气供应的“氧气涓流增压器”，以及用于减压病，空气栓塞和一氧化碳中毒的高压氧治疗。

A small mobile/portable oxygen generator, in particular, one that is capable of delivering humidified, pure (greater than 99.9%) oxygen gas at pressures of 5 psi and above, would find many applications in the health services industry, e.g., long-term treatment of patients with respiratory disorders. The majority of patients in the U.S. receive their home oxygen therapy from pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen concentrators, which suffer from numerous technological limitations. In response to the need for a new technology-based oxygen generator that satisfies all the requirements for long-term oxygen therapy in the home, the goal of this proposal is to design, fabricate, and test an electrochemical life support system, capable of providing humidified, but otherwise pure (greater than 99.9%), oxygen gas. The unit will be capable of providing a portable supply of oxygen. It will produce pure oxygen by transferring oxygen diluted in air to a pure oxygen stream, on utilizing a device which resembles both a hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell and a water electrolyzer. The objective is the development of an electrochemical oxygen generator that will offer substantial improvements over alternative technologies in several areas, including: oxygen gas purity (greater than 99.9%), delivered oxygen gas pressure range (5-2,500 psi); system weight (less than 35 lb), system compactness, system power consumption (less than 1 kW), system start-up time, reliability and safety. The system will have the capability for satisfying the real time oxygen needs of a patient in the home, as well as the ability to refill portable high pressure oxygen cylinders. It is estimated that the oxygen generator will cost less than $1,200. The electrochemical oxygen generator technology has both government and other commercial applications. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The electrochemical oxygen generator technology will find many applications as a point-of-use oxygen generator, e.g., oxygen generation for patients requiring long-term oxygen therapy in the home. In addition, the electrochemical oxygen generator technology has both government and other commercial applications, e.g., crew life support during military aircraft missions, battlefield life support system that can be used in forward medical treatment areas and in casualty transport vehicles, an "oxygen trickle charger" for commercial aircraft emergency compressed oxygen gas supplies, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for decompression sickness, air embolism, and carbon monoxide poisoning.