An apparatus for humidifying a flow of breathable gas includes a water reservoir and a water reservoir dock forming a cavity structured and arranged to receive the water reservoir in an operative position. The water reservoir comprises a reservoir base including a cavity structured to hold a volume of water, the reservoir base including a main body and a thermally conductive portion provided to the main body. The thermally conductive portion comprises a combined layered arrangement including a metal plate and a thin film, the thin film comprising a non-metallic material and including a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. The thin film is adapted to form at least a bottom interior surface of the water reservoir exposed to the volume of water, and the metal plate is adapted to form a bottom exterior surface of the water reservoir.

An Expiratory breathing simulator device is provided and configured to simulate a real patient's End Tidal CO.sub.2 (ETCO.sub.2). The device is configured to be used with a vital signs simulator to simulate a patient's behaviour on a medical monitoring apparatus, for example for training medical professionals.

Systems and methods for nitric oxide generation are provided. In an embodiment, an NO generation system can include a controller and disposable cartridge that can provide nitric oxide to two different treatments simultaneously. The disposable cartridge has multiple purposes including preparing incoming gases for exposure to the NO generation process, scrubbing exhaust gases for unwanted materials, characterizing the patient inspiratory flow, and removing moisture from sample gases collected. Plasma generation can be done within the cartridge or within the controller. The system has the capability of calibrating NO and NO.sub.2 gas analysis sensors without the use of a calibration gas.

A heating apparatus includes a heating element which converts electrical power to heat energy, a heatable element having a first surface and a second surface, and a dielectric laminate layer between the heating element and the first surface of the heatable element, wherein the dielectric laminate layer is thermally conductive to transfer heat energy from the heating element to the heatable element, and wherein the second surface of the heatable element is configured heat a liquid in a container.

Systems and methods for novel ventilation that allows the patient to trigger or initiate the delivery of a breath are provided. Further, systems and methods for triggering ventilation based on signal distortion of a monitored patient parameter are provided.

A respiratory therapy device, which may include a flow generator, is provided. The RPT device includes a touch screen display that displays user interface screens to a user and accepts input from users to control parameters and functionality of the RPT device (e.g., a flow generator).

An airway device includes an outertube and a scope channel partially enclosed by the outertube. An intraluminal space in the outertube, not occupied by the scope channel, provides a passageway for air flow to the patient. An esophageal cuff is disposed distally on the scope channel. When inflated, the esophageal cuff secures the airway device in the proximal esophagus of the patient and helps to prevent gastric reflux by mechanically blocking gastric content from entering into the larynx. An inflatable bladder is attached at an anterior surface of the scope channel between the esophageal cuff and a distal opening of the outertube. When inflated, the bladder forms a tubular ring that pushes against the epiglottis and/or other soft tissue towards a wall of the hypopharynx to produce an unhindered air passage into the patient's trachea.

Systems and methods for automatically improving patient-ventilator synchronization, including a method, performed by a ventilator, for automatic synchrony adjustment in medical ventilation. The method may include delivering positive pressure during a first inhalation phase; cycling to a first exhalation phase at an end of the first inhalation phase according to a cycling sensitivity; and at an end of the first exhalation phase, triggering a second inhalation phase. The method may also include during at least one of the first exhalation phase or the second inhalation phase, detecting a cycling-related asynchrony event; in response to the detecting, automatically adjusting the cycling sensitivity without additional user input; delivering positive pressure during the second inhalation phase; and cycling from the second inhalation phase to a second exhalation phase according to the adjusted cycling sensitivity.

A substance delivery mask includes a body, an exhaling valve, an inhaled valve, and a fog module. The fog module comprises a controlling module, a container, and an atomizer. The controlling module is disposed on the body. The container is disposed on the controlling module, the container is storing a mixed liquid, and the mixed liquid includes water and a plurality of nanoparticles. The atomizer is disposed on the container, the atomizer is used to atomize the water of the mixed liquid to form fog particles, and the fog particles are wrapped several of the nanoparticles respectively. The substance delivery mask can encapsulate the water-soluble or water-insoluble medicines, or nutritional products in the fog particles generated from the atomizer. The present invention can deliver medicine, nutritional products or vaccines by inhalation or oral.

Devices and methods for allowing for improved assisted ventilation of a patient. The methods and devices provide a number of benefits over conventional approaches for assisted ventilation. For example, the methods and devices described herein permit blind insertion of a device that can allow ventilation regardless of whether the device is positioned within a trachea or an esophagus.