A humidifier for humidification of air to be delivered to a patient's airways may include a humidification chamber, a reservoir and a water delivery mechanism. The humidification chamber may include a water retention feature such as a wick, a heating element for heating the humidification chamber, and an air flow baffle configured to promote humidification. The humidifier may be further configured to execute one or more algorithms, for example to determine a condition of the humidifier and/or to mitigate any detected faults. In some forms, the humidifier may also comprise algorithms for controlling one or more components of the humidifier.

A respiratory assistance apparatus is configured to provide a heated and humidified glow of gases and has a control system that is configured to detect a fault in the flow path. A flow path is provided for a gases stream through the apparatus from a gas inlet through a blower unit and humidification unit to a gases outlet. A flow rate sensor is provided in the flow path and is configured to sense the flow rate and generate an flow rate signal and/or a motor speed sensor is provided that is configured to sense the motor speed of the blower unit and generate an indicative motor speed signal.

Simple-to-use systems, methods, and devices for priming replacement blood treatment devices, for swapping the blood treatment devices out, for replacing swapped-out blood treatment devices, and other related operations are described. In embodiments, a blood treatment device can be primed while a therapy is still running. When the replacement blood treatment device is needed, the therapy can be stopped momentarily (less than a minute) for the rapid and safe swap of the blood treatment device. Blood loss can be minimized. The down time from therapy can be minimized.

A respiratory assistance apparatus is configured to provide a heated and humidified glow of gases and has a control system that is configured to detect a fault in the flow path. A flow path is provided for a gases stream through the apparatus from a gas inlet through a blower unit and humidification unit to a gases outlet. A flow rate sensor is provided in the flow path and is configured to sense the flow rate and generate an flow rate signal and/or a motor speed sensor is provided that is configured to sense the motor speed of the blower unit and generate an indicative motor speed signal.

Simple-to-use systems, methods, and devices for priming replacement blood treatment devices, for swapping the blood treatment devices out, for replacing swapped-out blood treatment devices, and other related operations are described. In embodiments, a blood treatment device can be primed while a therapy is still running. When the replacement blood treatment device is needed, the therapy can be stopped momentarily (less than a minute) for the rapid and safe swap of the blood treatment device. Blood loss can be minimized. The down time from therapy can be minimized.

A medical/surgical waste collection rover includes a first waste container disposed on a portable cart and receiving waste under the influence of a vacuum. A fluid measuring system includes a float element disposed within the first waste container, and a controller causing liquid in a reservoir disposed on the cart to prefill the first waste container and subject the float element to an initial lifting to a zero point level. The fluid measuring system determines a volume of contents within the first waste container based on a position of the float element relative to the zero point level. The fluid measuring system may include a sensor rod extending through the first waste container and a second waste container disposed on the cart and separated from the first waste container by a transfer valve. Methods of estimating the volume of liquid and/or medical/surgical waste within the waste container are also provided.

A surgical evacuation system for communication between a smoke evacuation device and a filter device through a communication circuit is provided. The surgical evacuation system comprises a smoke evacuation device comprising a pump and a motor operably coupled to the pump. The surgical evacuation system also comprises a communication circuit and a filter device in communication with the smoke evacuation device through the communication circuit. The filter device comprises a plurality of filter components including a plurality of filter elements and a plurality of filter sensors. The plurality of filter elements comprises at least one of a fluid filter, particulate filter, and a charcoal filter. The communication circuit is configured to authenticate the plurality of filter components, verify a remaining life of at least one of the plurality of filter components, update parameters output from the plurality of filter components, and record errors output from the plurality of filter components.

A surgical evacuation system having dual in-series large and small droplet filters is provided. The surgical evacuation system comprises a pump, a motor operably coupled to the pump, and a flow path fluidically coupled to the pump. the flow path comprises a first fluid filter configured to extract a large droplet in a fluid moving through the flow path and a second fluid filter configured to extract a small droplet in the fluid moving through the flow path. the first fluid filter is coupled in series with the second fluid filter. The first fluid filter is positioned upstream of the second fluid filter. An outlet port of the second fluid filter is coupled to an inlet port of a non-fluid filter.

A method for extracorporeal blood treatment using a medical device including at least a dialyzer device, with the following steps: start of blood treatment by means of hemodialysis on the basis of default values for the hemodialysis; determination of current values or ratios of at least one blood flow, an ultrafiltration quantity, a substitution quantity or a type of substitution; recording of a therapy progress on the basis of an output signal of a sensor means; determination of a time of formation of a secondary membrane on the dialyzer by determination of a cross rate in the dialyzer device; change from the hemodialysis to a hemodiafiltration with post-dilution after a predetermined period of time has elapsed; and regulation of the substitution quantity during hemodiafiltration with post-dilution. Corresponding tools for carrying out the method are arranged in a device for extracorporeal blood treatment.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a breathing apparatus, wherein current for keeping internal pressure of the face piece at a predetermined positive target value at the time of inhale is not applied to the motor fan in a large amount at the start of current application to the motor fan, and the internal pressure of the face piece is prevented from becoming far below the predetermined positive target value immediately after start of current application to the motor fan so as to keep the internal pressure of the face piece at the predetermined positive target value at the time of inhale.

[Disclosure of the Invention] A breathing apparatus provided with a breath-synchronized motor fan comprising a face piece for covering a part of or all of a face of a user, an inhale valve and an exhale valve attached to the face piece, a motor fan for supplying internal space of the face piece with external air through the inhale valve, a filter for cleaning the external air to be sucked into the motor fan, a breath monitoring apparatus provided with a membrane member deforming in accordance with fluctuation of internal pressure of the face piece and a sensor for detecting the deformation of the membrane member, and a controller for controlling operation of the motor fan synchronously with breathing of the user in accordance with a detection signal from the breath monitoring apparatus, wherein the controller applies current to the motor fan at the time of inhalation so as to keep the internal pressure of the face piece at a predetermined positive target value, and stops current application to the motor fan so as to stop the motor fan at the time of exhalation, and wherein the controller applies micro-current to the motor fan so as to rotate the motor fan at extremely low speed from the middle of exhalation to inhalation.