A stable-foam inhalation-device cartridge for a stable-foam inhalation device which dispenses a stable foam to be consumed by a user. The cartridge is devoid of an electrical energisation component. The cartridge includes a flexible mixing chamber, first and second foam-generation elements, an expansion chamber, a partitioning element having one or more mixing members for agitating a consumable foam and a discharge element. The discharge element has an outlet opening an inlet opening and a discharge conduit which interconnects the inlet opening with the outlet opening. The discharge conduit has a longitudinal extent which locates the inlet opening at a position closer to the partitioning element than to the outlet opening.

Methods and systems for delivery of pulsated air to a user using a device including a flow generator to generate a continuous air flow, a first actuator comprising a pulsated flow delivery mechanism configured to generate a pulsated air flow from the continuous air flow based on a pre-determined duty cycle to vary a frequency of the pulsated air flow, a user interface configured to generate and deliver vortices of pulsated air to the user at the frequency of the pulsated air flow, and a set of tubing to couple the flow generator, the first actuator, and the user interface.

The present invention provides methods and systems for conditioning cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by removing target compounds from CSF. The systems provide for a catheter flow path and exchange of a majority volume portion of CSF in the CSF space. The removal and/or delivery of specific compounds can be tailored to the pathology of the specific disease. The removal is targeted and specific, for example, through the use of specific size-exclusion thresholds, antibodies against specific toxins, and other chromatographic techniques, as well as delivery and/or removal of targeted therapeutic agents.

A humidification system has a humidification source and a main gases flow path. The main gases flow path has a low pressure region and a high pressure region. In some embodiments, each of the low pressure region and the high pressure region has an aperture. The pressure difference between the apertures promotes a gases flow between the main gases flow path and the humidification source, and results in humidifying the gases in the main gases flow path.

Systems and methods for reducing pathogens near an implant are discussed. In some cases, the methods include reducing contaminants in a portion of a patient that has an implant and that is disposed interior to a closed surface of skin of the patient. The method can further include placing a conduit in the closed surface of skin and flowing an antimicrobial fluid into that portion of the patient to contact the antimicrobial fluid with a surface of the implant and tissue adjacent to the implant. In some cases, the antimicrobial fluid is then removed from the portion of the patient having the implant. As part of this method, biofilm near the implant can be mechanically, ultrasonically, electrically, chemically, enzymatically, or otherwise disrupted. Other implementations are described.

The present invention provides a dry powder inhaler comprising: a reservoir containing a dry powder formulation and an arrangement for delivering a metered dose of the medicament from the reservoir; a cyclone deagglomerator for breaking up agglomerates of the dry powder medicament; and a delivery passageway for directing an inhalation-induced air flow through a mouthpiece, the delivery passageway extending to the metered dose of medicament, wherein the formulation comprises an inhalable β.sub.2-agonist having a particle size distribution of d1O<1 μπ.Math.=1-3 μπ.Math., d90=3.5-6 μm and NLT 99% 10 μm and a lactose carrier.

A device for minimizing obstruction in a medical device that carries fluids includes a housing defining a channel configured to receive and secure a section of the medical device such that the section of the medical device extends coaxially with a central longitudinal axis of the channel. The device also includes components supported in the housing, including a motor, wherein the components are configured to be operated to impart motion to the housing and the attached medical device. The motion is configured to produce oscillatory motion of a frequency sufficient to concentrate shear stresses in a fluid boundary layer adjacent an inner wall of the medical device. The housing and the components supported in the housing are configured and arranged so that a device center of mass lies along or near the longitudinal axis of the channel.

An aerosol generator (1) with an active liquid container (4) and a nebulization chamber (2) associated therewith, which is connected to an inlet channel (10) for the supply of carrier gas and to an outlet channel (12) for the discharge of carrier gas mixed with aerosol obtained from the active liquid, is intended to enable a particularly good adjustability of the droplet size of the aerosols contained in the discharged carrier gas and thus a use particularly in the context of a transnasal inhalation therapy. For this purpose, the nebulization chamber (2) has a substantially rotationally symmetrical boundary wall (8), the inlet channel (10) being positioned and oriented in the region of its point of entry into the nebulization chamber (2) in such a way that its longitudinal axis is offset relative to the axis of symmetry of the nebulization chamber (2) in the region of the point of entry and does not intersect the axis of symmetry.

An apparatus for suctioning matter expelled during treatments involving an orifice of a patient; the apparatus includes a suction head, a conduit attached to the suction head and a suction device for attaching the conduit thereto, thereby putting the suction head in communication with the suction device. The conduit includes a flexible and bendable body that is easily manipulated into different positions and supports the suction head about the orifice of the patient during treatment. Preferably, the orifice is a mouth, and the treatment is a dental treatment. In this embodiment, the apparatus provides for the hands-free suction of aerosols and/or saliva and blood splatter produced from the mouth of the patient during the dental treatment.

This disclosure describes systems and methods for humidifying ventilator delivered breathing gases. These systems and methods utilize a hollow cone atomizer (e.g., a pressure swirl atomizer) and/or a heating element associated with a heating circuit and/or a heating tube. In some aspect, the systems and methods utilize received flow, temperature, and/or humidity information to determine an amount of water to add to breathing gases to reach a desired humidity of the breathing gases delivered to the patient. In further aspects, the humidification system can serve as a nebulization system for delivering nebulized medicine.