A demand-adapting and auto-regulatory ECMO system and method is disclosed that may be configured to provide complete cardiopulmonary replacement. The system and method employ a blood gas exchanger having a blood inlet, a blood outlet, a gas inlet, and a gas outlet, an oxygen sensor positioned to detect oxyhemoglobin saturation at the blood inlet, and a carbon dioxide sensor positioned to detect exhaust gas CO2 concentration at the gas outlet. A controller communicates with the oxygen sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor and controls blood flow and gas flow through the blood gas exchanger in response to a sensed oxygen level by the oxygen sensor and a sensed carbon dioxide level by the carbon dioxide sensor, in turn maintaining the sensed oxygen level and the sensed carbon dioxide level within a pre-designated range of values to maintain a patients metabolic requirements.

A device for providing nicotine replacement therapy may be provided. The device may comprise a dispenser for dispensing a nicotine formulation. The device may comprise an actuating member mounted to actuate the dispenser. The device may comprise a lockout mechanism that may be movable between an operative position that may allow the actuating member to move so as to actuate the dispenser, and a non-operative position that may prevent the actuating member from moving. The device may comprise a processor. The processor may be configured to determine an amount of nicotine that was previously consumed by a user. The processor may be configured to send a lockout mechanism signal to the lockout mechanism that causes the lockout mechanism to move to the non-operative position.

An apparatus and method for controlling the end tidal partial pressure of a gas X in a subject's lung, and to the use of such an apparatus and method for research, diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, wherein the method consists of: —obtaining input of a series of logistically attainable PetX values for a series of respective breaths: —determining an amount of gas X required to be inspired by the subject in an inspired gas to target the PetX for each of said respective breaths: and—controlling a gas delivery device to deliver the amount of gas in a volume of gas delivered to the subject in each of said respective breaths to target the respective PetX for that breath.

Hyperthermia system for raising the body temperature of the body of an individual to a predetermined target temperature T.sub.b and for stabilizing the body temperature at the target temperature T.sub.b, including: a thermally insulated cabinet for receiving the individual, equipped with channeling means to channel fluids into the body of the individual; at least one thermal device to raise the body temperature of the individual, when placed inside said cabinet, and to subsequently maintain the target temperature T.sub.b of the individual; one or more devices for heating fluids to be channeled into the body of the individual via the channeling means; one or more sensors to monitor the temperature and/or heat flux of the individual; and a controller to control the at least one thermal means and the one or more devices for heating fluids. The sensors are connected to the controller to provide temperature values and/or heat flux values.

There is provided a humidifier for a respiratory therapy system that includes a humidification chamber having an inner wall spaced from an outer wall to form a wall cavity between the inner and outer walls. A gas flow path is located within the wall cavity. Gas, such as air, flows along the gas flow path from an inlet to the humidification chamber to an outlet of the humidification chamber. Optionally, the gas flow path may follow a helical route through the wall cavity.

An artificial lung system for a patient having a membrane lung system having an gas inlet, a blood inlet, a blood outlet, and an exhaust; a gas system operably coupled to the gas inlet of the membrane lung system; a gas phase CO.sub.2 sensor disposed downstream of the exhaust of the membrane lung system and monitoring an exhaust gas CO.sub.2 (EGCO.sub.2) level and/or an blood oxygen saturation sensor disposed upstream of the blood inlet of the membrane lung system and monitoring a blood oxygen saturation level; and a feedback controller receiving the CO.sub.2 signal and/or blood oxygen saturation signal and outputting a control signal to control gas flow and/or blood flow.

A continuous positive airway pressure system comprises an inspiratory portion, an expiratory portion, and a controller. The inspiratory portion is coupled to a patient interface to provide an airflow with positive pressure to a patient. The inspiratory portion includes a first sensor to measure a pressure and/or a flow rate of the airflow at the inspiratory portion. The expiratory portion is coupled to the patient interface to receive air exhaled from the patient. The expiratory portion includes a second sensor for measuring a pressure and/or a flow rate of the air exhaled at the expiratory portion. The controller (i) determines a pressure at the patient interface based on the measured pressures and/or the flow rates of the airflow at the inspiratory portion and the air exhaled at the expiratory portion and (ii) modifies the airflow provided by the inspiratory portion based on the determined pressure.

A monitoring system for detecting leakages during ventilation with a ventilator, comprising a monitoring device for determining a leakage rate from a leakage parameter detected by sensors. The monitoring device is configured for recording a time profile of the leakage parameter, for determining a measure for a rate of change of the leakage parameter in the time profile, and for detecting a mouth leakage in accordance with the measure, such that a mouth leakage can be differentiated from at least one other leakage type.

A ventilator system includes a ventilation device, and is configured to operate in a passive mode configured to transmit ventilation data in response to requests from a ventilation management system, or an active mode configured to automatically transmit ventilation data as the data becomes available. The system receives ventilation system data associated with operation of the ventilation device, modifies one or more operating parameters of the ventilation device based on the received ventilation system data, receives ventilator data associated with the ventilator device, determines an alarm associated with the ventilator device or a patient based on the received ventilator data and, responsive to determining the alarm, sends the alarm to a beginning of a transmission queue for transmitting the ventilation data to the ventilation management system, wherein the alarm is communicated over the network prior to other ventilation data in the transmission queue.

A device for providing ventilatory assist to a patient has a manifold having an inspiratory port to receive an inspiratory flow from an inspiratory supply line, an interface port connectable to an external end of an endotracheal tube inserted in a patient's trachea and an expiratory port configured to receive an expiratory flow from the endotracheal tube via the interface port. An inspiratory lumen has a distal end insertable in the endotracheal tube. A cross-section of the inspiratory lumen is smaller than that of the endotracheal tube to allow gas flowing in the endotracheal tube. The inspiratory flow is directed to the inspiratory lumen, or to the endotracheal tube, or at once to the inspiratory lumen and to the endotracheal tube.