A process for ventilating a patient as well as a devicepatient module (20)operating according to the process, wherein, for example, a body weight value concerning an estimated body weight of the patient is transmitted to a patient module (20) intended for ventilating the patient, wherein the patient module (20) automatically selects ventilation parameters (52) fitting the body weight value on the basis of the body weight value and wherein the ventilation of the patient is carried out with the selected ventilation parameters (52).

A miniature pneumatic device includes a miniature fluid control device and a miniature valve device. The miniature fluid control device includes a gas inlet plate, a resonance plate, a piezoelectric actuator and a gas collecting plate. A first chamber is formed between the resonance plate and the piezoelectric actuator. After a gas is fed into the gas inlet plate, the gas is transferred to the first chamber through the resonance plate and then transferred downwardly. Consequently, a pressure gradient is generated to continuously push the gas. The miniature valve device includes a valve plate and a gas outlet plate. After the gas is transferred from the miniature fluid control device to the miniature valve device, the valve opening of the valve plate is correspondingly opened or closed and the gas is transferred in one direction. Consequently, a pressure-collecting operation or a pressure-releasing operation is selectively performed.

An arrangement for powering a pump in providing a controlled volume of water to a drip nozzle in a drip-feed humidifier. The pump arrangement including: a pump having a solenoid; a processing unit; and a power supply electrically connected to the solenoid via a switch which is controlled by the processing unit. The power supply is structured to supply power to the solenoid via the switch. The processing unit is programmed to modulate the power to the solenoid such that the pump is driven at or near a resonant frequency of the pump.

Controllability of a linear motor or a compressor is improved. There is provided a linear motor system that includes: an armature having magnetic poles and winding wires; a mover having a permanent magnet; and a power conversion unit that outputs AC power to the winding wires, in which the mover and the armature are relatively movable, and the mover or the armature is connected to an elastic body. The linear motor system further includes: a position detection unit that detects and outputs the position of the mover with respect to the armature, a position estimation, or a current detection unit that outputs the value of current flowing through the winding wires; and a control unit that controls the output of the power conversion unit on the basis of the output of the position detection unit, the output of the position estimation unit, or the output of the current detection unit. In the case where a signal having a frequency substantially the same as the frequency of the AC power is applied to the output of the position detection unit, to the output of the position estimation unit, or to the output of the current detection unit, the control unit changes the frequency of the AC power, and in the case where a signal having a frequency substantially larger than the frequency of the AC power is applied, the control unit keeps the frequency of the AC power substantially the same.

A control unit for a solenoid pump, the solenoid pump including: an inlet port, an outlet port, and a first through-bore connecting the inlet and outlet ports; a plunger disposed within the first through-bore and including a second through-bore; a spring arranged to urge the plunger toward the outlet port; a solenoid coil disposed about a portion of the plunger and arranged to displace the plunger toward the inlet port in response to direct current coil power applied to the solenoid coil, the control unit including a microcontroller operatively arranged to control the solenoid coil, a first transistor operatively arranged to receive an external signal and communicate the signal to the microcontroller to control the solenoid coil, and a second transistor, arranged between the microcontroller and the solenoid coil, the second transistor operatively arranged to energize and de-energize the solenoid coil in response to the microcontroller.

An electronic cigarette vaporizer that includes a heating element and further includes or co-operates with an electronics module that (i) detects characteristics of the resistance of the heating element and (ii) uses an inference of temperature derived from that resistance as a control input. The temperature of the heating element may be inferred from data stored in the electronics module that has been empirically obtained for a specific heating element design. The electronics module controls the power delivered to the heating element to ensure that it is no higher than approximately 130 C., plus an error tolerance.

An electronic cigarette vaporizer that includes an air pressure valve or device to enable excess air to escape from an e-liquid reservoir in the vaporizer during pressurized filling of the vaporizer with e-liquid. If the vaporizer includes a ceramic cell, then the air pressure device is the wall of the ceramic cell and the reservoir is the chamber arranged outside of the external wall of the ceramic cell.

An electronic cigarette vaporizer includes a heating element, an air pressure sensor and a microcontroller; the microcontroller stores, processes or determines the extent of each inhalation using signals from the air pressure sensor. The microcontroller can calculate the approximate e-liquid consumption from the extent of each inhalation or provide data that enables an external processor to calculate approximate e-liquid consumption. The extent of an inhalation is a function of one or more of: duration; peak flow rate; average flow rate.

A piezoelectric blower includes a housing, a vibrating body, and a piezoelectric element. The vibrating body includes a vibration plate, a reinforcing plate, and a restraining plate. The vibrating body forms a columnar blower chamber with the housing while holding the blower chamber therebetween from a thickness direction of the vibration plate. The vibrating body includes an outer peripheral region in contact with an area from the outermost node of pressure vibration in the blower chamber, of nodes of the pressure vibration formed by the bending vibration of the vibrating body, to an outer periphery of the blower chamber, and a center region located in an inner side portion of the outer peripheral region. The restraining plate that restrains the bending vibration of the outer peripheral region is provided in the outer peripheral region.

An electronic cigarette vaporizer is not dis-assembled for filling with e-liquid, but is instead filled from a user-replaceable e-liquid cartridge. The vaporizer includes a front section comprising a wick and heating assembly but no e-liquid cartridge, the front section being removably fitted to a body of the vaporizer to enable a replacement front section to be used once the original wick or heating element starts to degrade, that replacement front section being supplied to the end-user with no e-liquid in it.