There is provided an exhaust apparatus for connection to a personal protection respiratory device that defines a filtered air volume adjacent to the face of a wearer and comprises at least one exhalation, the apparatus comprising a blower in fluid connection with the at least one exhalation valve, the blower being responsive to the wearer's respiratory cycle to draw a substantial portion of the wearer's exhaled breath through the at least one exhalation valve wherein, in response to the wearer's respiratory cycle, the blower operates throughout the wearer's exhale breath, or a substantial period thereof, and does not operate throughout the wearer's inhale breath, or a substantial period thereof.

A respiratory therapy apparatus is operable to deliver multiple types of therapy to a patient. The apparatus includes a main housing and a nebulizer tray that selectively attaches to a bottom of the main housing. The apparatus also includes a filter housing unit having an antenna surrounding a pneumatic passage and a transponder chip coupled to the antenna. The main housing has also has an antenna that surrounds a respective pneumatic passage of a main outlet port of the apparatus. The main housing includes a reader that controls communication between the antennae. The main housing of the apparatus also has a pivotable hose support plate, a firmware upgrade port underneath part of the top wall of the housing, and a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays various user inputs for control of the apparatus and that displays various alert conditions that are detected.

A controller or processor(s) implements detection of respiratory related conditions that may serve as control logic to synchronize pressure treatment delivery with a patient's respiratory cycle. Based on data derived from sensor signals associated with the respiratory treatment, a monitoring device, detector or respiratory treatment apparatus may evaluate flow measures from a flow sensor and distinguish flow attributable to the respiratory treatment apparatus and flow attributable to patient respiratory muscles. The determination may serve as a basis of synchronization criteria that controls pressure levels from a pressure treatment apparatus, such as by evaluating the determined patient generated flow or a relationship between total flow and apparatus flow. In some embodiments, data for the cycling conditions is determined in preliminary treatment cycles during which synchronized pressure changes are controlled according to other cycling criteria. The new cycling conditions are then automatically initiated for control of synchronization in subsequent cycles.

A pump arrangement for powering a pump in providing a controlled volume of water to a drip nozzle in a drip-feed humidifier. The pump arrangement includes: 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 provided to the solenoid via the switch such that the power is supplied to the solenoid according to a mirror image power profile for each actuation of the solenoid for retracting the armature. The mirror image power profile includes: an initial portion which decreases at a third overall rate, an intermediate portion which decreases at a second overall rate different than the third overall rate, and a final portion which increases at a first overall rate.

A high flow therapy system for delivering heated and humidified respiratory gas to an airway of a patient includes a respiratory gas flow pathway for delivering the respiratory gas to the airway of the patient by way of a non-sealing respiratory interface; wherein flow rate of the respiratory gas is controlled by a microprocessor, a mixing area for mixing a first gas and a second gas in the respiratory gas flow pathway, a humidification area downstream of the mixing area and configured for humidifying respiratory gas in the respiratory gas flow pathway, and a heated delivery conduit for minimizing condensation of humidified respiratory gas.

A lightweight impeller is provided for use in a pressurised gas source for a CPAP or other breathing assistance apparatus. The impeller can be shroudless or otherwise lightweight.

A patient interface, including a mask assembly and a headgear assembly, provides improved facial sealing and improved ease of use. The mask assembly includes an inflating or ballooning seal. The seal can be secured between two portions of a snap-fit exoskeleton. The headgear assembly connects to the mask assembly with flexible straps during course fitting and with more rigid straps following course fitting. The straps include holes that fit over a tapering post on the mask assembly.

A diagnostic device is disclosed for characterisation of particles from a patient's airways, such as a lung, when ventilated by a ventilator, and/or for control thereof, comprising a particle detecting unit configured to be connected to a conduit for passing expiration fluid from said patient, for obtaining data related to particles being exhaled from said patient's airways.

A method of ventilating a patient controls an actuator, in accordance with a prescribed value for a respiratory parameter, to compress an inflatable bag to cause air to flow out of an output valve of the bag. The respiratory parameter may include tidal volume, pressure, volume limit, peak pressure, I:E ratio, inspiratory time, and/or breathing rate of the air flowing through the output valve. The method also senses the pressure flowing through the output valve, and sends a pressure signal to the controller. Additionally, the method senses the flow rate through the output valve, and sends a flow rate signal to the controller. The method also adjusts the compression of the actuator as a function of the flow rate signal and/or the pressure signal to adjust the output tidal volume, pressure, volume limit, peak pressure, I:E ratio, inspiratory time, and/or breathing rate to be in accordance with the prescribed value.

Provided is an exacerbation prediction device equipped with a respiration sensing means of continuously sensing respiration data of a patient, a calculation means of calculating stable respiration data that are respiration data during a condition in which a respiratory rate is lowered and stable for a certain period of time from the sensed continuous respiration data of the patient, and a prediction means of predicting occurrence of an acute exacerbation in the patient in accordance with the stable respiration data calculated during a certain period of time.