A gas sensor for the detection of gases and vapors in air is particularly for the detection of anesthetic gases. A method for the detection and for the monitoring of such gases is also provided including detecting anesthetic gases with the gas sensor.

The invention relates to a flow indicator preferably to be used in oxygen therapy treatment of patients where a clear flow or no flow state must be signaled for the supply of oxygen.

According to the inventive flow indicator are two cylindrical bodies used, one (30) movable and one (10) stationary, and with one extended flow restriction passage (80) that forces the movable cylindrical body away from a sight glass (40), instead exposing the stationary cylindrical body. The viewable cylindrical part of the movable part may be colored red (R), and the viewable cylindrical part of the stationary body may be colored green (G).

A flow indicator with quick and stable indication of developed flow is obtained.

The present invention relates generally to the fields of treating psychiatric disorders, in particular, anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in subjects, e.g., human subjects, by administering a xenon and/or argon containing composition. Treatments can also employ psychotherapy in combination with administration of xenon and/or argon, alone or in combination with additional psychotherapeutic medications to treat the anxiety disorder and reduce a symptom of the anxiety disorder in the subject.

A breathing circuit for use in conjunction with a ventilator serving a mechanically-ventilated patient includes an expiratory gas airflow pathway; an inspiratory gas airflow pathway; and a gas mixing mechanism operable to mix inspiratory gas and expiratory gas in an amount sufficient to equilibrate the patient's PETCO.sub.2 and arterial PCO.sub.2 such that the patient's PETCO.sub.2 is a clinically reliable approximation of the patient's PaCO.sub.2.

An HME device, used in a closed breathing circuit of a ventilation system, has a housing with an inlet opening and with an outlet opening, an HME chamber (50a; 50b; 50c; 50d; 50e; 50f; 50g; 50h; 50i) arranged between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for receiving an HME medium and a switching mechanism (70a; 70b; 70c; 70d; 70e; 70f; 70g; 70h; 70i). The HME device can be switched over between an HME mode (M1), in which an HME fluid passage is provided from the inlet opening through the HME chamber to the outlet opening, and a bypass mode (M2), in which a fluid bypass passage is provided from the inlet opening past the HME chamber through a bypass channel (80a; 80b; 80d; 80e; 80f; 80h) in the housing to the outlet opening. The bypass channel is blocked with respect to the HME chamber in the bypass mode (M2).

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for facilitating anaesthesia, particularly in Re-Breather anaesthetic circuits. A problem with Re-Breather circuits is that their dynamic response can be relatively slow. The dynamic response is the response of the circuit to delivering changes of anaesthetic concentration. In current circuits, Fresh Gas containing anaesthetic is delivered into the circuit and may be substantially diluted by the gas already present in the circuit. It is therefore difficult to achieve a rapid increase of anaesthetic concentration for delivery to the patient. In the present invention, an accumulator is placed in the Re-Breather circuit to accumulate Fresh Gas containing anaesthetic as it is introduced into the circuit, adjacent an inhalation conduit to the patient. Fresh Gas containing high concentrations of anaesthetic is therefore immediately available to the patient.

A chemical absorbent comprising a hydrated mixture of a major proportion of a pharmaceutically acceptable hydroxide of a Group II metal and a minor proportion of a Group I metal-containing zeolite. The chemical absorbent is substantially free of hydroxides of Group I metals.

Described here are closed-circuit breathing devices and methods for their use. In general, the closed-circuit breathing device is configured to achieve a steady-state equilibrium, whereby therapeutic gas is introduced into the breathing circuit in small, controlled volumes until a steady state concentration of the therapeutic gas is reached. During this time, the closed-circuit breathing device is operated in a true closed circuit, such that the therapeutic gas is not lost to the atmosphere. Safety measures are built into the closed-circuit breathing device so that a hypoxic mixture is not delivered to the subject. The therapeutic gas may be xenon.

A humidification system for delivering humidified gases to a user can include a heater base, humidification chamber having an inlet, outlet, and associated fluid conduit, and breathing circuit including a supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit. The humidification system can include various features to help make set-up less difficult and time-consuming. For example, the supply conduit, inspiratory conduit, and optional expiratory conduit can be coupled into a one-piece circuit to aid set-up. Various components can be color-coded and can have corresponding structures to indicate which components should be connected to one another during set-up. Such features can also help make the set-up process more intuitive for an operator, which can reduce the need for specialized training and reduce the number of potential errors.

An anesthetic vaporizer system includes a reservoir containing anesthetic agent, an agent level sensor measuring an agent level of the anesthetic agent in the reservoir, a display, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive agent level measurements from the agent level sensor over a time period, and determine the anesthetic agent is being added to the reservoir from an agent source based on the agent level measurements over the time period. A filling status is determined based on the agent level measurements and a filling status indicator is displayed based on the determined filling status.