A nebulizer device aerosolizes (or vaporizes) liquid drawn from a liquid reservoir via a fluid flow path into a nebulization chamber. An inlet port is coupled to an external air supply and leads through a check valve and Venturi nozzle (e.g. a duckbill valve) into the chamber to direct an air stream across an opening of the fluid flow path. A discharge port leads from the chamber to a user mask, mouthpiece or canula, where the aerosol or vapor mixture can be inhaled. A filtered outlet port isolates exhaled material from the external environment. Multiple discrete heating elements may be placed around the fluid flow path to preheat the liquid. If the liquid is sufficiently volatile, heating may vaporize the material which can condense back into an aerosol after mixing with the air stream. A set of check valves direct one-way fluid flow and prevent leakage or spillage of material from the device.

A positive airway pressure (PAP) device for supplying a flow of breathable gas to a patient includes a flow generator configured to pressurize a flow of breathable gas and a humidifier configured to receive and humidify the pressurized flow of breathable gas from the flow generator. The PAP device also includes a power source. The flow generator, humidifier and power source are positioned so that heat generated by at least one of the flow generator and the power source is conveyed to water in the humidifier.

Handheld carboxy therapy applicators are disclosed. In one implementation, a handheld carboxy therapy applicator includes a heater module, a humidification module, and a hypodermic needle. The heater module is configured to receive a flow of gas and to warm gas within the flow of gas. The humidification module is in fluid communication, such as in a serial connection, with the heater module. The humidification module is configured to receive the flow of gas from the heater module and to humidify the gas within the flow of gas. The hypodermic needle is in serial connection with the humidification module. The hypodermic needle is configured to receive the flow of gas from the humidification module and to inject the flow of gas into a tissue of a patient.

A therapeutic vaporizer inhalation bag attachment system with an integrated valve includes a body having a lumen extending between the two openings of the body, a bag coupling, and a valve positioned within the lumen. A first end of the body may include a mouthpiece and the second end of the body may include bag coupling to attach an inhalation bag. The body may include a plurality of cooling ribs extending in parallel with the lumen along an outer surface of a sidewall of the body. The valve may be a duck-bill valve configured to move between a first position which allows flow of vapor through the lumen in a first direction extending from the first opening to the second opening, and a second position which prevents substantial flow of vapor through the lumen in a second direction from the second opening to the first opening, the valve having two flaps extending within the lumen inwardly from an inner sidewall of the body

This invention relates to a humidifier for a respiratory assistance device, a respiratory assistance device comprising a humidifier and related methods and apparatus. The invention particularly provides arrangements for generating vapour by impinging light on metallic and/or carbon based material, particularly in the form of nanoparticles.

In one embodiment, there is provided a humidification chamber for use in a medical humidification system. The humidification chamber may comprise: a base and a top linked by a side wall to define the chamber, the chamber being configured to contain a volume of water; a gases inlet configured to receive a gases flow from a gases source; and a gases outlet, wherein the gases inlet is orientated relative to the side wall to introduce the gases flow to the humidification chamber at a direction substantially tangential to the side wall of the humidification chamber.

A positive airway pressure (PAP) device for supplying a flow of breathable gas to a patient includes a flow generator configured to pressurize a flow of breathable gas and a humidifier configured to receive and humidify the pressurized flow of breathable gas from the flow generator. The PAP device also includes a power source. The flow generator, humidifier and power source are positioned so that heat generated by at least one of the flow generator and the power source is conveyed to water in the humidifier.

A humidification apparatus for a respiratory assistance device is provided wherein the humidification apparatus is configured such that, in use, light impinges on a humidification material to generate localised heating of liquid molecules around the humidification material to generate vapour. A respiratory assistance device comprising a humidifier and related methods and apparatus are also provided. Arrangements are provided for generating vapour by impinging light on a humidification material, wherein, in some embodiments, the humidification material comprises a metallic and/or carbon based material, particularly in the form of nanoparticles.

In some additional aspects, an apparatus for generating nitric oxide (NO) can include one or more pairs of electrodes configured to initiate a series of electric arcs to synthesize a reactant gas into a product gas comprising NO, a sensor configured to measure a flow of a gas in a respiratory system into which the product gas is provided, a controller in communication with the one or more pairs of electrodes and the sensor. The controller is configured to adjust at least one of a pulse width, pulse period, pulse count per pulse group, pulse groups per second, energy generated by the one or more pairs of electrodes, arc frequency, arc current, and a voltage supplied to the one or more pairs of electrodes based on the measured flow to control a concentration of nitric oxide in the product gas.

A system for generating nitric oxide can include an apparatus positioned in a trachea of a mammal, the apparatus including a respiration sensor for collecting information related to one or more triggering events associated with the trachea, an oxygen sensor for collecting information related to a concentration of oxygen in a gas, and one or more pairs of electrodes for initiating a series of electric arcs to generate nitric oxide, and the system for generating nitric oxide can also include a controller for determining one or more control parameters based on the information collected by the respiration sensor and the oxygen sensor, wherein the series of electric arcs is initiated based on the control parameters determined by the controller.