An apparatus for humidifying a flow of pressurised, breathable air includes varying a first pressure of the flow of breathable gas to vary a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, varying a height of the variable portion varies a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, use of a humidifier reservoir base component with a maximum water capacity substantially equal to the predetermined maximum volume of water of the humidifier reservoir or the use of intersecting inlet and outlet axes.

A patient interface for sealed delivery of a flow of air to ameliorate sleep disordered breathing may include: a seal-forming structure to form a pneumatic seal with the entrance to the patient's airways; a positioning and stabilising structure to maintain the seal-forming structure in sealing contact with an area surrounding the entrance to the patient's airways; a plenum chamber pressurised at a pressure above ambient pressure in use; a connection port for the delivery of the flow of breathable gas into the patient interface; and a device positioned within a breathing chamber defined, at least in part, by the seal-forming structure and the plenum chamber, wherein the device divides the breathing chamber into a posterior chamber and an anterior chamber, and wherein the device comprises a plurality of apertures such that turbulence of the air in the posterior chamber is less than turbulence in the air in the anterior chamber.

Described is an apparatus for oxygenation and/or CO2 clearance of a patient, comprising: a flow source or a connection for a flow source for providing a gas flow, a gas flow modulator, a controller to control the gas flow, wherein the controller is operable to: receive input relating to heart activity and/or trachea gas flow of the patient, and control the gas flow modulator to provide a varying gas flow with one or more oscillating components with a frequency or frequencies based on the heart activity and/or trachea flow of the patient.

A patient interface for treating sleep disorder breathing includes a headgear tube that provides support for the seal forming structure. The headgear tube includes a patient-contacting portion and a non-patient contacting portion that are joined along seams to form a gas passageway. The headgear tube may comprise a textile material and/or a foam material. Portions of the headgear tube may be imparted with greater rigidity than other portions.

A sedation device (1) has a housing (2) having a ventilator chamber (3) and an associated patient chamber (4) in communication with the ventilator chamber (3). A filter (5) is mounted between the ventilator chamber (3) and the patient chamber (4) and forms a common gas-permeable dividing wall between the ventilator chamber (3) and the patient chamber (4). An inlet port (6) is provided on the ventilator chamber (3) for connection via a Y-piece to a ventilator. An outlet port (9) of the patient chamber (4) connects via a patient breathing tube (10) with a patient. An associated pair of inserts are provided, namely a first insert (14) fixedly mounted in the ventilator chamber (3) and a second insert (15) fixedly mounted in the patient chamber (4). One or both of these inserts (14, 15) are mounted within the housing (2) to vary the internal volume of the housing (2) as required to suit different patients. The inserts (14, 15) are nestably engageable with an inner wall of the housing (2).

A respiratory therapy system can have a flow generator adapted to provide gases to a patient. A gas passageway can be located in-line with the flow generator. The gas passageway can have a first portion adapted to receive a first gas and a second portion adapted to receive a second gas. The gas passageway can have a static mixer downstream of the first and second portions.

The present invention includes an apparatus and method for breaking up mucus in a lung comprising: a chamber having an inlet and an outlet; a pressure oscillating unit in fluid communication with the chamber for supplying and vacuuming air into/out of the chamber, wherein the pressure oscillating unit creates ultrasound waves; a control unit for selecting a positive air pressure or a negative air pressure from the pressure oscillating unit, a fluid container in fluid communication with the chamber; a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the chamber; and an outlet connected to the chamber to send respiration gas to a patient, ultrasonic waves in the respiration gas are capable of breaking up mucus in the lung.

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.

Systems and methods are provided for delivering one or more drugs. In some embodiments, a drug delivery system includes a housing having a distal end with an inlet through which an inspiratory flow of air passes into the housing, a proximal end having a patient interface attached thereto, the patient interface being configured to interface with a user, and an inspiratory flow pathway extending from the distal end to the proximal end of the housing. A nitric oxide (NO) source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver NO-containing gas to the patient interface. A secondary drug source is positioned within the housing and is configured to deliver a secondary drug to the patient interface. A controller is configured to control an amount of NO-containing gas and an amount of the secondary drug delivered using a control scheme.

An apparatus is provided to change the absolute humidity of a flow of air for delivery to an entrance of the airways of a patient, the change being compared to the absolute humidity of ambient air. The apparatus has a reservoir configured to hold a volume of liquid. A heating element creates vapour from the liquid. A chamber is provided to mix the flow of air with the vapour. The apparatus has a body having a first wall structure with a chamber inlet port. A closure element having an air inlet port for pneumatically connecting to a source of the flow of air is secured to the body to provide a sealed gas flow path between the air inlet port and the chamber inlet port, and a liquid trap in the gas flow path.