An electrically-powered inhalation device for delivery of an aerosol to the oropharynx of a user comprises respective proximal and distal portions, the proximal portion including an inlet for a liquid, the distal portion including an aerosol outlet defining a mist-exiting location and a piezo assembly including an ultrasonically vibrable mesh membrane, for producing, upon electrical activation, a mist comprising droplets of the liquid, the mesh membrane defining a mist-generating location; and an intermediate portion disposed distally from the proximal portion and proximally from the distal portion, wherein the distal portion is dimensioned to vertically span the user's oral cavity from tongue to hard-palate when the user's lips and/or teeth are transversely engaged with the intermediate portion, so as to place the mist-exiting location in fluid communication with the user's oropharynx.

The invention relates to a method of controlling a respiratory assistance apparatus delivering a flow of gas, particularly a flow of air, comprising the steps of measuring at least one parameter indicative of said flow of gas; converting said at least one parameter indicative of said flow of gas into at least one signal indicative of said flow of gas; processing said at least one signal indicative of the flow of gas in order therefrom to deduce at least one item of information relating to cardiac massage being performed on a patient in cardiac arrest; on the basis of said at least one deduced item of information, automatically selecting a given ventilation mode from among a number of stored ventilation modes, and controlling the respiratory assistance apparatus by applying the selected ventilation mode. Respiratory assistance apparatus capable of implementing said control method.

The invention relates to a respiratory-aid apparatus (1) capable of supplying a stream of gas to a patient (P), comprising a gas-transport pipe (2) for transporting a stream of gas, such as air; measurement means (6) designed to measure at least one parameter representing the stream of gas and to supply at least one signal corresponding to said at least one parameter representing said stream of gas, for example the gas flow rate or pressure; signal-processing means (8) designed to process said at least one signal from the measurement means (6) and to deduce therefrom at least one piece of information (I1, I2, I3) characterising a cardiac massage performed on a patient; and display means (7) designed to display said at least one piece of information (I1, I2, I3) characterising a cardiac massage from the signal-processing means (8). The signal-processing means (8) are preferably capable of determining information representing the work (W.sub.V, W.sub.T) provided by the massage or pressure and/or flow rate amplitudes resulting from the massage. The invention also relates to a monitoring method capable of being implemented by such a respiratory-aid apparatus (1).

The present invention relates to a method for protecting a ventilation device of a ventilator against backflowing exhaled air, and to a ventilator. A respiratory gas flow is generated by a blower device and is guided via a flow connection to a breathing interface. The respiratory gas flow is adjusted with the aid of a control device to a first ventilation pressure during an inhalation phase of the patient and to a second ventilation pressure during an exhalation phase. A characteristic variable for a flow within the flow connection is detected in this case by means of a monitoring device for monitoring backflowing exhaled air. And, in this case, a back pressure with respect to the backflowing expiratory flow is adjusted by means of a specific increase of the ventilation pressure with consideration for the characteristic variable, whereby an undesirable rebreathing into the ventilation device is counteracted by means of the back pressure.

A medical device is provided with an alarm organization. A process for alarm organization of a medical device is also provided. Based on pressure measured values (99) and flow measured values (97) and with a comparison criterion it is determined whether an elevation of an airway pressure (105) of an anesthesia device or of a ventilator is caused by a coughing event. A visual and/or acoustic output (117, 121) of a warning or alarm (42) is adapted, indicating the elevated airway pressure P.sub.AW.sub._.sub.High (105).

A humidification system including a conduit for carrying breathing gases, a pump to pressurize a liquid for injection into breathing gases, a liquid-injection nozzle protruding at least partially into the conduit and configured to inject liquid, pressurized by the pump, into the conduit; and a heated surface protruding into the conduit and positioned to vaporize the liquid injected by the nozzle, wherein the heated surface crosses a flow path of the breathing gases flowing through the conduit.

Systems and methods for collecting breathing gas properties via a medical ventilatory filter and wirelessly transmitting the data to another device. For example, the filter includes a first housing enclosing filtration media for filtering breathing gases flowing through the filter, the first housing defining a first port and a second port exposed to the breathing gases; and a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes a first sensor coupled to the first port, the first sensor configured to capture measurement data for a first gas property of breathing gases flowing through the filter; a second sensor coupled to the second port, the second sensor configured to capture measurement data for a first gas property of the breathing gases flowing through the filter; and a second housing. The second housing includes a processor and communication circuitry operative to wirelessly communicate the sensor data to a computing device located remotely from the filter.

A computer-implemented method is described. The method includes receiving an indication and determining a subject's oxygen consumption based on the indication. The indication refers to an oxygen fraction in a sample of inhalation gas delivered by a ventilator for inhalation by a subject. The indication further refers to an oxygen fraction in a sample of exhalation gas exhaled by the subject. The indication further refers a measurement of a flow rate of the exhalation gas.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting and sequestering waste anesthetic gases released by an anesthetic vaporizer. In one embodiment, a method for an anesthetic vaporizer installed in an anesthesia machine includes detecting an emission of waste anesthetic gases (WAGs) from the anesthetic vaporizer, and responsive to detecting the emission of WAGs, performing at least one of scavenging the WAGs and outputting an alert.

In alternative embodiments, provided are mechanical ventilators and methods for making and using them.