A respiratory therapy system configured to deliver gases to a patient can have a non-sealed gas flow generating arrangement configured to deliver a high flow of positive gas to an airway of a patient and a negative flow of gas away from an airway of the patient. The positive and negative flows of gas can be generated simultaneously. The flow of positive and negative gases reduces exhaled gases in anatomical dead spaces of the patient.

Methods and system for concentrating oxygen include providing a portable apparatus having a plurality of sieve beds, each sieve bed in the plurality of sieve beds including a first end and a second end, a reservoir storing oxygen-enriched gas exiting from the second ends of the plurality of sieve beds, a compressor, an oxygen delivery valve communicating with the reservoir via a delivery line, a flow sensor associated with the delivery line, and control electronics adapted to control operation of the oxygen delivery valve; measuring, via the flow sensor, a flow of the oxygen-enriched gas through the sensor and outputting a signal indicative thereof; and controlling, using the control electronics, the opening and closing the oxygen delivery valve to deliver the oxygen-enriched gas from the reservoir to a user based on the signal.

The present invention generally relates to, amongst other things, systems, devices, materials, and methods that can improve the accuracy and/or precision of nitric oxide therapy by, for example, reducing the dilution of inhaled nitric oxide (NO). As described herein, NO dilution can occur because of various factors. To reduce the dilution of an intended NO dose, various exemplary nasal cannulas, pneumatic configurations, methods of manufacturing, and methods of use, etc. are disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a device, system and method for providing high flow therapy interfaces for use in the treatment of respiratory conditions and in assisted respirations. A nasal cannula for delivery of respiratory gases includes at least one nasal insert and at least one flange coupled to the at least one nasal insert where the at least one flange extends in a radial direction from the at least one nasal insert is provided. In another aspect of the embodiment, the at least one flange is adapted to fit within the nostril of a patient. In another aspect of the embodiment, the at least one flange is a lobulated flange.

A gas delivery conduit adapted for fluidly connecting to a respiratory gases delivery system in a high flow therapy system. In one embodiment, a nasal cannula includes a base portion defining a first therapeutic gas passageway, a nozzle disposed adjacent said base portion and defining a second therapeutic gas passageway, the first passageway being in gaseous communication with the second passageway and a conduit configured to facilitate sensing that has an inlet side that is independent of and axially spaced apart from an outlet side of the nozzle. The conduit inlet side can extend beyond the nozzle outlet side of the nasal cannula. Additionally, the nasal cannula has a feature adapted to prevent one of the conduit and the nozzle from creating a seal with a user's nare and a feature adapted to prevent one of the conduit and the nozzle from creating a seal with a user's nare.

The device of the invention is equipped with a pressure sensor and a control unit, and the control unit judges a point at which a pressure gradient calculated from a signal of the pressure sensor becomes larger than a pressure gradient threshold as an inspiration sensing point and starts respiratory gas supply. In addition, the device judges from a frequency of the inspiration sensing point during predetermined time whether a pressure gradient threshold used as a criterion for the inspiration sensing point corresponds to an activity state of the user, and when the pressure gradient threshold does not correspond to the activity state, switches the pressure gradient threshold to another threshold and thus fits the pressure gradient threshold to the activity state.

Embodiments of gas concentrating systems and methods are provided. These systems and methods comprise configuration of hardware and software components to monitor various sensors associated the systems and methods of concentrating gas as described herein. These hardware and software components are further configured to utilize information obtained from sensors throughout the system to perform certain data analysis tasks. Through analysis, the system may, for example, calculate a time to failure for one or more system components, generate alarms to warn a user of pending component failure, modify system settings to improve functionality in differing environmental conditions, modify system operation to conserve energy, and/or determine optimal setting configurations based on sensor feedback.

Nasal cannulas for providing respiratory therapy to patients can have a body, two prongs extending from the body, and a gases inlet on one side of the body. There can be a throttle or internal localized reduction in the cross-sectional area of a cavity defined by the internal walls of the cannula body in between the prongs. In at least some arrangements, the throttle can partially or substantially fully equalize flow between the prongs of the cannula.

Apparatus provide gas sensing operations such as for oxygen concentration sensing with an oxygen concentrator. In some versions, gas concentration sensing apparatus with pressure, temperature and/or mass flow sensors measure characteristics of a gas mixture in a vessel. A controller of the apparatus may estimate concentration of a constituent gas in the gas mixture as a function of the measured pressure, temperature and mass flow rate. In some versions, the sensing apparatus may measure a thermal conductivity of enriched gas, and, with a controller, estimate concentration of argon in the enriched gas from the thermal conductivity. The controller may estimate concentration of oxygen in the enriched gas from the concentration of argon. In some versions, an oxygen concentrator may have a mass flow sensor and a controller configured to trigger bolus delivery and/or measure oxygen concentration, and/or regulate bolus profile based on signals from the mass flow sensor.

Sensing airflow and delivering therapeutic gas to a patient. At least some of the example embodiments are methods including: titrating a patient with therapeutic gas during a period of time when a flow state of breathing orifices is in a first state, the titrating results in a prescription titration volume; and then delivering the prescription titration volume of therapeutic gas to the patient when the flow state of the breathing orifices is in a second state different than the first state, the delivering only to the breathing orifices open to flow.