Systems, methods, and devices for humidifying a breathing gas using a vapor transfer unit are presented. The method includes providing a first vapor transfer unit having a gas passage and a liquid passage, delivering a liquid to the liquid passage, delivering a gas to the gas passage, humidifying the gas by delivering vapor from the liquid in the liquid passage to the gas in the gas passage, exiting the humidified gas outside the vapor transfer unit at first relative humidity and at a high gas flow rate, and reducing the gas flow rate through the first vapor transfer unit to less than a low gas flow rate, while preventing the relative humidity from exceeding the first relative humidity by more than an acceptable margin.

A respiratory assistance device includes a gas supply source, an inspiratory pipe, and a humidifier. A gas is supplied to a mask through the gas supply source and the inspiratory pipe. The humidifier includes a liquid supply unit, a humidifying member, a holder unit and a heating unit. The liquid supply unit supplies a liquid to the humidifying member. The humidifying member has an aspect that makes one round of the inner periphery of the inspiratory pipe, and vaporizes the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit. The holder unit holds the humidifying member such that the humidifying member is disposed to make one round of the inner periphery of the inspiratory pipe in a continuous or discontinuous manner. The heating unit heats the inside of the inspiratory pipe.

The invention relates to an inhaler component for forming a vapor-air mixture and/or condensation aerosol by vaporizing a liquid material and optionally condensing the vapor formed, including: a heating element for vaporizing a portion of the liquid material; a wick for automatically supplying the liquid material to the heating element, wherein the wick comprises at least two end sections arranged apart from each other; a first capillary gap for automatically supplying the liquid material to the wick, wherein a first end section of the wick projects into the first capillary gap. In order that the heating element can be supplied more quickly and ore reliably with the liquid material, a second capillary gap is provided, which receives therein the second end section of the wick.

The invention relates to an inhaler component for forming a vapor-air mixture and/or condensation aerosol by vaporizing a liquid material and optionally condensing the vapor formed, including: a heating element for vaporizing a portion of the liquid material; a wick for automatically supplying the liquid material to the heating element, wherein the wick comprises at least two end sections arranged apart from each other; a first capillary gap for automatically supplying the liquid material to the wick, wherein a first end section of the wick projects into the first capillary gap. In order that the heating element can be supplied more quickly and more reliably with the liquid material, a second capillary gap is provided, which receives therein the second end section of the wick.

A respiratory assistance device including a respiratory interface device configured to be worn by a user and deliver a gas, a gas temperature measurement unit configured to measure a gas temperature that is a temperature of the gas, a warming unit configured to warm the gas, and a temperature change unit configured to change the gas temperature by controlling the warming unit. The respiratory assistance device can administer comfortable respiratory assistance even during sleep.

Provided is an expansion-chamber muffler as a downsized sound muffler while keeping a function of noise reduction, comprising: a tube (A) which supplies and evacuates a gas having a noise, wherein the tube (A) in the midway has a cavity with a cross-sectional area larger than that of the tube (A); and at least two or more ports for inflow or outflow of the gas on the lateral side of a tube (B) extending from the expansion-chamber muffler, on the opposite side of the noise source generating the noise.

An exchanger conduit permits temperature and/or humidity conditioning of a gas for a patient respiratory interface. In an example embodiment, a conduit has a first channel and a second channel where the first channel is configured to conduct an inspiratory gas and the second channel configured to conduct an expiratory gas. An exchanger is positioned along the first channel and the second channel to separate the first channel and the second channel. The exchanger is configured to transfer a component (e.g., temperature or humidity) of the gas of the second channel to the gas of the first channel. In some embodiments, an optional flow resistor may be implemented to permit venting at pressures above atmospheric pressure so as to allow pressure stenting of a patient respiratory system without a substantial direct flow from a flow generator of respiratory treatment apparatus to the patient during patient expiration.

The invention relates to an inhaler component for forming a vapor-air mixture and/or condensation aerosol by vaporizing a liquid material and optionally condensing the vapor formed, including: a heating element for vaporizing a portion of the liquid material; a wick for automatically supplying the liquid material to the heating element, wherein the wick includes at least two end sections arranged apart from each other; a first capillary gap for automatically supplying the liquid material to the wick, wherein a first end section of the wick projects into the first capillary gap. In order that the heating element can be supplied more quickly and more reliably with the liquid material, a second capillary gap is provided, which receives therein the second end section of the wick.

Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for manufacturing a vapor transfer cartridge with a constant inner diameter to maximize the area available for fibers required for heating and humidifying a breathing gas. In one aspect, a vapor transfer cartridge includes a center tube extending along a first axis from a first to a second end, having a continuous inner diameter, a first header piece configured as a cap and including a channel about an inner circumference of the header piece coupled to the first end of the center tube, a second header piece coupled to the second end of the center tube, and a plurality of fibers arranged along the axis of the center tube from the first end to the second end. The first header piece further includes a first port, and a baffle.

A medical humidifier for humidification of air to be delivered to a patient's airways may include a humidification chamber, a reservoir and a water delivery mechanism. The humidification chamber may include a water retention feature such as a wick, a heating element for heating the humidification chamber, and an air flow baffle configured to promote humidification. The humidifier may be further configured to execute one or more algorithms, for example to determine a condition of the humidifier and/or to mitigate any detected faults. In some forms, the humidifier may also comprise algorithms for controlling one or more components of the humidifier.