A 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 that encloses part of the flow path, 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 wick or to detect condensation in the flow path. In some forms, the humidifier may also comprise algorithms for controlling one or more components of the humidifier such as to control the build up of foreign matter on the wick.

Condensation or rain-out is a problem in medical circuits and previous attempts to manage and/or prevent rain-out have resulted in relatively expensive and/or difficult to manufacture medical circuit components. The subject patent provides an improved medical circuit component for managing rain-out. In particular the component may be an improved breathing tube, or insufflation system limb comprising a helically corrugated tube preferably incorporating a heater wire.

A medical gas condition system for supplying a liquid hydration fluid to a hydrator before or during an ongoing medical procedure by coupling the flow of liquid hydration fluid into the hydrator to either the absence of flow of medical insufflation gas into the hydrator or to a condition where the liquid hydration fluid can be absorbed by a hydrator without being forced through the hydrator in liquid form.

Condensation or rain-out is a problem in breathing circuits and especially neonatal breathing circuits. The subject patent provides an improved breathing tube component for managing rain-out particularly in neonatal applications. In particular the breathing tube has a smooth inner bore, and an outer insulating layer containing stagnant gas and a heater wire.

An apparatus for delivering a flow of gas has a housing, a cover, and a magnetic coupling system arranged to magnetically couple the cover-to the housing. Each of the housing and cover having complementary locating features, the locating features being adapted to locate and align the cover and the apparatus relative to each other to allow for the magnetic coupling. The apparatus also has a handle movably connected to the housing and is movable from a first position to a second position. The housing and the handle comprise complementary interlock features arranged to engage with each other when upward force is applied to the handle in the second position, and the interlock features are disengaged from each other when the handle is in the second position but upward force is not applied to the handle.

Some embodiments provide for humidifier control systems and methods configured to adjust power to a heater plate in a surgical humidifier to account for changes in flow rate to provide a consistent output, to provide functionality for different modes of use, and to provide accurate control over temperature and/or humidity at relatively low flows. The humidifier control system can receive a flow rate reading and determine a power requirement corresponding to the received flow rate reading, wherein the power requirement is one of a plurality of set points which correspond to ranges of flow rates. The humidifier control system can determine a mode of use based at least in part on the flow rate reading. The humidifier control system can provide electrical power to the heater plate according to the power requirement and/or the mode of use.

A gas therapy system (1) has a flow line (3, 2), a coupler (6) to a gas source, and an aerosol generator (4) for aerosol delivery, and a patient interface such as a nasal interface (2). A controller (10) is configured to modulate gas flow and aerosol delivery in real time. The controller changes gas flow rate and dynamically reduces aerosol delivery during upper gas flow rates such as 60 LPM, and activates aerosol delivery during lower gas flow rates of for example 10 LPM. The control may also include sensors to detect breathing, so that there is a bias towards increased aerosol delivery during inhalation in addition to during lower level gas flow.

A combination positive airway pressure (PAP) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and resuscitation system and related methods. The systems can be well-suited for use in providing CPAP therapy for a neonate or infant patient, with the ability to also provide resuscitation therapy at a peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) as needed or desired without switching to another system or switching the patient interface. The system can include an expiratory pressure device capable of regulating a positive end expiration pressure (PEEP) of the system, which preferably can also induce pressure oscillations relative to a mean PEEP.

An apparatus for humidifying a flow of breathable gas includes a water reservoir and a water reservoir dock forming a cavity structured and arranged to receive the water reservoir in an operative position. The water reservoir comprises a reservoir base including a cavity structured to hold a volume of water, the reservoir base including a main body and a thermally conductive portion provided to the main body. The thermally conductive portion comprises a combined layered arrangement including a metal plate and a thin film, the thin film comprising a non-metallic material and including a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. The thin film is adapted to form at least a bottom interior surface of the water reservoir exposed to the volume of water, and the metal plate is adapted to form a bottom exterior surface of the water reservoir.

A respiratory assistance apparatus has a gases inlet configured to receive a supply of gases, a blower unit configured to generate a pressurised gases stream from the supply of gases; a humidification unit configured to heat and humidify the pressurised gases stream; and a gases outlet for the heated and humidified gases stream. A flow path for the gases stream extends through the respiratory device from the gases inlet through the blower unit and humidification unit to the gases outlet. A sensor assembly is provided in the flow path before the humidification unit. The sensor assembly has an ultrasound gas composition sensor system for sensing one or more gas concentrations within the gases stream.