We provide a respiratory therapy system comprising: a flow generator; a humidifier; a respiratory conduit a patient interface coupled to the respiratory conduit to deliver a gases flow to a patient; a sensor configured to determine pressure or flow of the gases flow; a controller configured to control the flow generator to generate the gases flow; and the controller configured to: a) retrieve at least one first signal associated with or indicative of a gases flow and/or pressure in the respiratory conduit; b) determine a measure of at least one first parameter associated with gases flow perturbations and/or pressure perturbations for at least one portion of the retrieved at least one first signal; and c) determine the presence of liquid in the respiratory conduit based at least in part on the measure(s) of the at least one first parameter meeting a first threshold. The system can be used to reduce or alleviate condensation in a respiratory gas deliver conduit.

An apparatus may include: processing circuitry; a humidifier configured to humidify breathable gas; an air delivery tube configured to pass the humidified breathable gas to a patient interface, the air delivery tube including a heating element, a sensor configured to measure a property of the breathable gas, and a connector having a plurality of electrical tube contacts at least a portion of which are coupled to the heating element and the sensor; and a contact assembly including a plurality of electrical apparatus contacts configured to electrically couple the plurality of electrical tube contacts to the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to determine a type of air delivery tube coupled to the humidifier based on (1) which electrical apparatus contacts are coupled to the heating element and/or the sensor, and/or (2) electrical characteristic measured via one or more electrical apparatus contacts.

A humidification arrangement can be configured to have multiple compartments with each compartment having at least one moisture source and at least one heater. The compartments can be thermally isolated and can be controlled such that the moisture output of both the first and second compartments is set to a function of the same set of input signals.

A heating and humidifying device and a heating and humidifying method. The heating and humidifying device comprises a housing (1), a water tank atomizing set, a steam generator, a heating breathing pipeline, and a controller. A tank body (11) of the water tank atomizing set is buckled with a plurality of elastic pieces (5) in the housing by means of buckling strips on the outer side wall of the water tank atomizing set; the steam generator is snap fit with grooves (8) on the two sides of the housing (1) by means of the buckling pieces (29) on the two sides; a mist outlet (13) on the tank body (11) of the water tank atomizing set is connected to a connector (38) of the steam generator; a gas outlet (28) on the steam generator is connected to the heating breathing pipeline. The heating and humidifying method comprises the steps of: (1) water injecting atomization; (2) water mist gasifying; and (3) heat insulating and gas exhausting.

A humidification system can include a heater base, a humidification chamber, and a breathing circuit. A cartridge can be removably coupled to the heater base. The cartridge can include various sensors, probes, sensor wire connectors, heater wire connectors, and/or other features. The cartridge can include features configured to mate with corresponding features on the humidification chamber and the heater base. The cartridge includes a memory, such as an EEPROM, or other suitable storage device. When the cartridge is installed on the heater base, the memory is electrically connected to a processor and/or memory of the heater base. Various models of cartridges can be produced for use with different humidification chambers, breathing circuits, and/or therapies. A connector can be configured to couple an inspiratory conduit to an outlet port of the humidification chamber. The connector can provide a pneumatic connection to the outlet port and an electrical connection to the cartridge.

A humidification breathing apparatus for generating and delivering humidified air to a patient at a desired humidity proximate the patient, the apparatus comprising an air flow path and a controller for controlling operation of the humidification breathing apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to operate the humidification breathing apparatus to control humidity at a point in the flow path to achieve the desired delivered humidity proximate the patient based on the patient exhaled humidity and flow.

The invention relates to a respiratory system comprising a first patient interface for delivery of a first flow of gases to a patient, a second patient interface for delivery of a second flow of gases to the patient, and a device and/or sensing arrangement that is configure to facilitate a switching of the system between a first respiratory mode where the device allowing delivery of the first flow of gases to an outlet of the first patient interface when the second patient interface is absent from the patient, and a second respiratory mode where the device reducing or stopping delivery of the first flow of gases to the outlet of the first patient interface when the second patient interface is located together with the first patient interface upon the patient.

A humidification system has a humidification source and a main gases flow path. The main gases flow path has a low pressure region and a high pressure region. In some embodiments, each of the low pressure region and the high pressure region has an aperture. The pressure difference between the apertures promotes a gases flow between the main gases flow path and the humidification source, and results in humidifying the gases in the main gases flow path.

A respiratory system provides conditioned respiratory gases to a patient within a controlled temperature environment. A humidification apparatus has an inspiratory tube that may extend to a patient interface. The inspiratory tube may have a reduced length. A thermal insulation component may insulate at least a portion of the inspiratory tube. As a result, less of the inspiratory tube may be exposed to the surrounding ambient environment, which may reduce condensate formation within the inspiratory tube and heat loss to the surrounding ambient environment. The humidification apparatus may be directly coupled to the controlled temperature environment.

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.