A sensor and method for determining the state of a humidification chamber in a respiratory gas humidifier. The sensor comprises a transmitter for emitting an electromagnetic radiation signal, a receiver for receiving the electromagnetic radiation signal and providing an output signal, and a controller for varying the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation signal emitted by the transmitter and/or the gain setting of the receiver. The controller has two sensor configurations, a first configuration in which the transmitter emits an electromagnetic radiation signal having a first intensity, the receiver has a first gain setting, and the receiver provides a first output signal, and a second configuration in which the transmitter emits an electromagnetic radiation signal having a second intensity, the receiver has a second gain setting, and the receiver provides a second output signal, wherein the first intensity is different to the second intensity, and/or the first gain setting is different to the second gain setting, and the controller determines a state of the humidification chamber by comparing the first and second outputs of the receiver with one or more threshold values.

Dew point sensor system contains-a controller with dew point calculator, ambient temperature sensor, air pathway, heater plate, external wire. Ambient temperature sensor generates ambient temperature data, operatively-connected to controller. Air pathway contains blower within air pathway, air flow sensor within air pathway, liquid reservoir operatively-connected to air pathway, and component may be air pathway temperature sensor and/or breathing circuit heating element. Blower causes air to move in air pathway (52), air flow sensor generates air flow data about air moving in air pathway. The heater plate contains heater plate temperature sensor, and heater plate temperature sensor generates heater plate temperature data. External wire is operatively-connected to controller and component. Ambient temperature sensor located on the external wire. Heater plate and the heater plate temperature sensor operatively-connected to the controller receiving ambient temperature data, air flow data, and heater plate temperature data to calculate target heater plate temperature, based on dew point temperature.

A face mask for extended wear by a user including a customized, contoured facial mask portion constructed and configured to cover and matingly contact a corresponding contoured surface area of a human face, preferably formed by 3D printing methods and materials. The face mask includes strap attachments and at least one strap for securing the customized, contoured facial mask portion to the face. The face mask includes at least one replaceable air filter for filtering out viral or bacterial pathogens.

A ventilator system includes a gas flow chamber configured to receive ventilation gas circulating in a ventilation gas pathway of the ventilator and at least one UVC lamp. The UVC lamp is configured to radiate UVC spectrum light into the gas flow chamber to inactivate pathogens in the ventilation gas. A flow sensor is configured to measure a gas flow rate of the ventilation gas and a controller is configured to receive the gas flow rate, determine an intensity based on the gas flow rate, and control power to the UVC lamp based on the intensity.

The principles and embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for safely providing NO to a recipient for inhalation therapy. There are many potential safety issues that may arise from using a reactor cartridge that converts NO.sub.2 to NO, including exhaustion of consumable reactants of the cartridge reactor. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods of determining the remaining useful life of a NO2-to-NO reactor cartridge and/or a break-through of NO.sub.2, and providing an indication of the remaining useful life and/or break-through.

A flow of gases in a respiratory therapy system can be conditioned to achieve more consistent output from sensors configured to sense a characteristic of the flow. The flow can be mixed by imparting a tangential, rotary, helical, or swirling motion to the flow of gases. The mixing can occur upstream of the sensors. The flow can be segregated into smaller compartments to reduce turbulence in a region of the sensors.

A device and a system that delivers continuous positive airway pressure in conjunction with oxygen delivery is disclosed. The system is portable so that patients may be mobile and conveniently travel. Several means are disclosed for integrating oxygen production into a positive airway pressure (PAP) device, including oxygen production machinery entirely integrated into the PAP housing, oxygen production machinery that mates with a PAP device but which may operate independently, and where portions of the oxygen production machinery are located in the PAP housing and other portions (for example, the compressor) are located in a separate module, such as, for example, an AC-to-DC power conversion module.

A system and method is disclosed for performing diagnostics on patient devices (720). The patient devices (720) may include respiratory therapy devices that operate in accordance with instruction sets, such as software or firmware. A server (710) may maintain a database of diagnostic data (718) indicating faults in one or more of a plurality of patient devices (720). The server (710) may transmit this diagnostic data (718) to one or more computing devices (760), including identification of faults that have occurred. The server (710) may also transmit service data to the plurality of patient devices (720) in order to address the identified faults.

An air purification apparatus for nasal application is provided for purifying and/or reducing undesirable materials from air intended to enter a nasal cavity. The air purification apparatus for nasal application may include an air purification apparatus, housing component, power component, fan component, filtration component, germicidal irradiation component, aroma component, olfactory substance delivery component, nose plug component, monitoring component, and case. The case may reversibly enclose the apparatus and provide electrical power delivery.

Systems, apparatus, and methods for providing humidity in a positive airway pressure (PAP) device. In one embodiment, a humidifier is configured to periodically provide vapor to a flow of pressurized gas to produce flows of pressurized gas with added humidity. Each of the flows of pressurized gas with added humidity may be timed to reach a user interface primarily during a first portion of a breath cycle (e.g., during inspiration). Portions of the flow of pressurized gas that reach the user interface during a second portion of the breath cycle (e.g., during expiration) may include little or no added humidity.