The present disclosure describes a pressure support therapy device valve that enables a subject to safely supplement therapy pressure support with low flow oxygen while using a heated (or non-heated) tube. The valve conducts a pressurized flow of breathable gas and the low flow oxygen to the heated tube. The valve includes electrical components configured to pass power from the pressure support therapy device to the heated tube, and a plunger biased to close a flow path from the pressure support therapy device when a pressurized flow of breathable gas is not provided (or is below a predetermined pressure threshold). Closing the flow path stops oxygen gas from flowing back through the valve toward the pressurized gas source.

PEEP-valves configured to be placed inline with the exhalation path of a ventilator and ahead of the exhalation valve. The PEEP-valve functions as a resistor that can provide a higher PEEP value for any given PIP, lung compliance, and respiratory rate combination compared to a standard PIP to PEEP ratio.

A ventilator system configured to switch between one or more invasive ventilation modes and one or more non-invasive ventilation modes is provided, the ventilator system comprising: an externally pressurized source of pre-mixed gas comprising air and oxygen; one or more inspiratory valves configured to deliver incoming pre-mixed gas to a patients breathing circuit; and one or more expiratory valves configured to remove outgoing gas from the patients breathing circuit; wherein in the one or more invasive ventilation modes, the inspiratory valves and the expiratory valves are configured to open and close to allow or prevent the passage of gas as needed in order to enforce a respiration cycle within the patient; and wherein in the one or more non-invasive ventilation modes, the inspiratory valves and the expiratory valves are kept open in order to allow the gas to pass freely through the system.

In a first embodiment, a ventilator has a housing with a first fixed port and a rotatable shutter configured to cooperate with the housing to enclose an interior of the housing. The shutter has a first orifice at a first radial distance from its axis of rotation. A stationary plate abuts the shutter and includes a first stationary orifice configured to at least partially align with the first orifice of the shutter over a first rotational distance of the shutter. In this way, the first orifice and the first stationary orifice form a first variable port. The stationary plate may have a second stationary orifice and the shutter may have a second orifice configured to at least partially align with the second stationary orifice over a second rotational distance of the shutter.

Introduced here is a self-contained face mask system with an automated liquid-droplet dispensing mechanism (ADM) for humidification. The enclosure of the self-contained mask system can be comprised of one or more layers of breathable fabric adapted to flexibly conform to the face of a user when worn to form a cavity that is adjacent the nostrils and mouth. The ADM of the face mask system can be comprised of a reservoir in which liquid is stored, a respiratory cycle detector, a timer and controller, and a droplet dispenser that controllably dispenses droplets of the liquid from the reservoir into the cavity for inhalation by the user. The ADM can be contained entirely within the face mask enclosure or supported on the surface of the face mask enclosure such that the self-contained mask system, when worn by a user, can be supported entirely by the head and neck of the user.

The invention relates to a ventilator comprising a gas source, at least one gas path and a patient conduit and at least two valves, each of the valves having at least indirectly a port for the surrounding air and each of the valves being at least temporarily connected to the gas source and/or the patient conduit so as to conduct gas.

Described is a method of stimulating airways of a mammal comprising: cyclically occluding a nasal air stream at a frequency rate between 50 Hz to 650 Hz. Also described is an apparatus for stimulating airways of a mammal, comprising: a fluid connection to each of a first and second naris of the mammal; and an occluding device configured to cyclically occlude a nasal air stream within each fluid connection at a frequency rate between 100 Hz to 650 Hz.

The invention relates to a respiratory-aid apparatus (1) capable of supplying a stream of gas to a patient (P), comprising a gas-transport pipe (2) for transporting a stream of gas, such as air; measurement means (6) designed to measure at least one parameter representing the stream of gas and to supply at least one signal corresponding to said at least one parameter representing said stream of gas, for example the gas flow rate or pressure; signal-processing means (8) designed to process said at least one signal from the measurement means (6) and to deduce therefrom at least one piece of information (I1, I2, I3) characterising a cardiac massage performed on a patient; and display means (7) designed to display said at least one piece of information (I1, I2, I3) characterising a cardiac massage from the signal-processing means (8). The signal-processing means (8) are preferably capable of determining information representing the work (W.sub.V, W.sub.T) provided by the massage or pressure and/or flow rate amplitudes resulting from the massage. The invention also relates to a monitoring method capable of being implemented by such a respiratory-aid apparatus (1).

The present invention relates to a method for protecting a ventilation device of a ventilator against backflowing exhaled air, and to a ventilator. A respiratory gas flow is generated by a blower device and is guided via a flow connection to a breathing interface. The respiratory gas flow is adjusted with the aid of a control device to a first ventilation pressure during an inhalation phase of the patient and to a second ventilation pressure during an exhalation phase. A characteristic variable for a flow within the flow connection is detected in this case by means of a monitoring device for monitoring backflowing exhaled air. And, in this case, a back pressure with respect to the backflowing expiratory flow is adjusted by means of a specific increase of the ventilation pressure with consideration for the characteristic variable, whereby an undesirable rebreathing into the ventilation device is counteracted by means of the back pressure.

Described herein are improved assisted ventilation interfaces along with methods and uses thereof. The interfaces comprises a hood embodiment with altered design aspects to decrease or even avoid the risk of leakage and potential viral transmittance along with providing other benefits. In one aspect, the patient interface comprises a hood with a free-breathing valve and an integral viral filter. The free-breathing valve and viral filter may be separate to or integral to the exhaust port. In a further embodiment multiple branches may be used from the exhaust port with multiple viral filters. In a further embodiment, an internal pressure gauge may be used. In a further embodiment dual air sources may be used.