An anesthetic circuit is provided for treating a patient. The anesthetic circuit includes a membrane having a plurality of hollow fibers. Also provided is a fluid separation apparatus connectable to an anesthetic circuit. In a further embodiment, a method is provided for anesthetic treatment of a patient.

A closed circuit breathing apparatus (2) and a method of operating the same, the method comprising: determining whether a sufficient amount of replenishing gas is being supplied to a breathing circuit (4); sensing pressure within the breathing circuit (4) using a pressure sensor (6); generating a pressure signal representative of the sensed pressure; determining whether the pressure signal is representative of breathing; and generating an alert if it is determined that both an insufficient amount of replenishing gas, such as oxygen, is being supplied to the breathing circuit (4) and that the pressure signal is representative of breathing.

A nasal delivery device can include air-receiving section that has a first passageway therethrough to allow air to pass through the air-receiving section, a powder-reservoir receiving section sized to receive a powder reservoir, and a powder-delivery section that has a second passageway therethrough to allow aerosolized powder from the powder reservoir to pass through the powder-delivery section. The first passageway can have a first end and a second end, with the first end being further from the powder-reservoir receiving section and the second end being at or near the powder-reservoir receiving area. The second end of the air-receiving section can include a flattened region so that air exiting the air-receiving section has a generally flattened profile.

The present disclosure pertains to an exhalation valve system (10) configured to control gas flow during exhalation of a subject (12). In some embodiments, the system comprises one or more of a pressure generator (14), a subject interface (16), one or more sensors (18), one or more processors (20), electronic storage (22), user interface (23), and/or other components. The system is configured to adjust a rebreathing level of the subject based on detected occurrences of disordered breathing events. By rebreathing exhaled air (and/or other breathable gas) a subject may minimize and/or prevent central sleep apneas. The system monitors the breathing of the subject to detect occurrences of respiratory events related to central sleep apnea. The system monitors accumulated retrograde breathing and adjusts the volume of exhaled rebreathing and/or other system settings affecting the subject's breathing. Through these adjustments, the system may prevent and/or reduce respiratory events related to central sleep apnea.

Embodiments of a respiratory support apparatus are disclosed comprising features configured to minimize, reduce or contain aerosols carrying pathogens that can cause diseases such as COVID 19, SARS, MERS, Tuberculosis, or any other infectious diseases. Embodiments of a respiratory support apparatus are also provided configured to at least reduce the amount of oxygen required, during use of the apparatus, from an external oxygen supply such as an oxygen tank or hospital wall supply. Embodiments of such apparatus are provided with means to recirculate expiratory gases, and/or redirect leak flow. Embodiments of such apparatus are provided in which expiratory gases are sucked away from the patient. Embodiments of such apparatus are provided comprising a first flow generator for delivering inspiratory gases, and a second flow generator for removing expiratory gases.

This disclosure provides an oxygen delivery and reclamation system that supplies breathable oxygen-enriched gas to one or more users in a chamber. The one or more users receive oxygen at specified oxygen level setpoints. Exhalation air from the one or more users may be purged from the breathing loop using one or both of a recycle pump and an electronically actuated valve. Exhalation air in a purge line and optionally chamber air pulled from the chamber may be recycled using an oxygen concentrator. The oxygen concentrator generates oxygen-enriched gas and oxygen-depleted gas, where the oxygen-enriched gas may be delivered back to one or more users in the chamber.

High flow therapy is used to treat Cheyne-Stokes respiration and other types of periodic respiration disorders by periodic application of high flow therapy, adjustment of high flow therapy flow rates and/or periodic additions of CO2 or O2 into the air flow provided to the patient.

A method is provided for reducing the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury caused by a traumatic event that includes identifying a subject at risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury, and then precisely increasing the partial pressure of carbon-dioxide (CO.sub.2) in the blood of the subject (pCO.sub.2). This method can be applied to raise the CO.sub.2 and pCO.sub.2 to improve orthostatic hypotension in conditions such as dysautonomias (like Positional Orthostatic Tachycardic Syndrome POTS) and to facilitate the drive to breathe in conditions like Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The pCO.sub.2 of the person is increased by placing a breathing apparatus over the mouth of the person through which the person must breath, wherein the breathing apparatus includes an enlarged dead space volume in which expired CO.sub.2 collects to be inhaled or re-breathed by the person on the next inhalation.

Systems and methods for controlling breathing of a patient to maintain specified levels of CO2 in arterial blood. In one exemplary embodiment a respiratory conduit is configured to be coupled at one end to a patient interface device that is, in turn, coupled to the patient's breathing airway. The respiratory conduit is configured at the opposing end to be coupled to a pressurized air generating device. A control device is positioned in the respiratory conduit between the patient interface device and the pressurized air generating device and includes one or more vent apertures that allow a predetermined amount of exhaled air from the patient to escape from the respiratory conduit while retaining a predetermined fraction of the exhaled air to reintroduce to the patient during the next inhale. In this manner the system provides for a predetermined percentage of CO2 to be rebreathed by the patient.

Methods, systems, and kits are disclosed for facilitating physiological benefit in using activities with a reduced oxygen as an added catalyst during inactive periods. Substantial physiological benefits exist in the realm of muscular force output whereby reduced oxygen is inspired by a subject during the inactive periods of activities.