Medical techniques include systems and methods for administering a positive pressure ventilation, a positive end expiratory pressure, and a vacuum to a person. Approaches also include treating a person with an intrathoracic pressure regulator so as to modulate or upregulate the autonomic system of the person, and treating a person with a combination of an intrathoracic pressure regulation treatment and an intra-aortic balloon pump treatment.

This disclosure describes systems and methods for providing novel adaptive base flow scheduling during ventilation of a patient to optimize the accuracy of estimated exhaled tidal volume. Further, this disclosure describes systems and methods for providing novel adaptive inspiratory trigger threshold scheduling during the novel adaptive base flow scheduling.

Systems, methods, and devices for humidifying a breathing gas are presented. The system includes a source of pressurized breathing gas, a vapor transfer unit external to the source of pressurized breathing gas, a first gas tube connecting the source of pressurized breathing gas to the gas inlet of the vapor transfer unit and having a first length, a liquid supply having a heater that heats liquid, a first liquid tube coupling the liquid supply to the liquid inlet of the vapor transfer unit, and a second gas tube having a second length and connecting the gas outlet to a patient interface. The first length is greater than the second length. The vapor transfer unit includes a gas passage, a liquid passage, and a membrane separating the gas passage and the liquid passage. The membrane is positioned to transfer vapor from the liquid passage to the gas passage.

A method for using CO.sub.2 as a contrast material in medical imaging procedures is disclosed. The method includes providing a source of pressurized CO.sub.2. The step of providing includes connecting the source of pressurized CO2 to a compressed gas unit for controlling delivery of the CO.sub.2. The method also includes regulating pressure of the CO.sub.2 delivered by the compressed gas unit, transmitting the pressurized CO.sub.2 from the compressed gas unit to a control valve assembly for delivery to a patient in controlled dosages, and sequentially processing the CO.sub.2 with the control valve assembly and delivering the CO.sub.2 to the patient as a contrast media.

Topical applications that provide a nitric oxide therapy to a surface are provided. Systems for providing a topical nitric oxide therapy can comprise a nitrite medium in a first container, the nitrite medium comprising about 3% of a nitrite component by weight. The system comprises an acidic medium in a second container, the acidic medium comprising about 9% by weight of one or more acidic reactants. The nitrite medium and the acidic medium are configured to be combined to form a nitric oxide topical medium producing nitric oxide suitable for topical application and suitable for administering nitric oxide therapy wherein a therapeutically effective amount of the nitric oxide topical medium is applied to a treatment surface suitable for receiving nitric oxide therapy, whereby the application of the therapeutically effective amount is adapted to deliver a dose of nitric oxide at the treatment surface of a patient.

A system for respiration-controlled application of aerosol in powder form during artificial respiration or assisted respiration of a patient including an interface contacting the patient's respiratory tract, a unit for generating a respiratory gas flow, at least one inspiration line through gas flow is conducted to the interface, an aerosol generator, at least one aerosol line through which the generated aerosol is conducted from the aerosol generator to the interface, and a respiration sensor that detects the patient's respiration signal. A valve in the at least one aerosol line is controlled based on the detected respiratory signal. An intermediate store for generated aerosol in powder form is arranged between the valve and the aerosol generator. The gas flow has a first pressure that is higher than or equal to ambient pressure and the aerosol has a second pressure that is higher than or equal to the first pressure.

A blower includes a rotor, a motor adapted to drive the rotor, at least one bearing to rotatably support the rotor, a stationary component, and a bearing sleeve provided to the stationary component. The bearing sleeve is structured and arranged to support and retain the bearing to the stationary component. The bearing sleeve comprises an elastomeric material, and the bearing sleeve comprises one or more bumps or ribs configured to engage along an outer ace of the bearing.

A pump arrangement for powering a pump in providing a controlled volume of water to a drip nozzle in a drip-feed humidifier. The pump arrangement includes: a pump having a solenoid; a processing unit; and a power supply electrically connected to the solenoid via a switch which is controlled by the processing unit. The power supply is structured to supply power to the solenoid via the switch. The processing unit is programmed to modulate the power provided to the solenoid via the switch such that the power is supplied to the solenoid according to a mirror image power profile for each actuation of the solenoid for retracting the armature. The mirror image power profile includes: an initial portion which decreases at a third overall rate, an intermediate portion which decreases at a second overall rate different than the third overall rate, and a final portion which increases at a first overall rate.

A ventilator includes a ventilation body, the ventilation body includes a ventilation cavity and an air inlet end and an air outlet end communicating with the ventilation cavity, the ventilation body further includes an annular shell configured to form the ventilation cavity, the annular shell is formed with an annular cavity inside, an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with the annular cavity are disposed on the annular shell, the air outlet is communicated with the annular cavity and the ventilation cavity, the air outlet has a slit shape extending along a circumferential direction of the annular shell and is disposed to be capable to guide gas flows out towards the air outlet end. The ventilator may greatly increase the ventilation volume and the gas pressure, by using the ventilation body as mentioned above.

Apparatus and methods automate selection of patient interface(s). Image data captured by an image sensor may contain facial feature(s) of a user. The facial features may be captured in association with a predetermined reference feature of known dimension(s) such as with a user interface display that is generated with a sequence of icons that are activated for directing and tracking movement within the interface for desired image capture. The user's facial feature(s) and the reference feature may be detected in the captured image data. The image may be processed to measure an aspect of the detected facial feature(s) based on the reference feature. A patient interface size may be detected from standard patient interface sizes based on a comparison between the measured aspect of the facial feature(s) and a data record relating sizing information of the standard patient interface sizes and the measured aspect of the facial feature(s).