An apparatus and method are provided for administering an inhaled drug to a person while simultaneously administering oxygen from a medical oxygen mask. The inhaled drug is from a pressurized metered dose inhaler (MDI), employing an extender tube about 3-10 cm long that fits into or over the mouthpiece of the inhaler. The MDI with extender tube is inserted into the mask and positioned so that the plume of drug travels through the extender when the MDI is actuated and is directed to just inside the mouth of the person. In an embodiment, an exhalation filter is provided to prevent contamination from infectious agents in the exhaled air from the person.

Headgear for use with a respiratory mask is described. The headgear comprises a continuous and substantially curved elongate member extending in use below a user's nose and at least two headgear straps capable of attachment to the ends of the elongate member. A mask attachment on the elongate member is disposed to sit below or on one of said user's nose, mouth, upper lip and an inlet to the mask. The attachment is capable of receiving the mask.

A patient interface can have features improving the comfort of use by reducing the perceived pressure of a nose-contacting cushion of the patient interface against the nose. The patient interface can have rigid headgear connection elements connectable to a frame of the respiratory interface. The rigid headgear connection elements can be shaped to reduce the force of the cushion against the nose. Headgear for a patient interface can also have features improving the stability of headgear of the head. The headgear can have a relatively rigid framework and a relatively pliable overlay covering the framework. The framework can have apertures defining a front portion to be positioned below or near the cheekbones, a rear portion to be positioned over the sides of the head around the ears, and a top portion to extend upward along the head towards the crown.

A patient interface may include a plenum chamber pressurisable to a therapeutic pressure; a seal-forming structure constructed and arranged to form a seal with a region of the patient's face; a positioning and stabilising structure to provide an elastic force to hold the seal-forming structure on the patient's head, the positioning and stabilising structure may include a tie; a vent structure; a decoupling structure configured to provide a fluid connection between the plenum chamber and an air circuit for the flow of air at the therapeutic pressure for breathing by the patient; and a frame having at least one tie attachment structure to receive the tie, wherein the frame is configured to be resiliently movable in any direction having at least one of a component parallel to the patient's sagittal plane, a component parallel to the patient's coronal plane, a component parallel to the patient's Frankfort horizontal plane.

Ventilation masks are disclosed herein including a mask body and a gas manifold coupled to the mask body to form a gas channel for directing a gas through a gas port to create a curtain effect gas flow within the patient cavity and form a gas curtain within the patient cavity and adjacent to at least one vent opening formed through the mask body, and a sampling cover couplable with the mask body to form a sampling channel between a sampling portal of the sampling cover and a sensing port, where the sampling portal is formed by a protrusion of the sampling cover that extends into the vent opening and can extend toward a patient cavity formed by an inner surface of the mask body.

Technologies for sanitizing medical devices are described. In particular, sanitizing systems, components of sanitizing systems, and methods for sanitizing medical devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment are described. In embodiments, the sanitizing systems include a sanitizing gas generator and a base including at least one exhaust port and a filter.

An apparatus for humidifying a flow of breathable gas includes a water reservoir and a water reservoir dock forming a cavity structured and arranged to receive the water reservoir in an operative position. The water reservoir comprises a reservoir base including a cavity structured to hold a volume of water, the reservoir base including a main body and a thermally conductive portion provided to the main body. The thermally conductive portion comprises a combined layered arrangement including a metal plate and a thin film, the thin film comprising a non-metallic material and including a wall thickness of less than about 1 mm. The thin film is adapted to form at least a bottom interior surface of the water reservoir exposed to the volume of water, and the metal plate is adapted to form a bottom exterior surface of the water reservoir.

A breathing assistance apparatus and method of controlling a breathing assistance apparatus is disclosed. Particularly, the breathing assistance apparatus is controlled such that it has a drying cycle to enable drying of the tubing that supplies gases to a user and prevent the harbouring of pathogens within the tube. The drying cycle is preferably operated automatically by internal controllers in the apparatus. However, it may be manually activated by pressing a button on the apparatus. The drying cycle is preferably activated at the end of a user's treatment session.

The present technology relates to a headgear for a patient interface, comprising one or more straps each having a first end for connecting to a mask. The first end of each strap comprises a connection portion which is grippable by a user to pull the strap to increase a tension in the strap, a first rigid member and a second rigid member that extends from a resilient carrier that is connected to the connection portion. The second rigid member is movable relative to the first rigid member when the connection portion is pulled. At least part of the second rigid member is arranged to strike the first rigid member to cause at least an audible alert when the second rigid member travels further than a threshold distance. The resilient carrier is constructed and arranged such that the threshold distance corresponds to a desired tension limit for the strap.

Devices and methods for standardizing breathing effort in subjects are disclosed. An exemplary device has an exhaust housing having a proximal portion that defines a port and an opposed distal portion that defines inspiration and expiration pathways. The distal portion has a distal end surface, and the inspiration and expiration pathways are in fluid communication with the port and extend, respectively, to inlet and outlet openings defined in the distal end surface. An airflow adjustment plate, which defines openings having varying sizes, is rotatably coupled to the distal portion of the exhaust housing. Rotation of the airflow adjustment plate relative to the exhaust housing among a plurality of rotational positions, with a respective opening of the airflow adjustment plate being positioned in alignment with the inlet opening at each position, thereby increasing or decreasing resistance to air flow through the inlet opening.