A blower unit for use as part of an integrated blower/humidification system is described. The blower unit has an outer casing, which encloses and forms part of the blower unit, the casing including an air inlet vent. The blower unit further includes a humidifier compartment for receiving a humidifier unit with a separate gases inlet and outlet, the compartment having a heater base for heating the contents of the humidifier unit. The compartment also has a blower inlet port which aligns with the humidifier unit inlet in use, the blower providing a gases path through the casing between the inlet vent and the inlet port. The blower unit also includes a fan for providing a pressurised gases stream along the gases path, and a power supply unit for powering the fan. The gases path is routed over the power supply unit in order to provide a cooling air flow.

A respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) device for pressurising breathable air to treat a respiratory disorder in a patient includes a pressure generator configured to pressurise breathable air, an RPT device inlet configured to receive breathable air from externally of the RPT device to be pressurised by the pressure generator, an RPT device outlet configured to be connected to an air circuit to direct breathable air pressurised by the pressure generator to the patient, a dock having a dock outlet and a dock inlet, and an external housing to enclose the pressure generator. The external housing forms an opening sized to alternatively receive an end cap or a water reservoir.

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.

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 CPAP device includes a flow generator with a blower configured to pressurize the flow of respiratory gas. A flexible face seal is positioned at an outlet end of a blower discharge path. The flexible face seal includes an aperture and a lip curling inwardly from a perimeter of the flexible face seal. A tub configured to hold a body of water and humidify the pressurized flow of respiratory gas includes a heat conducting base plate and a side wall. The side wall has a substantially flat portion that surrounds an air inlet opening. A base supports both the flow generator and the tub and includes a floor with a heater plate. A laterally positioned guide prevents the tub from being removed from the base in a vertical direction and includes a pair of C-shaped channel portions with open sides that face each other.

A water reservoir includes a reservoir base configured to hold a predetermined maximum volume of water to be used for humidification of pressurized breathable air, a reservoir lid pivotally connected to the reservoir base to allow the water reservoir to be movable between an open position and a closed position, the reservoir lid comprising an inlet and an outlet, and a seal configured to sealingly engage the reservoir lid and the reservoir base when the water reservoir is in the closed position, wherein the reservoir base includes an overfill protection element having an egress path for water at a predetermined location.

A breathing assistance apparatus has a main body. A humidification compartment is defined within the main body and is adapted to receive a humidification chamber. A flow generator is positioned within the main body. The flow generator and the humidification compartment are fluidly connected and a liquid containment compartment is interposed between the flow generator and the humidification compartment. The liquid containment compartment is fluidly connected to both the flow generator and the humidification compartment.

A visible valve system for a breastmilk expression system is set forth. The visible valve system includes an outer member, graspable by a human hand. The outer member provides a visual indication that the system is properly assembled. The visible valve system can reduce spillage from a breastmilk container by providing at least a portion of a spill reducing tortuous path in the system, or the spill-reducing tortuous path may be provided in another component of a breastmilk expression system of which the visible valve system is a part.

Components with relatively high loading of active pharmaceutical ingredients (e.g., drugs), are generally provided. In some embodiments, the component (e.g., a tissue interfacing component) comprises a solid therapeutic agent (e.g., a solid API) and a supporting material (e.g., a binder such as a polymer) such that the solid therapeutic agent is present in the component in an amount of greater than or equal to 10 wt % versus the total weight of the tissue interfacing component. Such tissue-interfacing components may be useful for delivery of API doses e.g., to a subject. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the reduction of volume required to deliver the required API dose as compared to a liquid formulation permits the creation of solid needle delivery systems for a wide variety of drugs in a variety of places/tissues (e.g., tongue, GI mucosal tissue, skin) and/or reduces and/or eliminates the application of an external force in order to inject a drug solution through the small opening in the needle. In some cases, a physiologically relevant dose may be present in a single tissue interfacing component (e.g., having a relatively high API loading).

Self-actuating articles including, for example, self-actuating needles and/or self-actuating biopsy punches, are generally provided. Advantageously, the self-actuating articles described herein may be useful as a general platform for delivery of a wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs that are typically delivered via injection directly into tissue due to degradation in the GI tract. The self-actuating articles described herein may also be used to deliver sensors and/or take biopsies without the need for an endoscopy. In some embodiments, the article comprises a spring (e.g., a coil spring, a beam, a material having particular mechanical recovery characteristics). Those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the term spring is not intended to be limited to coil springs, but generally encompass any reversibly compressive material and/or component which, after releasing an applied compressive force on the material/component, the material/component substantially returns to an uncompressed length of the material/component (e.g., the within 95% of the length of the material/component prior to compression).