A vaporizer cartridge of an inhaler has a liquid storage tank and a hollow body with a continuous air flow channel. The storage tank has an access opening to the air flow channel. A vaporizer unit extends over the entire access opening and is arranged in the region of the access opening. The vaporizer unit has a wick member towards the storage tank and a heating member towards the air flow channel. The vaporizer unit is liquid-permeable such that liquid is conveyed at least initially from the tank through the vaporizer unit to the channel in a capillary manner. The interior of the tank is structurally divided into fluidically coupled main and auxiliary volume. Only the auxiliary volume is in direct contact with the vaporizer unit, such that the liquid from the main volume contacts the wick member solely via the auxiliary volume. An inhaler may include the vaporizer cartridge.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing respiratory assistance to a user via a user conduit. The apparatus being operable in a humidifying mode and a non-humidifying mode, and includes a humidification chamber for containing an amount of water that can be located in an operating position in the humidifying mode and, optionally separate from the apparatus in the non-humidifying mode. The apparatus may also have an auxiliary flow path that can be activated in the non-humidifying mode and a powered device that heats water in the humidification chamber when the apparatus is in the humidifying mode.

A humidification system can include a heater base, a chamber, and a breathing circuit. The heater base includes a heater plate positioned in a recessed region, and a heat conductive portion of the chamber is configured to contact the heater plate. The heater base includes a guard configured to control movement of the chamber into and out of the recessed region. The guard includes an anti-racking mechanism. The chamber includes an inlet port, an outlet port. A downward extension extends into the chamber from the inlet port, and a baffle is disposed at a lower end of the downward extension. A component of the breathing circuit can include a conduit hanging end cap for shipping and storage. The end cap can include a hanging component to allow the breathing circuit component to be hung from a medical stand. The system can detect when breathing circuits are connected in reverse.

A respiratory therapy system for providing continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) to a patient may include a flow generator for generating a supply of breathable gas, a sensor to measure a physical quantity while the breathable gas is supplied, and a computing device. The computing device may be configured to: receive sensor data that is based on measured physical property of the supply of breathable gas; control the flow generator to adjust a property of the supply of breathable gas; display a question and a plurality of selectable responses; receive a first input selecting one of the selectable responses; and display a coaching response corresponding to the selected response.

A patient interface includes: a plenum chamber; a seal-forming structure; a positioning and stabilising structure; a plenum chamber insert configured to be positioned and retained within the plenum chamber; and a vent structure; wherein the plenum chamber insert has a plenum chamber insert port; wherein the plenum chamber insert has an exterior surface configured to be positioned adjacent to an interior surface of the plenum chamber; wherein when the plenum chamber insert is positioned and retained within the plenum chamber, a radial channel is formed by the interior surface of the plenum chamber and the exterior surface of the plenum chamber insert such that gas is able to pass between a patient-proximal side of the plenum chamber insert and a patient-distal side of the plenum chamber insert via the radial channel during use.

Self-righting articles, such as self-righting capsules for administration to a subject, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may be configured such that the article may orient itself relative to a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). The self-righting articles described herein may comprise one or more tissue engaging surfaces configured to engage (e.g., interface with, inject into, anchor) with a surface (e.g., a surface of a tissue of a subject). In some embodiments, the self-righting article may have a particular shape and/or distribution of density (or mass) which, for example, enables the self-righting behavior of the article. In some embodiments, the self-righting article may comprise a tissue interfacing component and/or a pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery of the active pharmaceutical agent to a location internal of the subject). In some cases, upon contact of the tissue with the tissue engaging surface of the article, the self-righting article may be configured to release one or more tissue interfacing components. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component is associated with a self-actuating component. For example, the self-righting article may comprise a self-actuating component configured, upon exposure to a fluid, to release the tissue interfacing component from the self-righting article. In some cases, the tissue interfacing component may comprise and/or be associated with the pharmaceutical agent (e.g., for delivery to a location internal to a subject).

An apparatus for humidification of air to be delivered to a patient's airways may include a reservoir, and a humidifier chamber. The humidifier chamber may include a humidifier wick and a heating element for heating the humidifier chamber. The humidifier wick may comprise a fibrous sheet material. The humidifier chamber and wick may be vertically oriented in use such that a first end of the wick is above the second end of the wick. A deioniser may be provided to deionise the liquid prior to the humidifier wick. The apparatus may pasteurise liquid to be delivered to the humidification wick.

A flow generator includes a housing, a blower structured to generate a flow of pressurized breathable air, and a suspension device to support the blower within the housing and provide a pressure seal between low and high pressure sides of the blower. The suspension device includes a bellows-like portion provided along the perimeter of the blower to absorb shock applied at least radially to the blower and one or more cones provided along upper and/or lower sides of the blower to absorb shock applied at least axially to the blower.

A steam inhaler includes a steam chamber housing having mounted therein a heater assembly. The steam chamber housing defines a steam chamber adapted to receive water. A fitting mounted to the steam chamber housing has a steam conduit section extended toward an exterior vent opening, a nozzle conduit section extended from the steam conduit, and a fresh air conduit section extended from the steam conduit section at a location downstream of the nozzle conduit section. The fitting is configured such that steam flows freely from the steam chamber, through the steam conduit section toward the exterior vent opening, a suction provided at the nozzle redirects at least a portion of the steam into the nozzle conduit section toward a mask, and the fresh air conduit directs fresh air into the steam conduit section to reduce a temperature of the steam exiting the exterior vent opening.

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.