Valve

A breathing assistance connector valve comprising:

• first, second and third ports;
• a bistable valve mechanism having (i) a first stable configuration in which the first port is in fluid communication with the second port and not the third port and (ii) a second stable configuration in which the first port is in fluid communication with the third port and not the second port;
• and
• an actuator configured to transition the bistable valve mechanism between the two stable configurations and prevent the valve mechanism from maintaining a stable intermediate position between the first and second stable configurations, in which the bistable valve mechanism comprises a moveable valve core that is rotatable about a valve axis and defines a ported chamber for establishing fluid communication paths between selected ones of the first, second and third ports in each of the first and second stable configurations, the valve core being coupled to and drivable by the actuator via a spring loading mechanism, the actuator being configured to move from a first position relative to the valve core up to a first release position to load the spring loading mechanism, and to trigger transition of the valve core from the first stable configuration to the second stable configuration by the spring loading mechanism upon reaching the first release position.