Patient humidification systems

Abstract

A system to provide inspiratory air to a patient having a humidification mechanism including an inspiratory gas inlet and an inspiratory gas outlet in fluid communication with the inspiratory gas inlet. The humidification mechanism may be adapted to humidify inspiratory air flowing into the inspiratory gas inlet and exiting the humidification mechanism through the inspiratory gas outlet. A patient inspiratory gas tube is provided to extend between the inspiratory gas outlet of the humidification mechanism and a patient, the patient inspiratory gas tube being adapted to provide inspiratory gas to a patient. A patient expiratory gas tube may provide a flow path for expiratory gas from a patient. A shroud may be disposed about at least a portion of the humidification mechanism, the shroud including an expiratory gas inlet and an expiratory gas outlet, the patient expiratory gas tube being attached to the expiratory gas inlet of the shroud so that expiratory gas from a patient flows into the shroud through the expiratory gas inlet and exits the shroud through the expiratory gas outlet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.