Apparatus for humidifying a respiratory gas

A humidifier assembly for a CPAP apparatus, the humidifier assembly comprising:

• a liquid storage container configured to hold a body of liquid, the liquid storage container comprising a humidifying region above a heat conducting material, the humidifying region being a region inside the liquid storage container in which the liquid is evaporated into pressurized respiratory gas generated in the CPAP apparatus;
• and
• a base body configured to support the liquid storage container and configured to be directly laterally coupled to a CPAP unit of the CPAP apparatus, the liquid storage container being removable from the base body, the base body comprising:
• a connecting portion configured to be directly fitted to a tube connector of the CPAP unit and receive pressurized gas from the CPAP unit when the base body is directly laterally coupled to the CPAP unit;
• a laterally extending gas feed passage configured to convey pressurized gas from the connecting portion to a gas feed opening of the liquid storage container, the base body and the liquid storage container being configured so that the gas feed opening is automatically aligned to receive pressurized gas from the laterally extending gas feed passage when the liquid storage container is secured to the base body;
• and
• a resistance heater in a base portion of the base body, the resistance heater being configured to be in direct contact with the heat conducting material of the liquid storage container when the liquid storage container is supported on the base body.

A humidifier assembly for a CPAP apparatus, the humidifier assembly comprising:

• a base unit with a first upright surface facing a first direction and a second upright surface adjacent the first upright surface and facing a second direction opposite the first direction, the first upright surface being configured to engage a CPAP unit of the CPAP apparatus, the base unit having an inlet protruding from the first upright surface;
• at least one centering aid configured to center the base unit with respect to the CPAP unit in a lateral direction when the base unit is coupled to the CPAP unit;
• a gas flow passage extending at least from the base unit inlet to the second upright surface;
• and
• a liquid storage container configured to be coupled to and removed from the base unit, the liquid storage container comprising an inlet,
• wherein the gas flow passage and the liquid storage container inlet are configured to cooperate to form a continuous sealed air path from the base unit inlet to an interior of the liquid storage container when the liquid storage container is coupled to the base unit.