Pediatric cartridge humidifier

A system for providing a moisturized gas comprising, in combination:

• a reservoir holding a moisturizing liquid;
• a cartridge module having an upper portion and a lower portion, said cartridge module being adapted to hold a quantity of said moisturizing liquid, said cartridge module further including a gas inlet port and a gas delivery port;
• support means for securing said reservoir relative to said cartridge module;
• means for producing a gas flow through said gas inlet port, said cartridge module, and said gas delivery port as to produce said moisturized gas;
• and
• a feeder circuit for feeding said moisturizing liquid from said reservoir to said cartridge module so as to maintain a substantially constant liquid level therein;
• said feeder circuit including (i) first conduit means for interconnecting said lower portion of said cartridge module and said reservoir, said first conduit means including first valve means therein for passing fluid substantially solely from said reservoir to said cartridge module, (ii) a fluid level sensing tube within said cartridge module having a terminus therein defining a liquid control level, a portion of said fluid level sensing tube extending externally of said cartridge module, (iii) second conduit means for interconnecting said portion of said fluid level sensing tube and said reservoir, said second conduit means including second valve means therein for passing fluid substantially solely from said cartridge module to said reservoir.

A cartridge humidifying apparatus for humidifying and heating a breathable gas such as oxygen supplemented air to be inhaled by a patient undergoing inhalation therapy comprising:

• (a) a humidifier cartridge module means embodying a tubular cartridge main body portion with an inner peripheral wall;
• (b) said cartridge module means including an upper end portion with cap means attached to said main body;
• (c) said humidifier cartridge module means including a lower end portion terminating in a transverse wall and adapted and constructed to retain a humidifying liquid, said transverse wall having liquid inlet means adapted to be fluidly connected via conduit means with a liquid outlet means of an external liquid source;
• (d) said humidifier cartridge module means further comprising liquid absorption means including an open center generally tubular liquid-absorption column member with an inner-peripheral face constituting an evaporating surface for humidifying liquid disposed generally contiguously and coextensive with a substantial part of said cartridge main body and said lower end portion adapted and constructed to be wetted directly by the humidifying liquid when liquid is in said lower end portion, and to convey by capillary action the liquid upwardly of said absorption means and onto said evaporating surface;
• (e) a fluid level sensing tube positioned in said humidifier cartridge module adjacent to said central tubular liquid absorption column and extending from near the bottom of said humidifier cartridge module to said upper end portion cap means;
• (f) said upper end portion cap means of said humidifier cartridge module means of paragraph (b) together with a portion of said main body providing an air space above the humidifying liquid level in said lower end portion of said paragraph (c) when liquid is in said lower end portion;
• (g) said cap means including a breathable gas inlet feed pipe for directing gas to be humidified into said module and terminating in said main body;
• (h) said cap means further including an outwardly projecting humidified breathable gas outlet delivery pipe in fluid commnuication with said air space, said delivery pipe adapted to be connected with an output delivery tube;
• (i) a disposable reservoir of aseptic liquid sealed therein, said disposable reservoir having a liquid outlet pipe, means for detachably mounting said reservoir externally of said module means and liquid inlet means adapted to fluidly connect via conduit means with said liquid outlet means of said external reservoir of aseptic liquid with said module means wherein said conduit means comprises a first tubular member having a check valve positioned therein, one end of said tubular member connected to the liquid outlet of said reservoir, the other end of said tubular member connecting to the inlet of said module, a second tubular conduit having a check valve therein, one end of said second tubular conduit connecting said level sensing tube in said upper end portion cap means, the other end of said second tubular member connecting through said check valve to the upper portion of said reservoir of aseptic liquid.