Gas humidifying apparatus and method
AssigneePenlon Limited
InventorBrendan E. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for humidifying gases, suitable for use in conjunction with a high frequency positive pressure ventilation (HFPPV) respiratory system, includes a nebulizing chamber 11 arranged to receive a pulsed gas flow from an oscillating valve 5 and a liquid reservoir 15 communicating with the chamber 11 such that in use liquid from the reservoir 15 passes into the chamber and is entrained in droplet form by the gas flow. A pump 20 is intermittently operable to introduce a predetermined quantity of liquid into the reservoir 15, and control means 6 of the apparatus are adapted to maintain the valve 5 in its closed condition during operation of the pump 20.
Claims9
Gas humidifying apparatus comprising a chamber arranged to receive a fluctuating gas flow from an oscillating valve means, a liquid reservoir communicating with the chamber such that in use liquid from the reservoir passes into the chamber and is entrained in droplet form by the flow of gas, liquid supply means intermittently operable to introduce a predetermined quantity of liquid into the reservoir, and control means adapted to maintain said valve means in a closed condition during operation of said liquid supply means.
A method of humidifying a fluctuating gas flow from an oscillating valve means wherein liquid from a reservoir is entrained in droplet form by the flow of gas in a chamber communicating with said reservoir, comprising intermittently introducing a predetermined quantity of liquid into the reservoir while maintaining said valve means in a closed condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.