Bubble humidifier with improved diffuser and pressure relief device

A method of adding humidity to supplied oxygen via the bubble humidifier, the method comprising the steps:

• providing a humidifier base containing a quantity of liquid;
• covering the humidifier base with a cover;
• providing the bubble humidifier with an oxygen inlet for supplying oxygen to the bubble humidifier;
• connecting a moisturized oxygen outlet to a moisturized oxygen supply conduit for supplying humidified oxygen to a patient;
• connecting the oxygen inlet to a diffuser for diffusing the oxygen within the liquid contained by the humidifier base;
• providing the bubble humidifier with a pressure relief device for relieving excess pressure generated within the bubble humidifier during operation thereof;
• defining a longitudinal axis with the bubble humidifier;
• discharging, via a diffuser, the oxygen from the diffuser substantially at an angle normal to the longitudinal axis of the bubble humidifier to minimize flow of liquid, contained within the humidifier base, from entering the moisturized oxygen outlet and being conveyed along the moisturized oxygen supply conduit during operation of the bubble humidifier;
• providing at least one side exhaust port in a side wall of the pressure relief device, and the at least one side exhaust port communicates with and is covered by a side wall of a slug when the slug is sealing engaging with a relief port, and when excess pressure is generated within the bubble humidifier, the slug will be biased axially away from a base of the pressure relief device whereby a valve element disengages from the relief port and the at least one side exhaust port directly communicates with the oxygen entering into the pressure relief device, via the relief port, and a portion of this oxygen is vented through the at least one side exhaust port directly to atmosphere while a remainder of the oxygen is vented through a second exhaust port.

A bubble humidifier for adding humidity to supplied oxygen, the bubble humidifier comprising:

• a humidifier base for containing a quantity of liquid;
• a cover for the humidifier base;
• the bubble humidifier having an oxygen inlet for supplying oxygen to the bubble humidifier and a moisturized oxygen outlet for connection to a moisturized oxygen supply conduit for supplying humidified oxygen to a patient, and the oxygen inlet being connected to a diffuser for diffusing the supplied oxygen within the liquid to be contained within the humidifier base;
• the bubble humidifier having a pressure relief device for relieving excess pressure generated within the bubble humidifier during operation thereof;
• and
• the bubble humidifier defining a longitudinal axis;
• and
• wherein the diffuser is arranged to discharge the oxygen from the diffuser at an angle substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the bubble humidifier to minimize the flow of the liquid, to be contained within the humidifier base, from entering the moisturized oxygen outlet and being conveyed along the moisturized oxygen supply conduit during operation of the bubble humidifier, and the diffuser comprises a diffuser housing and a remote end of the diffuser housing flares outwardly and is closed by an end wall, and a plurality of peripheral discharge passages are defined by the end wall and the flared end of the diffuser housing.