Systems and methods of administering a pharmaceutical gas to a patient

A method of administering a therapy gas to a patient, the therapy gas being at least one of CO and NO, the method comprising:

• a) determining a desired total quantity of therapy gas to be administered to the patient over a period of time over a plurality of breaths;
• b) calculating a quantity of therapy gas to be administered to the patient every nth breath, calculating the quantity based on one or more of respiratory rate and quantity already given to the patient;
• c) administering the quantity of therapy gas to the patient's alveoli during the first half of the inspiratory cycle for every nth breath of the plurality of breaths, n being greater than 1 averaged over the period of time;
• and
• d) repeating steps b) and c) varying the quantity of therapy gas per nth breath to ensure that the desired total quantity over the period of time is maintained independent of the respiratory pattern of the patient.

A system for administering a therapy gas to a patient having a respiratory pattern, the therapy gas being at least one gas selected from CO and NO, the system comprising:

• an inlet to connect to a source of the therapy gas;
• an outlet to connect to a device that introduces the therapy gas to the patient;
• a setting control to determine a desired total quantity of therapy gas to be administered to the patient over a period of time over a plurality of breaths;
• and a gas control system to administer the desired total quantity of therapy gas to the patient during inspiration by the patient over the period of time is independent of the respiratory pattern of the patient, wherein the gas control system is configured to
• a) calculate a quantity of therapy gas to be administered to the patient every nth breath, calculating the quantity based on one or more of respiratory rate and quantity already given to the patient,
• b) administer the quantity of therapy gas to the patient's alveoli during the first half of the inspiratory cycle for every nth breath of the plurality of breaths, n being greater than 1 averaged over the period of time, and
• c) repeat steps a) and b) varying the quantity of therapy gas per breath to ensure that the desired total quantity over the period of time is maintained independent of the respiratory pattern of the patient.