Abstract: A respiratory monitor including a sensor (200) responsive to substance in exhaled breath is mounted in or connected to a respiratory therapy device (100) of the kind that provides an alternating resistance to expiratory flow. The sensor (200) is exposed to biomarkers or other substances in exhaled breath. The vibration in the lungs produced by the therapy device (100) helps release an increased amount of the biomarkers or other substances in the exhaled breath.

Abstract: Ventilator apparatus includes a pump (41) connected to supply pressurised air both to an air reservoir (23) and to an oxygen concentrator (70) that supplies pressurised oxygen to an oxygen reservoir (24). The outlet (50) of the air reservoir (23) is connected to the inlet of a breathing circuit (30) via an entrainment device (56) so that pressurised air from the reservoir entrains atmospheric air. The outlet (84) of the oxygen reservoir (24) is connected via oxygen tubing (99) to the patient end of the breathing circuit (30). A patient valve (90) at the patient end (93) of the breathing circuit (30) opens to allow the patient to exhale via openings (97) in the valve. The oxygen supply is switched to supply oxygen to the breathing circuit (30) during the expiratory phase so that oxygen in the circuit is inhaled during a subsequent inhalation phase.

Abstract: An expiratory, vibratory therapy device (100, 200 300, 400) includes a compliance meter (104, 204, 304, 404) having a cylinder (110, 210, 310, 410) with a piston (111, 211, 411) movable along its length. The piston is urged by a spring (116, 226) to one end of the cylinder. The opposite end of the cylinder has an air inlet (120, 123, 219) normally closed by a springloaded occluder (129). The occluder (129) is moved to open the air inlet when the patient exhales in the prescribed manner. This allows some air to enter the cylinder and enables the piston to be displaced. The piston is coupled to a flag (106, 206, 306, 406) visible to the patient. When the correct number of prescribed breaths have been made the piston displaces the flag to indicate completion of the therapy.

Abstract: Respiratory therapy apparatus has a short conduit (10) with a mouthpiece (13) at one end and open to atmosphere at its opposite end (11). One end of a cylinder (22), (110, 203) opens into the conduit (10) and contains a piston (21, 111, 205) slidable along the cylinder. The piston (21, 111, 205) carries a permanent magnet (24) that interacts with a magnetic field produced by electromagnetic coils (25, 26), 101-109 surrounding the cylinder. The coils are driven by a control unit (30) that receives inputs from pressure, flow and piston position sensors (40, 41) and (42) to cause the piston to oscillate in the cylinder and superimpose an oscillatory waveform on the normal tidal respiration along the conduit (10) at an amplitude sufficient to mobilize mucus in the patient's airway and produce a therapeutic effect.