Abstract: A method for supplying a mask through which air flows with a regulated degree of humidification (m) is provided. The method may include: providing a water reservoir configured such that the air circulates in contact with the surface of water within the reservoir is charged with humidity; providing a heating device for heating the water in the reservoir by circulating an electric current; measuring an average intensity (Iav) of the current passing through the heating device; and controlling the average intensity (Iav) relative to a reference value (Iavc) to obtain a degree of humidification (m) of the air that is independent of the ambient temperature (Ta). An apparatus for regulating the degree of humidification of air flow, as well as a heating humidifier including such a regulation device, are also provided.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system for providing breathing assistance to a patient is provided. The breathing assistance system may include a ventilation system for supplying a gas flow, a conduit operatively coupled to the ventilation system, and a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the gas flow through the conduit. The pressure sensor may include a structure configured to create a localized pressure drop in the gas flow proximate the pressure sensor structure.

Abstract: A method for determining the respiratory flow of a patient receiving bi-level respiratory therapy is provided. The method may include measuring the total air flow through a breathing area at a time approximately when the patient has completed exhalation, measuring the pressure in the breathing area, determining a constant representing a corrective flow factor by dividing the measured total air flow by the square root of the measured pressure, and determining the patient's respiratory flow by subtracting from a subsequent total air flow the product of constant and the square root of a subsequent pressure.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system configured to determine pressure drop may include a gas delivery system configured to deliver gas toward a patient, one or more sensors configured to measure one or more parameters of gas delivered by the gas delivery system, a calibration module, and a pressure drop calculation module. The calibration module may be configured to perform one or more pressure drop calibration tests, each pressure drop calibration test measuring a pressure drop in gas flowing through a breathing assistance system apparatus at a particular flow rate; and based at least on the results of the one or more pressure drop calibration tests, generating a non-linear equation relating (a) pressure drop in gas flowing through the breathing assistance system apparatus with (b) flow rate of gas flowing through the breathing assistance system apparatus.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system for providing breathing assistance to a patient is provided. The breathing assistance system may include a ventilation system for supplying a gas flow, a conduit operatively coupled to the ventilation system, and a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the gas flow through the conduit. The pressure sensor may include a structure configured to create a localized pressure drop in the gas flow proximate the pressure sensor structure.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system for providing breathing assistance to a patient is provided. The breathing assistance system may include a ventilation system for supplying a gas flow, a conduit operatively coupled to the ventilation system, and a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the gas flow through the conduit. The pressure sensor may include a structure configured to create a localized pressure drop in the gas flow proximate the pressure sensor structure.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. The apparatus measures and/or calculates the inspiratory air flow, volume and pressure to the airway. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airway, wherein the apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway. The apparatus determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure to the patient's airway based on a determination of one or more factors, such as the occurrence of hypopnoea, hyperventilation, obstructive or central apnoea, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of events representing a sleep problem may be stored by the apparatus and retrieved by a clinician at a later date.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system includes a gas delivery system including a gas flow generation device configured to generate a gas flow; a humidifier system including a liquid water chamber and an outlet, and a microporous filter. The gas delivery system and the humidifier system at least partially define a gas flow path from the gas flow generation device to the outlet of the humidifier system. The microporous filter is located along the gas flow path such that the gas flow generated by the gas flow generation device flows through the microporous filter, subsequently becomes humidified in the liquid water chamber, and subsequently flows through the outlet of the humidifier system. The microporous filter is gas-permeable and liquid water-impermeable, such that the microporous filter prevents liquid water in the liquid water chamber from flowing into the gas flow generation device in any orientation of the gas delivery system and humidifier system.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system for providing breathing assistance to a patient is provided. The breathing assistance system may include a ventilation system for supplying a gas flow, a conduit operatively coupled to the ventilation system, and a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the gas flow through the conduit. The pressure sensor may include a structure configured to create a localized pressure drop in the gas flow proximate the pressure sensor structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a user interface for a breathing assistance system are disclosed. A user interface may include a plurality of user-activated buttons configured to receive user input and a display communicatively coupled to the plurality of buttons. The display may include a plurality of function indicators, each function indicator associated with a corresponding one of the user-activated buttons and configured to display a different graphical function representations in different situations, the different graphical function representations indicating different functions of the corresponding user-activated button.

Abstract: A breathing assistance system configured to determine pressure drop may include a gas delivery system configured to deliver gas toward a patient, one or more sensors configured to measure one or more parameters of gas delivered by the gas delivery system, a calibration module, and a pressure drop calculation module. The calibration module may be configured to perform one or more pressure drop calibration tests, each pressure drop calibration test measuring a pressure drop in gas flowing through a breathing assistance system apparatus at a particular flow rate; and based at least on the results of the one or more pressure drop calibration tests, generating a non-linear equation relating (a) pressure drop in gas flowing through the breathing assistance system apparatus with (b) flow rate of gas flowing through the breathing assistance system apparatus.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for delivering pressurized gas to an airway of a subject. The disclosure also provides a system for delivering pressurized gas to an airway of a subject. The disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions executable on a processor that include routines to monitor a respiratory flow rate from a subject, generate a filtered flow and a dynamic flow from the respiratory flow rate, and control a gas generator connected to a breathing device.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. The apparatus measures and/or calculates the inspiratory air flow, volume and pressure to the airway. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airway, wherein the apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway. The apparatus determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure to the patient's airway based on a determination of one or more factors, such as the occurrence of hypopnoea, hyperventilation, obstructive or central apnoea, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of events representing a sleep problem may be stored by the apparatus and retrieved by a clinician at a later date.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. The apparatus measures and/or calculates the inspiratory air flow, volume and pressure to the airway. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airway, wherein the apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway. The apparatus determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure to the patient's airway based on a determination of one or more factors, such as the occurrence of hypopnoea, hyperventilation, obstructive or central apnoea, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of events representing a sleep problem may be stored by the apparatus and retrieved by a clinician at a later date.

Abstract: A method for providing positive airway pressure treatment may include delivering breathing gas toward a patient at a first pressure, detecting one or more sleep respiratory events associated with the patient, and in response to detecting the one or more sleep respiratory events, automatically triggering a ramp function to increase the pressure of the breathing gas delivered toward the patient from the first pressure to a second pressure at a predetermined rate.

Abstract: A method for determining the respiratory flow of a patient receiving bi-level respiratory therapy is provided. The method may include measuring the total air flow through a breathing area at a time approximately when the patient has completed exhalation, measuring the pressure in the breathing area, determining a constant representing a corrective flow factor by dividing the measured total air flow by the square root of the measured pressure, and determining the patient's respiratory flow by subtracting from a subsequent total air flow the product of constant and the square root of a subsequent pressure.

Abstract: A method for supplying a mask through which air flows with a regulated degree of humidification (m) is provided. The method may include: providing a water reservoir configured such that the air circulates in contact with the surface of water within the reservoir is charged with humidity; providing a heating device for heating the water in the reservoir by circulating an electric current; measuring an average intensity (Iav) of the current passing through the heating device; and controlling the average intensity (Iav) relative to a reference value (Iavc) to obtain a degree of humidification (m) of the air that is independent of the ambient temperature (Ta). An apparatus for regulating the degree of humidification of air flow, as well as a heating humidifier including such a regulation device, are also provided.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electric turbin (1) comprising a turbine rotor (4, 7), a turbine stator (2, 3), an electric motor member (5, 6) for driving the rotor (4, 7) in rotation relative to the stator (2, 3), and having the following features: the turbine stator (2, 3) comprises a stator body defining a compression chamber (12); the turbine rotor (4, 7) includes a plurality of blades (26, 27) integral with a shaft (4) mounted coaxially rotating in the body (2, 3) of the turbine stator; the electric motor member (5, 6) comprises a toroidal motor stator (6) housed in a motor housing (16, 23) of the turbine stator (2, 3), at the center of the toroidal compression chamber (12) and a motor rotor (5) mounted on the shaft (4) of the turbine rotor, axially opposite the motor stator (6).

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for controlling air supplied under pressure to a patient suffering from sleep disorders such as apnoea. The apparatus measures and/or calculates the inspiratory air flow, volume and pressure to the airway. Controlled pressurized air is supplied to the patient's upper anatomical airway, wherein the apparatus measures the air flow and pressure to the airway. The apparatus determines whether to increase or decrease the pressure to the patient's airway based on a determination of one or more factors, such as the occurrence of hypopnoea, hyperventilation, obstructive or central apnoea, air leakage and acoustical vibrations. Occurrences of events representing a sleep problem may be stored by the apparatus and retrieved by a clinician at a later date.

Abstract: The invention concerns an electric turbin (1) comprising a turbine rotor (4, 7), a turbine stator (2, 3), an electric motor member (5, 6) for driving the rotor (4, 7) in rotation relative to the stator (2, 3), and having the following features: the turbine stator (2, 3) comprises a stator body defining a compression chamber (12); the turbine rotor (4, 7) includes a plurality of blades (26, 27) integral with a shaft (4) mounted coaxially rotating in the body (2, 3) of the turbine stator; the electric motor member (5, 6) comprises a toroidal motor stator (6) housed in a motor housing (16, 23) of the turbine stator (2, 3), at the center of the toroidal compression chamber (12) and a motor rotor (5) mounted on the shaft (4) of the turbine rotor, axially opposite the motor stator (6).