Abstract: The invention provides a respiratory mask comprising a mask body including a base and walls upstanding from the base and converging towards an apical region and a forehead engagement member extending from the apical region of the mask body. The forehead engagement member coupled to the mask body so as to be movable relative to the mask body in a sagittal plane when the mask body is worn by a patient. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative positions of the forehead engagement member and the mask body. In another aspect, the invention also provides a respiratory mask including a mask body including a base and walls upstanding from the base and converging towards an apical region. The body includes a pair of transversely opposite headgear anchors adapted for attachment to headgear that a patient wears during use to secure the mask to the face of a patient.

Abstract: A low cost medical humidifier for adding moisture to a patient air flow is disclosed. The humidifier comprises a water reservoir, a disposable evaporative wick containing a heater, a lid containing electrical contacts to engage the heater in the wick and airway connections. The wick heater comprises a PET film with aluminum tracks and a cover layer of PTC resistive ink. The heater is covered with paper to provide a water pathway via capillary flow. There is a capillary path from the water reservoir to the wick. The wick and heater are manufactured with printing and calendaring processes in reel to reel processes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for heating a respiratory conduit positioned between a PAP device and a patent interface, wherein the system comprises: a first thermistor encapsulated within the conduit proximal to a first end of the conduit which is proximal to the patient interfaces; a second thermistor encapsulated within the conduit proximal to a second end of the conduit which is proximal to the PAP device; a heater is encapsulated within the conduit; and wherein the first and second thermistor are electrically isolated from the heater within the conduit.

Abstract: The invention provides a respiratory mask comprising a mask body including a base and walls upstanding from the base and converging towards an apical region and a forehead engagement member extending from the apical region of the mask body. The forehead engagement member coupled to the mask body so as to be movable relative to the mask body in a sagittal plane when the mask body is worn by a patient. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the relative positions of the forehead engagement member and the mask body. In another aspect, the invention also provides a respiratory mask including a mask body including a base and walls upstanding from the base and converging towards an apical region. The body includes a pair of transversely opposite headgear anchors adapted for attachment to headgear that a patient wears during use to secure the mask to the face of a patient.

Abstract: A low cost medical humidifier for adding moisture to a patient air flow is disclosed. The humidifier comprises a water reservoir, a disposable evaporative wick containing a heater, a lid containing electrical contacts to engage the heater in the wick and airway connections. The wick heater comprises a PET film with aluminium tracks and a cover layer of PTC resistive ink. The heater is covered with paper to provide a water pathway via capillary flow. There is a capillary path from the water reservoir to the wick. The wick and heater are manufactured with printing and calendaring processes in reel to reel processes.

Abstract: A modular printhead is provided for an inkjet printer. The printhead includes an elongate mounting member defining a channel. A plurality of elongate printhead modules is arranged end to end within the channel. Each printhead module has complementary nesting formations at either end so that adjacent printhead modules are nested together. Each printhead module includes an elongate printhead integrated circuit (IC) which is configured to print ink, and is aligned obliquely with respect to the mounting member so that adjacent printhead ICs overlap along the mounting member and provide for continuity of printing on print media which passes across the printhead.

Abstract: A MEMS vapor bubble generator with a chamber for holding liquid and a heater positioned in the chamber for heating the liquid above its bubble nucleation point to form a vapour bubble; wherein, the heater is formed from a superalloy.

Abstract: A MEMS vapor bubble generator with a chamber for holding liquid and a heater positioned in the chamber for heating the liquid above its bubble nucleation point to form a vapour bubble; wherein, the heater has a microstructure with a grain size less than 100 nanometres.

Abstract: A printhead assembly for a pagewidth ink jet printer includes an ink storage assembly that defines at least one ink storage chamber. An elongate mounting member is mounted on the ink storage assembly to be in fluid communication with the, or each, ink storage chamber. At least one printhead module is mounted on the mounting member and has a carrier that defines a recess and a printhead chip received in the recess. The recess is in fluid communication with the mounting member so that ink from the, or each, ink storage chamber can be fed to the printhead chip.

Abstract: A method of and an appratus for automatically determining the moisture content of a tobacco sample and for then automatically determining the stem content of the tobacco sample are disclosed. The apparatus utilizes a dryer, such as a rotary drum dryer with internal agitating vanes, for applying heat to remove moisture and volatiles from the sample and for reducing the sample to lamina and stem portions. Electronic scales are used to weigh the sample before and after drying to determine and store the "wet" and "dry" weights of the sample. Based on the stored wet and dry weights the moisture content is determined. The stem portions are classified into two categories and weighed to determine the stem content by weight of the sample.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for automatically taking a cored sample of tobacco from a bale of tobacco and pneumatically transferring the sample to a remotely located receiving station, such as a stem content analyzer, are disclosed. A sample canister with vacuum-operated end closures for use in the pneumatic transfer of the tobacco sample is also disclosed. A compacted, cored sample of tobacco is delaminated and then deposited into an open sample canister which is closed and pneumatically transported to a stem content analyzer where it is opened, upended to deposit the sample into the stem content analyzer, reclosed and pneumatically returned for another sample of tobacco.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for automatically analyzing the degradation of processed leaf tobacco are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a conveyor system for diverting a sample of leaf tobacco from an operating tobacco processing line, supplying the tobacco to a degradation analyzer and returning the tobacco to the processing line after the degradation analysis has been performed. The degradation analyzer comprises a weigh conveyor for receiving the tobacco sample, weighing it to insure it is within prescribed limits and delivering it to a vibratory screen separator where the tobacco is separated into a plurality of fractions of different-sized tobacco particles. The separated fractions are collected in weigh buckets, electronically weighed and discharged to the conveyor system for return to the tobacco processing line.