A humidification system can include a heater base, a chamber, and a breathing circuit. The heater base includes a heater plate positioned in a recessed region, and a heat conductive portion of the chamber is configured to contact the heater plate. The heater base includes a guard configured to control movement of the chamber into and out of the recessed region. The guard includes an anti-racking mechanism. The chamber includes an inlet port, an outlet port. A downward extension extends into the chamber from the inlet port, and a baffle is disposed at a lower end of the downward extension. A component of the breathing circuit can include a conduit hanging end cap for shipping and storage. The end cap can include a hanging component to allow the breathing circuit component to be hung from a medical stand. The system can detect when breathing circuits are connected in reverse.

A respiratory therapy system can have a flow generator adapted to provide gases to a patient. A gas passageway can be located in-line with the flow generator. The gas passageway can have a first portion adapted to receive a first gas and a second portion adapted to receive a second gas. The gas passageway can have a static mixer downstream of the first and second portions.

A system and method are configured to adjust the tidal volume of the breathing of a subject. The subject is self-ventilating (breathes under her own power). The adjustment of tidal volume accomplished through use of the system and/or method may reduce hypertension (e.g., lower blood pressure), reduce stress and/or anxiety (and related maladies), improve relaxation, decrease sleep latency, improve sleep quality, address other sleep disorders, and/or provide other health benefits. The system and method are effective in adjusting tidal volume while the subject is awake and/or asleep.

Systems and methods for improving the heart rate coherence and/or heart rate variability of a subject use a respiratory therapy device to provide breathing cues that prompt a subject to breathe such that various respiratory and coronary parameters are aligned, for example in phase.

A sterilization and humidification apparatus includes a heating chamber, a filter and a humidification chamber. The heating chamber heats a gas so as to sterilize the gas. The humidification chamber is adapted so that a liquid, which has been filtered by the filter, evaporates into the sterilized gas, thereby causing the sterilized gas to cool, and outputting a humidified gas at a desired temperature. The apparatus may include a bypass chamber to provide a path for the gas to bypass the humidification chamber. The apparatus may be adapted particularly for use in an incubator.

A humidification system has a humidification source and a main gases flow path. The main gases flow path has a low pressure region and a high pressure region. In some embodiments, each of the low pressure region and the high pressure region has an aperture. The pressure difference between the apertures promotes a gases flow between the main gases flow path and the humidification source, and results in humidifying the gases in the main gases flow path.

An apparatus for humidifying a flow of pressurised, breathable air includes varying a first pressure of the flow of breathable gas to vary a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, varying a height of the variable portion varies a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, use of a humidifier reservoir base component with a maximum water capacity substantially equal to the predetermined maximum volume of water of the humidifier reservoir or the use of intersecting inlet and outlet axes.

An apparatus for humidifying a flow of pressurised, breathable air includes varying a first pressure of the flow of breathable gas to vary a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, varying a height of the variable portion varies a level of thermal engagement between the conductive portion of the reservoir and the heater plate, use of a humidifier reservoir base component with a maximum water capacity substantially equal to the predetermined maximum volume of water of the humidifier reservoir or the use of intersecting inlet and outlet axes.

Described is an apparatus for oxygenation and/or CO2 clearance of a patient, comprising: a flow source or a connection for a flow source for providing a gas flow, a gas flow modulator, a controller to control the gas flow, wherein the controller is operable to: receive input relating to heart activity and/or trachea gas flow of the patient, and control the gas flow modulator to provide a varying gas flow with one or more oscillating components with a frequency or frequencies based on the heart activity and/or trachea flow of the patient.

Disclosed herein is a patient interface for wound treatment and/or management, comprising: an interface body configurable to substantially or at least partially surround a wound, the interface body comprising a gas inlet and defining a first gas flow path having a first flow resistance, and a second gas flow path having a second flow resistance. The first gas flow path is arranged in fluid communication with the gas inlet and the second gas flow path. The interface body comprises or is configurable to provide a gas outlet at or adjacent to the wound site.