Systems and methods for providing respiratory therapy overcome various effects of transport delay within tubing of a respiratory therapy device by virtue of estimating and compensating for, e.g., a pressure drop in such tubing.

A barrier system, device, and method protects medical professionals and patients from exposure to contaminants and bodily fluids. The system includes a head unit (e.g., 708) shaped to be worn over the head of the wearer; a hood (e.g., 704) positioned over the head unit; one or more sensors (e.g., 1902) configured to produce one or more sensor-output signals; and a controller (e.g., 1904) connected to the one or more sensors and configured to produce one or more controller-output signals based on the one or more sensor-output signals. Further, a device inside a barrier system is controlled by (a) sensing one or more characteristics; (b) producing one or more sensor signals based on the sensed one or more characteristics; (c) converting and/or processing the one or more sensor signals to produce one or more controller-output signals; and (d) controlling the device based on the one or more controller-output signals.

An aerosol delivery system has a nebulizer and a humidifier providing a gas flow to the nebulizer. A controller varies humidity level of the gas flow to the nebulizer so that if the nebulizer is not operating it has about 100% humidity and it is operating the value is less to allow for the humidification effect of the nebulizer. The control may be achieved by dynamically varying proportions of flow through a dry branch and a humidification branch.

An apparatus including a tubular channel having a pathway extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the tubular channel. The proximal end is configured to connect directly or indirectly to an end tidal CO.sub.2 monitor. The distal end has an opening. The apparatus further includes a detection member including a chamber disposed in fluid communication with the pathway of the tubular channel such that gas entering the tubular channel via the opening on the distal end passes into the chamber. A detection element is disposed within the chamber and includes a component that is sensitive to one or more systemic biomarkers such that, upon exposure to a predetermined concentration level of the one or more systemic biomarkers contained in the gas, a state of the detection element experiences a permanent alteration and the detection member indicates that the predetermined concentration level of the one or more systemic biomarkers is present in the gas.

The present disclosure describes a pressure support therapy device valve that enables a subject to safely supplement therapy pressure support with low flow oxygen while using a heated (or non-heated) tube. The valve conducts a pressurized flow of breathable gas and the low flow oxygen to the heated tube. The valve includes electrical components configured to pass power from the pressure support therapy device to the heated tube, and a plunger biased to close a flow path from the pressure support therapy device when a pressurized flow of breathable gas is not provided (or is below a predetermined pressure threshold). Closing the flow path stops oxygen gas from flowing back through the valve toward the pressurized gas source.

An expiratory limb is provided that is configured to remove humidified gases from a patient and configured to provide improved drying performance by providing a tailored temperature profile along the limb. Limbs for providing humidified gases to and/or removing humidified gases from a patient are also provided, the limbs having improved gas residence time at constant volumetric flow rate. The improved residence time can be achieved by providing a limb comprising multiple lumens.

Medical tubes and methods of manufacturing medical tubes are disclosed, such as in positive airway pressure (PAP), respirator, anaesthesia, ventilator, and insufflation systems. The tube may be a composite structure made of two or more distinct components spirally wound to form an elongate tube. One of the components may be a spirally wound elongate hollow body, and the other component an elongate structural component spirally wound between turns of the spirally wound hollow body. Alternatively, the tube need not be made from distinct components. For instance, an elongate hollow body formed (e.g., extruded) from a single material may be spirally wound to form an elongate tube. The elongate hollow body itself may in transverse cross-section have a thin wall portion and a relatively thicker or more rigid reinforcement portion. The tubes can be incorporated into a variety of medical circuits or have other medical uses.

The present invention provides a method for reducing condensed humidifying agent in a humidification system by pulsing a delivery of humidifying agent into a respiratory circuit. During a non-pulsed interval, gas flowing through the respiratory circuit will evaporate the condensed humidifying agent present in the respiratory circuit. The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for delivering humidified gas to a patient, wherein the delivery avoids the problems associated with a stationary water humidifier. In the method, the delivery of humidifying agent is precisely controlled to deliver a flow of humidifying agent to a volume of gas.

Secretions that have accumulated at or near an airway of a subject as the subject is being mechanically ventilated are removed by suctioning. Before, during, and/or after the removal of the secretions, steps are taken to mitigated the impact of the suctioning used for secretion removal on the subject. As such, the timing of suction used to remove secretions may be influenced or controlled, ventilation of the subject during suction may be adjusted, ventilation of the subject prior to secretion removal may be adjusted to prepare the lungs of the subject for secretion removal, ventilation of the subject subsequent to suction for secretion removal may be adjusted, and/or other techniques for reducing the impact of suctioning for secretion removal on the subject may be implemented.

An apparatus (100) to maintain an environment over an anterior surface of a patient eye can include an enclosure (110) sized and shaped to be seated about the patient eye to form a cavity (112) within the enclosure. The enclosure can be configured to contain a fluid other than ambient air in contact with the patient eye. The apparatus can include a fluid regulator (1209) in communication with the enclosure, where the fluid regulator can be configured to regulate the composition of the fluid contained within the enclosure.