Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited

Fisher & Paykel Limited

David Fraser Wixey

Alastair Edwin McAuley

Stephen William McPhee

Mohammad Thudor

Peter John Hunt

Lewis George Gradon

Christopher Earl Nightingale

Ivan Milivojevic

Ian Douglas Makinson

Philip John Dickinson

Raymond Ka Yau Lo

Yann Ren Breton

Patrick Sean McSweeny

Douglas Ian Makinson

A breathing assistance apparatus adapted to deliver humidified gases at a desired level of humidity to a patient including a humidifier and a heated conduit is disclosed. The humidifier includes a controller which controls the humidifier, or the humidifier and the heated conduit to deliver the gases to the patient at the required humidity or temperature, without the requirement for sensors in the gases stream. The controller uses information already available to the controller, without the requirement for additional information to be provided by sensors in the gases stream. This means the need for sensors in the gases stream is dispensed with. A significant benefit is achieved as sensors are not required in the conduit and thus the apparatus is simple and less bulky.

Humidity controller

A respiratory humidifier chamber for use with a breathing assistance apparatus is described. The chamber includes a water-tight vessel having an inlet for receiving gases from the breathing assistance apparatus, and an outlet through which heated humidified gases exit the vessel for delivery to a patient. The chamber has a partition which divides the chamber into upstream and downstream sub-chambers. The sub-chambers are separated by the partition except for an aperture which passes through the partition and allows gaseous communication between the sub-chambers. The downstream sub-chamber includes a heater base which heats a volume of water contained within it. The aperture is located above the volume of water. The upstream sub-chamber contains an internal heater which heats gases passing through it from the inlet to the aperture. At least part of the internal heater is located immediately adjacent the aperture.

Humidifier with internal heating element and heater plate

A patient interface is described which is reduces the pressure of the mask on the users face. The patient interface has a sealing interface having an inner sealing member and an outer sealing member. The inner and outer sealing members are adapted to seal around the facial contours of a user providing a sealed fluid communication to the user's respiratory tract. The inner and outer sealing members are at least continuously in contact with each other around the portions where the sealing interface contacts the users facial contours. The inner sealing member may be provided with cut outs to provide additional flexibility to particular areas, such as the nasal bridge, upper lip or cheek regions and may be provided with a contoured edge to better fit the facial contours of a user.

Breathing assistance apparatus

The present invention may include an integral, separable or separate humidifier () which may be selectively configured to an inoperative or operative state. The switch over is dependent on the user or the seller having access to an actuation tool to activate the humidifier. The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device is initially available for use as a standalone CPAP (). The heater plate being isolated by a covering shroud (), the shroud () also forms a connection port for the CPAP blower outlet (). The heated humidification hardware being disabled by the absence of the activation tool. Upgrade to a CPAP device including heated humidification is completed by the installation of the actuation tool. Removal of the heater plate isolating shroud and/or installing the actuation tool enables the software controlled heated humidification hardware for heated humidifier operation. Other upgrades to functionality are also disclosed.

A patient interface is described which is reduces the pressure of the mask on the users face. The patient interface has a sealing interface having an inner sealing member and an outer sealing member. The inner and outer sealing members are adapted to seal around the facial contours of a user providing a sealed fluid communication to the user's respiratory tract. The inner and outer sealing members are at least continuously in contact with each other around the portions where the sealing interface contacts the user's facial contours. The inner sealing member may be provided with cut outs to provide additional flexibility to particular areas, such as the nasal bridge, upper lip or cheek regions and may be provided with a contoured edge to better fit the facial contours of a user.

A connector is formed to connect with the outlet of a humidification chamber. A calibrated tube extends through the connector to be retained in use in at least a substantially vertical direction. A bias flow outlet also extends through the connector. In use the connector of the measuring device is fitted to the outer port of a humidification water chamber with the calibrated tube extending into the reservoir of water within the chamber. With an air supply to the chamber activated the subsequent water level in the tube indicates the operating pressure of the blower under a flow condition simulating losses through leakage in the breathing circuit and at the patient connection.

Pressure measuring device

A water chamber has a horizontally orientated gas inlet with an elongate flow tube extending into the water chamber from the inner periphery of the gases inlet. An inlet end of the elongate flow tube covers the inlet and an outlet end of the flow tube is spaced from the wall of the chamber. In use the flow tube receives gases supplied to the gases inlet, the gases pass through the flow tube and exit the flow tube at the outlet end distant from the wall.

Growing community of inventors

Auckland, New Zealand

David Fraser Wixey