RESPIRATORY GAS HUMIDIFIER
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas humidifier can have a gas channel comprising an inlet and an outlet. A portion of the gas channel can have a region having a reduction in cross-sectional area relative to the portions of the gas channel outside of the region. A water conduit can extend from the region to a water reservoir. A heating element can heat water entering the region from the water conduit. Water vaporized using the heating element can join the flow of gases passing through the gas channel in use.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A gas humidifier, comprising:
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an air flow channel; a liquid reservoir configured to hold a volume of liquid, the air flow channel separate from an air space above the volume of liquid in the reservoir; a heater configured to heat a heated portion of the air flow channel; a liquid distributor configured to distribute liquid transferred from the reservoir to the air flow channel over a surface to be heated by the heater, the heater configured to vaporize at least a portion of the distributed liquid to humidify gases flowing through the air flow channel; and a collector positioned downstream of the heater, the collector configured to collect excess liquid in the air flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of removing excess liquid from a gas flow channel of a humidifier, the humidifier comprising a reservoir configured to hold a volume of liquid, the gas flow channel separate from an air space above the volume of liquid in the reservoir, the method comprising:
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delivering liquid from a liquid reservoir to the gas flow channel; vaporizing at least a portion of the liquid to humidify gases flowing through the gas flow channel; and collecting excess liquid in the gas flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification