초록 ▼

A humidifier has a supply of water suspended on a pole above a patient which supplies water through a removable drop counter of magnetically actuated ball valve to a microporous tube mounted in but mechanically separated from a ventilating line between a ventilator and the patient. The water is heat

A humidifier has a supply of water suspended on a pole above a patient which supplies water through a removable drop counter of magnetically actuated ball valve to a microporous tube mounted in but mechanically separated from a ventilating line between a ventilator and the patient. The water is heated in the microporous tube to create a vapor pressure sufficient to cause water vapor but substantially no liquid water to pass through the tube into the ventilating line. Electrically energized controls are provided to obviate maloperation and to maintain safe operating conditions including maintaining safe temperature conditions, and prevention of excess water entering the ventilation line by counting the drops of water passing through the bold valve, and closing the ball valve if the count rate is outside desired count rates and power or the monitoring equipment fails.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of humidifying gases, said method comprising the steps of supplying water into a first passageway by passing the water from a source of substantially constant positive pressure to said first passageway, heating said water by means of an electrical resistance heater in said water in said fir

A method of humidifying gases, said method comprising the steps of supplying water into a first passageway by passing the water from a source of substantially constant positive pressure to said first passageway, heating said water by means of an electrical resistance heater in said water in said first passageway, passing gases through a second passageway, causing water vapour but substantially no liquid water to pass through a microporous wall common to both said passageways, said microporous wall being permeable to water vapour but substantially impermeable to liquid water, the water vapour passing through said microporous wall being entrained in the passing gases to humidify said gases for transmission to a point of use, monitoring the temperature of the humidified gases, causing changes in temperature of the humidified gases to cause changes in the supply of heat to said water to maintain the temperature of humidified gases within a desired range of temperatures, monitoring the rate of flow of water of said first passageway, generating electrical signals representative, respectively, of the following parameters: 1. rate of flow of said water to said first passageway, 2. temperature of humidified gases flowing in said second passageway, and 3. heat input to the water in said first passageway, and causing a cessation of flow of water and heat to said water when at least one of said parameters varies from a desired value by more than a predetermined amount.