Patent ID: 9737679
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: A61M

Claim:
1. A patient connector providing heat and humidity exchange, the connector comprising: an enclosure having a patient port for connection to a patient circuit, a ventilation communications port for connection to a ventilation circuit, and a nebulizer port for intermittent connection to a nebulizer; a heat and moisture exchange element holder having a heat and moisture exchange element contained there within, an upper port in fluid communication with a first side of the heat and moisture exchange element and having a lower port in fluid communication with an opposing side of the heat and moisture exchange element; a means for urging, the means for urging urges the heat and moisture exchange element holder towards the nebulizer port; a linkage between the nebulizer port and the heat and moisture exchange element such that the linkage blocks the nebulizer port, the patient port is in fluid communications with the upper port and the ventilation communications port is in fluid communications with the lower port allowing fluid communications between the patient port and the ventilation communications port through the heat and moisture exchange element and such that after insertion of a nebulizer into the nebulizer port, the linkage opens the nebulizer port, the patient port is in fluid communications with the nebulizer port and the ventilation communications port allowing fluid communications between the patient port and the ventilation communications port and the nebulizer port.