Patent ID: 8851071
Filing Date: 2014-10-07
Classification: A61M

Abstract:
1. A respiration humidifier, comprising: a respiration humidifier housing having a bottom respiration humidifier surface, said respiration humidifier housing defining a humidifying chamber, said respiration humidifier housing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet receiving breathing air such that the breathing air enters said humidifying chamber, said respiration humidifier housing containing water partially filling said humidifying chamber to form a single unitary and contiguous humidifying chamber water surface, said water being in contact with said bottom respiration humidifier surface; a distributor structure arranged in said humidifying chamber and fixed detachably in said respiration humidifier housing, said distributor structure having a first side in contact with the water such that said distributor structure absorbs water via capillary action or suction, said distributor structure having a second side in contact with the breathing air in said humidifying chamber such said water absorbed via said distributor structure evaporates into said breathing air to form humidified breathing air, said outlet receiving said humidified breathing air for delivery to a patient, said distributor structure extending along a surface of the water, wherein: said distributor structure is an integral unitary capillary or suction distributor structure covering all of the water surface; said first side of said distributor structure includes integral first side projections extending into said water in a direction away from the water surface, said first side projections being in contact with said water such that said first side projections absorb water via capillary action, said second side of said distributor structure having integral second side projections extending in a direction away from the water surface into a breathing air stream of breathing air that has entered said humidifying chamber, each second side projection being located at a spaced location from an adjacent second side projection to form a plurality of microvortice sections, said breathing air circulating within said microvortice sections to form said humidified breathing air.