Patent ID: 7140367

Claim:
A conduit overheating detection system for at least one respiratory conduit comprising: at least one respiratory conduit including at least one heating clement, said respiratory conduit in use providing gases to or from a patient, a detector to detect the current in said at least one heating clement, and a controller, incorporating said detector such that said heating element is connected to said controller, and including at least one power supply, which implements an algorithm that causes said controller to: i) receive input of said current in said at least one heating element from said detector, and ii) if said current is outside a safe current region, then reduce the power supplied by said at least one power supply to said at least one heating element so as to alter the current in said heating element to within said safe current region and prevent occurrence of said conduit and said at least one heating element overheating, then iii) after a predetermined time increase said power supplied by said at least one power supply to said heating element.