Patent ID: 7302949

Claim:
A humidifier for providing warm moist respiratory gases, comprising; a respiratory gas heating chamber having a closed top, enclosing sides, and an open bottom adapted to receive for coupling thereto a container adapted to contain a liquid to be aerosolized into a vapor; a vapor-forming flow-control chamber in fluid communication with said respiratory gas heating chamber for forming an aerosolized vapor from liquid in fluid communication therewith; nozzle means in fluid communication with said vapor-forming flow-control chamber for creating an aerosolized vapor from respiratory gas and the liquid in fluid communication with said vapor-forming flow-control chamber; a first orifice positioned in fluid communication with said nozzle means such that the flow of respiratory gas from said nozzle means will create a reduced pressure across said first orifice for withdrawing a condensate fluid therethrough; a second orifice positioned in fluid communication with said nozzle means and spaced from said first orifice such that the flow of respiratory gas from said nozzle means will create a reduced pressure across said second orifice for withdrawing therethrough liquid contained in a container coupled to said respiratory gas heating chamber; heating means for warming the aerosolized vapor created by said nozzle means; a discharge port in fluid communication with said vapor-forming fluid-control chamber for delivering the warm aerosolized vapor to a nasal cannula for inhalation by a user; and condensate conduit means in fluid communication with said first orifice for withdrawing therethrough condensate formed by the cooling of the warm aerosolized vapor during delivery thereof to the nasal cannula.