Patent ID: 8561607

Claim:
A nebulizer assembly comprising: a reservoir for containing a liquid; a nebulizer for producing an aerosolized gas using the liquid; an aerosolized gas outlet coupled to the nebulizer to pass the aerosolized gas, the aerosolized gas outlet in fluid communication with a flow of a breathing gas at a junction; a breathing gas conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end in fluid communication with the junction; a manifold; and a heating chamber disposed around an exterior of the reservoir, wherein the heating chamber includes a heating fluid inlet in fluid communication with the heating chamber for providing heating fluid to the heating chamber and a heating fluid outlet in fluid communication with the heating chamber for discharging the heating fluid from the heating chamber, the heating chamber maintaining the heating fluid separate from the liquid contained by the reservoir, wherein the inlet end of the breathing gas conduit, the heating fluid inlet, and the heating fluid outlet are coupled to the manifold.