Patent ID: 7347203

Claim:
A heat and moisture exchanger for selectively conducting a stream of air produced by a ventilator through a moisturizing medium or causing the stream of air to bypass the moisturizing medium, the heat and moisture exchanger comprising: (a) a housing having a ventilator-side port configured to be coupled to an outlet of a ventilator and a source of aerosolized medication, the housing also having a patient-side port configured to be coupled to a patient to provide ventilation to the patient; (b) a structure within the housing forming a first path within the housing for conducting non-aerosolized air from the ventilator-side port through the moisturizing medium to the patient-side port and a second path within the housing for conducting air carrying aerosolized medication from the ventilator-side port to the patient-side port by bypassing the moisturizing medium; and (c) a two-way valve mechanism in the housing for selectively coupling the ventilator-side port into fluid communication with one or the other of the first and second paths.