	US RE40,806 E1
	Respiratory humidification system
Lewis George Gradon, Auckland (New Zealand); Stephen William McPhee, Auckland (New Zealand); Paul John Seakins, Christchurch (New Zealand); and Peter John Leonard, Victoria (Australia)
Assigned to Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Auckland (New Zealand)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/900,071.
Application 10/900071 is a reissue of application No. 09/097832, filed on Jun. 16, 1998, now 6,349,722, filed on Feb. 26, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 328116 (NZ), filed on Jun. 17, 1997; and application No. 330295 (NZ), filed on Apr. 27, 1998.
Int. Cl. A61M 15/00 (2006.01); A61M 16/00 (2006.01); H05B 3/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 128—203.17 [128/203.26; 128/203.16; 128/203.27; 128/204.18; 128/204.21; 128/204.17; 261/129; 261/131; 261/142; 261/DIG. 65; 236/44 A; 236/44 R; 165/295]

27 Claims

4. Humidification apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said flow probe means comprise two sensor housing means, a temperature sensor housing means and a flow rate sensor housing means, each comprising a temperature dependent resistance,

and wherein said sensing means of said flow rate sensor housing means is occasionally heated to a predetermined difference temperature above the temperature of said gaseous flow, the power required by said sensor means of said flow rate sensor housing means to maintain said predetermined difference temperature providing an indication of the flow rate of said gaseous flow,

and wherein said sensing means of said flow rate sensor housing means is exposed at or near the sensing end of the flow rate sensor housing means up [ down ] stream of and spaced across said gaseous flow from the sensing means of said temperature sensor housing means is encapsulated at or near the sensing end of the temperature sensor housing means, in order that heat produced by the sensing means of said flow rate sensor housing means does not effect the sensing means of said temperature sensor housing means.