Plenum chamber

Abstract: A nasal positive airway pressure device is provided having a plenum chamber, a pair of nasal delivery members, and a variable orifice venting aperture member. The variable orifice venting aperture member preferably is mounted to the plenum chamber, but may be mounted at other locations in communication with the nasal delivery members. The variable orifice vent aperture member expands under increased pressure, e.g., during exhalation, and contracts to its original diameter at lower pressures, e.g., during inhalation, to provide variable venting capacity during positive airway pressure treatment.

Abstract: This invention relates to an air bag inflation gas generator to feed gas for inflation of air bags such as air bags for absorbing collision shocks, life jackets, rafts, and escape chutes. The air bag inflation gas generator according to the present invention has a combustion chamber comprising a bottom-closed cylinder of a housing body and a lid covering the opening of the bottom-closed cylinder. The housing body comprises the bottom-closed cylinder, a flange extending outward and formed integrally with the opening of the bottom-closed cylinder, and an external cylinder formed on the periphery of the flange and bent toward the bottom of the housing body. A plenum chamber is formed by covering the external and bottom-closed cylinders with a covering member from the bottom of the housing body and by welding the covering member to the cylinders.

Abstract: A nasal cannula for delivering a breathing gas includes a rigid support adapted for placement at least partly beneath the nose of a user, an inflatable plenum chamber mounted on the rigid support, and a pair of nares elements mounted on the inflatable plenum chamber for insertion into the nostrils of the user. The inflatable plenum chamber includes a flexible membrane mounted on the rigid support. The flexible membrane can be preformed to define laterally spaced humps for mounting individual nares element and can further be pleated. Alternatively, a pair of inflatable plenum chambers can be separately mounted on the rigid support.

Abstract: A convective thermal blanket is provided which warms or cools a patient's head and body areas by convection. The blanket includes a covering which has top and bottom layers of material, the covering being sealed along its periphery so as to form a plenum chamber. The head end of the covering has a recess for receiving a patient's head. The recess forms the head end of the covering into a pair of flaps, each flap being adapted to extend along a respective side of the patient's head and the covering below the recess being adapted to cover the patient's chest or body area. The recess also forms the plenum chamber into a main plenum chamber for the chest area and a pair of secondary plenum chambers, each secondary plenum chamber being in a respective flap for the head area. The covering has an inlet opening for receiving a gaseous medium for inflating the main plenum chamber and the secondary plenum chambers. The bottom layer of the covering has a plurality of apertures, which open into the main plenum chamber and the secondary plenum chambers, for discharging the gaseous medium over the patient's chest and head areas when the plenum chambers are inflated.