Respiratory Humidifier

Respiratory humidifiers, also known as respiratory gas humidifiers, are important tools for maintaining proper humidity levels in gases delivered to patients during a variety of therapies. Gases must be properly conditioned (brought to appropriate humidity level, temperature, and cleansed/filtered) to avoid adverse impacts to sensitive lung tissue and the respiratory tract, especially during extended periods of mechanical ventilation.

Respiratory humidifiers can be passive, requiring no external energy source, or active, such as electric evaporators, nebulizers, and bubble humidifiers.

• Respiratory gas humidification (Wikipedia article)
• Respiratory Humidification: Basics (WILAmed article)
• Mechanical Ventilation: Patient Circuits: Part 2: The Humidifier (video)