Insert for heated humidifier used in respiratory therapy

Claim 1

In a heated humidifier used in respiratory therapy consisting of a first reservoir removably attached to a cover, said cover having: (a) an inlet port for gas entry, said port being the upper terminus of a first conduit leading into a tower open at its bottom and top, the tower containing a perforated disc near the bottom of said tower, the first conduit terminating at and being in open communication with the underside of the disc, said disc acting to disperse the gas entering the inlet port; (b) a gas exit port, and; (c) a double well the improvement consisting of a solid removable, space filling, volume reducing insert for said first reservoir constructed of a noncompressible, nonabsorbent, sterilizable material contoured to fit said first reservoir and dimensioned so as to occupy at least 35% of the volume of the first reservoir, the insert formed with a depression, in open communication at its bottom surface with the first reservoir, acting as a second reservoir receivably accommodating the double well and tower, a chamber formed on a side of the the insert adjacent to the second reservoir, a second conduit extending from its lower terminus at the upper portion of the chamber through the body of the insert to its upper terminus at the top of the insert, a float valve pivotally connected at one end to the top of said chamber, said valve having means to positively close the lower terminus of the second conduit.