0953 A Novel Active Humidifier for Non-Invasive Ventilated Patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The RespirAq® humidifier is a novel, active heated humidifier that humidifies without the need for additional water. Within milliseconds, the humidifier switches between a super-hydrophilic state to capture moisture during expiration, and a super-hydrophobic state, returning moisture during inspiration. The device delivers gases at 37°C/100% relative humidity to individuals requiring humidification, including those with tracheostomies. We demonstrated the device meets EN ISO 80601 2 74:2020 during bench testing. This study aimed to compare the performance of the novel humidifier with a heated humidifier - HH (MR850™ Fisher & Paykel Healthcare) and a heat and moisture exchanger - HME (DAR™ Covidien) in healthy volunteers during non-invasive ventilation (NIV) using a non-vented full face mask. Methods Ten healthy volunteers were recruited. NIV was performed at different settings (inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) range 5-20cmH20, expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) = 5cmH20) over a one-hour period. Humidity and temperature were collected continuously during the study. Results Sixty per cent of participants were female. Mean age of 35.6 ± 5.89 years (M±SD, n=10). Absolute humidity inside the face mask increased from 22.55 ± 2.41 mg/L without humidification to 30.18 ± 2.07 mg/L with an HME, and 39.09 ± 1.05 mg/L and 38.23 ± 1.78 mg/L when using a water-based heated humidifier and the novel humidifier, respectively. When comparing the performance of the humidification devices head-to-head, the two heated humidifiers significantly outperformed the HME (HME vs Novel = P < 0.0001, HME vs HH = p < 0.0001) and there was no significant difference seen between the two active humidifiers (p =0.2047). Conclusion Results show that the device meets the 12 mg/L absolute humidity established by the EN ISO 80601-2-74:2020 standards and that there is no significant difference in performance compared to traditional heated humidification. This suggests that the novel device can deliver the performance of a heater humidifier at the size, reliability and ease of use of a heat and moisture exchanger. Due to the mechanism of action, droplet/aerosol transmission of COVID-19 may also be mitigated. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Support (if any) This research was supported by Tier 2 KiwiNet funding.