The AIRVO 2 is a humidifier with integrated flow generator that can deliver high
flow warmed and humidified respiratory gases to spontaneously breathing
patients through a variety of patient interfaces. The AIRVO 2 system consists of:
The AIRVO 2 humidifier which can deliver humidified respiratory gases it flows
from 2 to 60 liters per minute, and oxygen concentrations from 21 to
100%
A water chamber - where the respiratory gases are warmed and humidified.
A breathing tube - heated to minimize condensation, and a variety of Optiflow
patient interfaces including our: Adult nasal cannula
Junior nasal cannula
Tracheostomy interface
and mask interface adapter.
The whole system is integrated on a mobile poll stand for convenient bedside
treatment.
Let's take a closer look at how it works. Room air... and oxygen... are drawn by a quiet
motor, through a filter, into the back of the AIRVO 2.
The air and oxygen are mixed as they travel past temperature, flow and oxygen
sensors.
The motor drives this mixed respiratory gas into the water chamber.
A float in the chamber maintains the water level at a fixed height.
A heater plate warms the water, which in turn warms and humidifies the
respiratory gas passing through the water chamber, to body temperature and
humidity.
The respiratory gas leaving the chamber is regulated to a dew-point temperature,
normally set to 37 degrees Celsius.
This system is a heated pass-over humidifier, so water in the humidified
air inside the chamber is a vapour. If we could magnify this approximately ten
million times, we would see the vapour is a gas of individual water molecules. Each
more than one hundred thousand times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Viruses are
much larger than water molecules; here is a flu virus for comparison. Water
molecules are so small in fact, that as a vapour,
they cannot transport bacteria or viruses.
In comparison to water vapour, water droplets are many times larger than
viruses or bacteria. The same flu virus is tiny when compared with a water
droplet, which means, this water can easily carry a variety of bacteria and
viruses along with the respiratory gas.
So, by using water vapour for humidification instead of water droplets,
the AIRVO 2 can reduce the risk of infection.
This water vapour, from the headspace in the water chamber, enters the breathing
tube through the port on the top of the AIRVO 2. A heated wire inside the tube
warms the humidified air to prevent condensation,
maintaining temperature and water vapor content all the way to the patient.
An integrated sensor at the end of the breathing tube allows precise control of
the temperature and humidity of the respiratory gas supplied - no external
probes or sensors are required.
The respiratory gas is delivered using an Optiflow patient interface. If using
the nasal cannula, the patient can eat, drink and talk during therapy, which may
help patient comfort and compliance.
The AIRVO 2 together with our Optiflow range of patient interfaces provides a
versatile and easy to use system for delivering humidified high-flow therapy.