Medical ventilator with compressor heated exhalation filter

1. A medical ventilator comprising:

a patient circuit having an inspiration branch and an expiration branch;

a pressure generator operatively coupled to the inspiration branch, wherein during operation the pressure generator (a) increases a pressure of gas to be delivered to a patient via the inspiration branch of the patient circuit and (b) produces heat;

first means requiring heating in excess of an ambient temperature for the effective operation thereof, wherein the first means is spaced from the pressure generator and coupled to the expiration branch such that exhaled gas from the patient is provided to the first means, and wherein the first means is physically separated from the pressure generator; and

a thermal conductor coupled in thermal communication with the first means and the pressure generator so as to transfer at least part of heat produced by the pressure generator during the operation thereof to the first means, and wherein the thermal conductor is physically separated from the patient circuit.

2. The ventilator of claim 1 , further including a thermally conductive heat sink coupled in thermal communication between the first means and the thermal conductor.

3. The ventilator of claim 2 , further including a means for causing air to flow across the heat sink.

4. The ventilator of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductor is a heat pipe.

5. The ventilator of claim 1 , wherein the pressure generator includes a motor for driving a compressor.

6. The ventilator of claim 5 , wherein the compressor includes one of a blower, a piston, a bellows, a helical compressor and a drag compressor.

7. The ventilator of claim 1 , further including an enclosure encasing the pressure generator and at least a part of the thermal conductor.

8. The ventilator of claim 7 , further including an insulative material disposed in the enclosure.

9. A medical ventilator comprising:

a patient circuit having an inspiration branch and an expiration branch;

a pressure generator operatively coupled to the inspiration branch, wherein during operation the pressure generator (a) increases a pressure of gas to be delivered to a patient via the inspiration branch of the patient circuit and (b) produces heat;

a heat sink coupled to the expiration branch and physically separated from the pressure generator; and

a thermal conductor coupled in thermal communication with the pressure generator and the heat sink for transferring at least part of the heat produced by the pressure generator during the operation thereof to the heat sink, and wherein the thermal conductor is physically separated from the patient circuit.

10. The ventilator of claim 9 , further including means for causing air to flow across the heat sink to remove at least part of the heat conducted to the heat sink by the thermal conductor.

11. The ventilator of claim 9 , wherein the thermal conductor is a heat pipe.

12. The ventilator of claim 9 , wherein the pressure generator includes a motor for driving a compressor.

13. The ventilator of claim 12 , wherein the compressor includes one of a blower, a piston, a bellows, a helical compressor and a drag compressor.

14. The ventilator of claim 9 , further including an enclosure encasing the pressure generator and at least part of the thermal conductor.

15. The ventilator of claim 14 , further including an insulative material disposed in the enclosure.

16. A medical ventilator comprising:

gas pressure increasing means for increasing a pressure of gas, wherein the gas pressure increasing means also produces heat during the operation thereof;

means for conveying the pressurized gas from the gas pressure increasing means to a patient; and

heat absorbing means for absorbing heat spaced apart and physically separated from the gas pressure increasing means;

heat requiring means requiring heating in excess of an ambient temperature for the effective operation thereof, the heat requiring means coupled in thermal communication with the heat absorbing means;

thermally conductive means coupled in thermal communication with the heat absorbing means and the pressure increasing means for conveying at least part of the heat produced by the gas pressure increasing means to the heat requiring means, and wherein the thermally conductive means is physically separated from the inspiratory limb of the medical ventilator; and

means for conveying gas exhaled by the patient to the heat requiring means.