APPARATUS CONFIGURED TO REDUCE MICROBIAL INFECTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

1 . A nasal cannula having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the nasal cannula including a lumen and a nasal prong configured to deliver a gas from said lumen and into at least one nare of a patient through said nasal prong, at least one of said lumen and said nasal prong comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to kill or inhibit growth of microorganisms on at least one of the interior and exterior surfaces of said nasal cannula.

2 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 wherein said antimicrobial agent comprises silver.

3 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 wherein said antimicrobial agent comprises an ion exchange carrier.

4 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 wherein said antimicrobial agent is applied to a surface of said nasal cannula.

5 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 wherein said antimicrobial agent is impregnated into said nasal cannula.

6 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 formed from polymeric material.

7 . The nasal cannula of claim 6 wherein said antimicrobial agent is incorporated into said polymeric material.

8 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 further comprising tubing in fluid flow communication with said lumen and configured to deliver gas to the lumen.

9 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 , wherein the interior surface defines a passageway for the gas, said lumen comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms within the passageway.

10 . The nasal cannula of claim 1 , said nasal prong being configured to be positioned within the nare of the patient, said nasal prong having an exterior surface positioned for contact with an interior of the nare of the patient, said nasal prong comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on said exterior surface of said nasal prong.

11 . A nasal cannula comprising:

a) tubing configured to receive a gas for delivery toward at least one nare of a patient;

b) a lumen in fluid flow communication with said tubing;

c) a nasal element in fluid flow communication with said lumen, said nasal element comprising at least one nasal prong;

wherein an antimicrobial agent is incorporated into or applied to at least one of said tubing, said lumen, and said nasal element.

12 . The nasal cannula of claim 11 wherein said antimicrobial agent is applied to a surface of at least one of said lumen and said nasal element of said nasal cannula.

13 . The nasal cannula of claim 11 wherein said antimicrobial agent is impregnated into at least one of said lumen and said nasal element of said nasal cannula.

14 . The nasal cannula of claim 11 , further comprising an interior surface defining a passageway for the gas, said interior surface comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms within said passageway.

15 . The nasal cannula of claim 11 , said nasal prong of said nasal element being configured to be positioned within the nare of the patient, said nasal prong

having an exterior surface positioned for contact with an interior of the nare of the patient, said nasal prong comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on said exterior surface of said nasal prong.

16 . A nasal cannula configured to deliver breathing gas to at least one nare of a patient, said nasal cannula comprising:

a lumen configured to receive a breathing gas for delivery toward the nare of the patient, said lumen having a lumen interior surface defining a passageway for the breathing gas, said lumen comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to destroy or inhibit the growth of microorganisms within said passageway of said lumen; and

a nasal prong in fluid flow communication with said lumen, said nasal prong being configured to be positioned within the nare of the patient for delivery of the breathing gas from the lumen and to the nare of the patient, said nasal prong having an exterior surface positioned for contact with an interior of the nare of the patient and a nasal prong interior surface, said nasal prong comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on at least one of said exterior surface and said interior surface of said nasal prong.

17 . A method of delivering a breathing gas to a patient, said method comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a nasal prong of a nasal cannula within a nare of the patient;

b) delivering gas through a lumen of the nasal cannula toward the nasal prong of the nasal cannula; and

c) inhibiting growth of microorganisms on one or more surfaces of the nasal prong or the lumen with an effective amount of an antimicrobial agent applied to or incorporated into the lumen or the nasal prong of the nasal cannula.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein said inhibiting step comprising inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on an interior surface of the lumen.

19 . The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of contacting an exterior surface of the nasal prong with an interior of the nare of the patient, said inhibiting step comprising inhibiting the growth of microorganisms on the exterior surface of the nasal prong.

20 . A system for delivering heated and humidified air to the nasal passageway of a patient, the system comprising:

a) a source of a heated and humidified gas; and

b) a nasal cannula coupled to receive the gas from said source, said nasal cannula having a lumen and a nasal prong configured to deliver the gas from said lumen and into the nasal passageway of the patient through said nasal prong, at least one of said lumen and said nasal prong comprising an amount of an antimicrobial agent effective to kill or inhibit growth of microorganisms on one or more surfaces of said nasal cannula.

21 - 64 . (canceled)