Respiratory system with humidifier and conformable reservoir

1. A humidifier configured to humidify a pressurized flow of air to be delivered by way of an air flow path to a patient, the humidifier comprising:

a base unit comprising at least one wall defining a receiving space;

a variable volume reservoir comprising reservoir air inlet configured to form a sealed connection with the air flow path, the variable volume reservoir being configured to hold a body of water and receive the flow of air through the reservoir air inlet to humidify the flow of air for delivery to the patient; and

a heater for heating the body of water,

wherein the receiving space is configured to removably receive the variable volume reservoir and the variable volume reservoir is conformable to a shape of the receiving space.

2. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir is collapsible to a flat plate.

3. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wall defines a prism shaped receiving space.

4. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir comprises low thermal impedance material configured to engage the heater in use.

5. The humidifier of claim 4 , wherein the low thermal impedance material comprises at least one of polyethylene or polyamide.

6. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir does not comprise a metal plate.

7. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir comprises the heater.

8. The humidifier of claim 7 , wherein the heater is a flexible tape heater.

9. The humidifier of claim 8 , wherein at least a part of the heater is molded within a wall of the variable volume reservoir.

10. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir comprises a water inlet.

11. The humidifier of claim 10 , wherein the reservoir air inlet comprises an ISO standard connector for fluidly connecting to a respiratory apparatus.

12. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises a base unit air inlet and a base unit air outlet,

wherein the variable volume reservoir further comprises a reservoir air outlet, and

wherein the reservoir air inlet is configured to receive the flow of air from the base unit air inlet, and the reservoir air outlet is configured to discharge humidified air to the base unit air outlet.

13. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the variable volume reservoir further comprises a surface configured to support the body of water.

14. The humidifier of claim 1 , wherein the air flow path is enclosed.

15. A humidifier configured to receive a pressurized flow of respiratory gas from a respiratory pressure therapy (RPT) apparatus by way of a gas flow path, the humidifier comprising:

a flexible chamber configured to hold a body of water and receive the pressurized flow of respiratory gas from the RPT apparatus to humidify the pressurized flow of respiratory gas; and

a base unit configured to support the flexible chamber, the flexible chamber being configured to conform to a shape of a receiving space of the base unit in use,

wherein the flexible chamber is removable from the gas flow path.

16. The humidifier of claim 15 , wherein the flexible chamber is configured to expand during use.

17. The humidifier of claim 15 , wherein the flexible chamber comprises a flexible main body.

18. The humidifier of claim 17 , wherein the flexible chamber comprises a rigidizing structure for the flexible main body.

19. The humidifier of claim 18 , wherein the rigidizing structure is one or more ribs extending along an interior surface of the flexible main body.

20. The humidifier of claim 18 , wherein the rigidizing structure is an exoskeleton extending across an outer surface of the flexible main body.

21. The humidifier of claim 15 , wherein the base unit comprises a heating element.

22. The humidifier of claim 21 , wherein the heating element comprises a plurality of heating regions.

23. The humidifier of claim 22 , wherein the flexible chamber is configured to engage each of the plurality of heating regions in use.

24. The humidifier of claim 15 , wherein the flexible chamber comprises a gas inlet configured to form a sealed connection with the gas flow path, the flexible chamber being configured to the pressurized flow of respiratory gas from the RPT apparatus through the gas inlet.

25. The humidifier of claim 24 , wherein the gas inlet is removable from the gas flow path.

26. A humidifier configured to receive a pressurized flow of respiratory gas from a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) apparatus by way of a gas flow path, the humidifier comprising:

a conformable chamber configured to hold a body of water and receive the pressurized flow of respiratory gas from the CPAP apparatus to humidify the pressurized flow of respiratory gas; and

at least one wall defining a receiving space configured to retain the conformable chamber in a fixed position relative to the CPAP apparatus,

wherein the at least one wall of the receiving space is configured to force the conformable chamber into a predetermined shape upon the conformable chamber being received by the receiving space, and

wherein the conformable chamber is removable from the gas flow path.

27. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the receiving space comprises a heating element configured to engage at least one of the walls of the conformable chamber when the conformable chamber is received by the receiving space.

28. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber comprises a heating element.

29. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber comprises an air inlet with a check valve.

30. The humidifier of claim 29 , wherein the check valve is configured to open during a treatment session of the CPAP apparatus.

31. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber comprises a divider that divides the conformable chamber into two subchambers.

32. The humidifier of claim 31 , wherein the divider is configured to prevent liquid from flowing through an air inlet of the conformable chamber when the conformable chamber is tilted from an operating configuration.

33. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber comprises a rigidizing structure to add rigidity to the conformable chamber.

34. The humidifier of claim 33 , wherein the rigidizing structure is positioned inside the conformable chamber.

35. The humidifier of claim 33 , wherein the rigidizing structure is positioned on an outside surface of the conformable chamber.

36. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber is pre-filled with water.

37. The humidifier of claim 26 , wherein the conformable chamber comprises a gas inlet configured to form a sealed connection with the gas flow path, the conformable chamber being configured to receive the pressurized flow of respiratory gas from the CPAP apparatus through the gas inlet.

38. The humidifier of claim 37 , wherein the gas inlet is removable from the gas flow path.

39. A humidifier for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) apparatus, the humidifier comprising:

a flexible chamber configured to hold a body of water and receive pressurized gas from the CPAP apparatus to humidify the pressurized gas, the flexible chamber comprising a rigidizer configured to prevent the flexible chamber from collapsing in on itself,

wherein the flexible chamber is configured to directly couple to the CPAP apparatus.

40. The humidifier of claim 39 , wherein the rigidizer is at least one of a rib structure positioned inside the flexible chamber and an exoskeleton structure positioned outside the flexible chamber.