High Flow Oxygen Therapy

High flow oxygen therapy, an alternative to conventional oxygen therapy, delivers heated and humidified oxygen, along with a controlled fraction of inspired oxygen at a maximum flow rate of 60L/min via a nasal cannula.

Delivering high-flow oxygen in this way is a form of respiratory support frequently used by patients with acute respiratory failure in hospitals and long-term care facilities to improve the fraction of inspired oxygen they receive and generate positive end-expiratory pressure. Far more comfortable than cold and dry oxygen, high flow oxygen therapy delivers warm, humidified oxygen at a constant flow that improves the exchange of gases and reduces the work of breathing—resulting in better outcomes. and comfort to patients.

Today, high flow oxygen therapy is also being applied in homes with noninvasive ventilators designed for non-dependent patients who suffer from obstructive or restrictive respiratory conditions, including humidification treatment, oxygen therapy, endotracheal intubation, and tracheotomy.

During high flow oxygen therapy, the higher the flow of oxygen, the more important proper humidification and conditioning of the flow become. Warming the inspired oxygen and heating it to core temperature is more effective at high flow rates, and without humidity, the oxygenation and ventilation effects of high-flow therapy is negatively impacted by the effect that dry air has on lung tissue.

TUTCO-Farnam has designed hundreds of heaters for surgical, laboratory, and patient comfort applications, including oxygen and ventilation warming where our enclosure, platen, and silicone heaters are ideal. It is vital that the ventilators used in high-flow oxygen therapy use heaters in the humidification process that deliver precise control with the ability to ramp up and down quickly to maintain optimum temperatures. Working closely with medical OEMs, we have developed heaters that meet the high tolerances required to positively impact patient outcomes and comfort.