Charles Hudson

Charles Henry Hudson (1903-1962)

Charles Henry Hudson (1903-1962) was an American dentist, inventor and medical entrepreneur

Hudson was a pioneer in respiratory care and anaesthesia equipment innovation. Founder of Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company, later known as Hudson Respiratory Care Inc. (Hudson RCI).

Credited with developing disposable oxygen masks, nasal cannulas, and the Pen-I-Sol nebulizer, and with patenting the now-ubiquitous “Hudson mask“. He emphasised efficiency, disposability, and standardisation in respiratory therapy equipment.

His legacy lies not only in specific devices, but in creating one of the first companies focused exclusively on respiratory support, airway management, and disposable oxygen therapy products. Hudson’s inventions remain foundational in modern anaesthesia and critical care practice.


Biography
  • 1903 – Born March 4 in Maryville, Missouri, USA
  • 1920s – Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
  • 1930s – Collaborated with Jay Heidbrink (1875–1957) to co-develop anaesthetic gas delivery machines. The machine was well received with Datex-Ohmeda acquiring rights to manufacture
  • 1945 – Founded Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company in Los Angeles to produce oxygen masks, tents, and anaesthesia supplies.
  • Late 1940s – Invented the Pen-I-Sol nebulizer, a hand-blown glass device to deliver inhaled penicillin in the post-war years — a precursor to modern handheld nebulisers.
  • 1955 – Hudson files a patent application for an “Oxygen Mask”
  • 1958 – Granted U.S. Patent No. 2,843,121 for a disposable transparent oxygen mask (later known as the Hudson mask)
  • 1962 – Died December 13 in Glendale, California

Medical Eponyms
Hudson Mask

Patented in 1958 by Charles H. Hudson (US Patent No. 2,843,121), the “Hudson mask” became the archetype of the disposable oxygen face mask

Designed for low-flow oxygen therapy (5–10 L/min), delivering approximately 35–60% FiO₂. Constructed from soft transparent plastic, with side vents, adjustable nose clip, and a 7-foot oxygen supply tube — balancing patient comfort with clinical utility. Rapidly adopted into hospital use worldwide, becoming a clinical standard

Though not a formal personal eponym, the term “Hudson mask” entered global medical parlance as a brand-derived generic. Represents the broader impact of Hudson RCI, whose innovations transformed respiratory care and standardised disposable oxygen delivery systems

Milross et al. (1989) demonstrated predictable FiO₂ delivery with tight mask fit, validating its continued utility in oxygen therapy

Hudson Mask patents
Hudson Mask patents: 2,843,121 and 2,843,122 (1958)

Hudson Pen-I-Sol Nebulizer

A glass-blown, hand-held device with a rebreathing bag and oronasal mask. Developed in the late 1940s to aerosolize penicillin for inhalation therapy. Early and effective precursor to modern hand-held nebulizers generating sub-micron droplets under oxygen pressure.

Hudson Pen-I-Sol Nebulizer
Fig 1. Pen-I-Sol nebulizer with rebreathing mask and face mask [H=humidifier]. Fig 2. Patient breathing in nebulized penicillin with Hudson Pen-I-Sol Nebulizer. Ann Intern Med. 1949

Dr. Charles H. Hudson Award for Cardiopulmonary Public Health

In 1986 the American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) established the Hudson Award which recognizes efforts to positively influence the public’s awareness of cardiopulmonary health and wellness.


Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company
  • 1945 Dr. Charles H. Hudson founded the Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company in Los Angeles. Specialising in oxygen masks, humidification systems, and anaesthesia equipment
  • 1962 Following the death of Charles Hudson, his son Allan Hudson (1937–1987) and daughter-in-law Helen Hudson Lovaas (1938–2014) take over the company
  • 1970 – Company was moved to Temecula, California. Expansion into humidification, breathing circuits, endotracheal products
  • 1987–1998 Helen Hudson Lovaas (1938–2014) takes over as CEO after the passing of her husband Allan Hudson.
  • 1989 – Renamed to Hudson Respiratory Care Incorporated (Hudson RCI) after acquiring Respiratory Care Inc. (RCI). Selected as one of the top 100 women-owned businesses in the Inland Empire (1996)
  • 1998 – Majority stake acquired by Freeman Spogli & Co.
  • 2004 – Teleflex Inc. purchased Hudson RCI, integrating it into Teleflex Medical
  • 2021 – Medline Industries acquired key product lines, further expanding the brand’s reach
Hudson Oxygen Therapy Sales Company

Medical Patents

References

Hudson mask

Pen-I-Sol nebuliser


Eponym

the person behind the name

BA MA (Oxon) MBChB (Edin) FACEM FFSEM. Emergency physician, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Passion for rugby; medical history; medical education; and asynchronous learning #FOAMed evangelist. Co-founder and CTO of Life in the Fast lane | Eponyms | Books |

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