Noisy Ventilator Improves Breathing, Study Shows
Reuters
13-MAY-98
LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - U.S. researchers have developed a computerised
ventilator that could improve the lives of patients suffering from chronic
lung infections or paralysis, they said on Wednesday.
The ventilator, which uses noise incorporated in its computer programme to
fluctuate breathing patterns, could even save the lives of some patients who
rely on the machine to survive, or improve their recovery time.
``We believe we can fine-tune and optimise ventilation on an individual basis
to provide the best strategy,'' Bela Suki, of the department of biomedical
engineering at the University of Boston, said in a telephone interview.
On standard ventilators the respiratory rate and volume of air inspired are
fixed. They do not take into account variations in natural breathing patterns
and can damage the lungs when used over a long period of time.
If the pressure is too low it will have no effect and regions in the lungs can
collapse. If the pressure is too high, it can damage lung tissue.
Introducing noise to vary the pressure can reduce any further damage to the
lungs.
``The volume delivered by the ventilator varies from breath to breath. The
noise represents the variations in the depth of each breath. We modulate the
depth of each breath to mimic the process of breathing,'' Suki explained.
Suki and his colleagues, whose research was published in the science journal
Nature, said early tests on animals were successful and human trials could
begin next year.
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