Flow-regulated continuous positive airway pressure to minimize imposed work of breathing.
We have developed a new continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system, which consists of an electropneumatic regulator, a microcomputer, and a pneumotachograph placed between the endotracheal tube and the breathing circuit of the CPAP apparatus. This flow-regulated CPAP (FR-CPAP) system delivers a basal flow and also regulates this flow every 20 msec to match the patient's flow demand. To evaluate the performance of this FR-CPAP system, we compared the imposed work of breathing of the FR-CPAP and continuous flow CPAP (CF-CPAP) systems. A model lung was used to simulate spontaneous breathing. The imposed work of breathing of the FR-CPAP system was less than that of the CF-CPAP system. These results indicate that the FR-CPAP system could minimize the imposed work of breathing of a patient receiving CPAP.
Akashi
M
M
Department of Anesthesiology and Acute Medicine, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Japan.
Sakanaka
K
K
Noguchi
H
H
Takumi
Y
Y
D008961:Models, Structural; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014939:Work of Breathing