Demonstration of a method to characterize and develop airway access devices for total liquid ventilation.
Devices are being developed to carry out perfluorocarbon total liquid ventilation (TLV) in adult-sized animals or patients. A limiting factor in the clinical application of TLV lies in the ability to administer adequate tidal volumes of oxygenated perfluorocarbon through airway access devices. A single number, the M-number, is demonstrated in this paper as a systematic method for ranking the flow characteristics of currently available airway access devices, such as endotracheal or tracheostomy tubes, and for designing new airway access devices exclusively for TLV. The M-number of several commonly used endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes is determined as a demonstration of the use of the M-number. Two nomograms are presented based on the M-number, and a description for their use in the clinical and laboratory settings is given.
Chambers
S
S
Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Laberteaux
K
K
Hirschl
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008021:Life Support Systems / Q000295:instrumentation; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013396:Suction
D005466:Fluorocarbons