The ventilator is loosely based on a simple anaesthesia ventilator which automatically provides an 'Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (IMV) mode (Pybus DA and Kerr JH). During IPPV the ventilator acts as a constant flow generator. Inspiratory and expiratory flow, mouth pressure and delivered tidal volume are shown graphically on the left-hand side of the device. At the right hand side of the display are the controls for adjusting the gains of the flow, pressure and volume channels respectively.
For the purposes of the ECMO simulation system, the patient is assumed to be intubated and connected to the ventilator circuit.
Unless paralysed, the patient will be able to breathe through the circuit (whether or not the ventilator is turned on).
In order to turn the ventilator <On>, click the button at the top right of the interface. Use the <Vt> (Tidal Volume), <Rate>, <O2%> and <PEEP> controls to set up the ventilatory parameters which you want. If you want to suppress the patient's own respiratory activity, use the <Therapeutic Interface> to administer a respiratory depressant (such as Fentanyl), or completely eliminate spontaneous respiratory activity by using a muscle relaxant (Pancuronium).