Patent ID: 9713689
Date: 2017-07-25
CPC Classifications: A61B,A61M

Claim:
1. A method of automatedly evaluating a patient for positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) therapy, the method comprising: providing respiratory assistance to the patient with a mechanical ventilator; providing PEEP therapy at a first PEEP to the patient with the mechanical ventilator; measuring a first end expiratory lung volume (EELV) of the patient at the first PEEP with a gas monitoring module associated with the mechanical ventilator; providing PEEP therapy at a second PEEP to the patient with the mechanical ventilator; measuring a second EELV of the patient at the second PEEP with the gas monitoring module; calculating a difference between the first EELV and the second EELV with a processor of the mechanical ventilator; calculating, with the processor, a recruitment index indicative of the patient's response to PEEP therapy wherein the recruitment index is a ratio of the difference between the first EELV and the second EELV to a measured lung volume of the patient; determining, based upon the calculated recruitment index, whether lung distention or alveolar recruitment make up a greater portion of the difference between the first EELV and the second EELV; and controlling the respiratory assistance provided to the patient with the mechanical ventilator based upon the determination.