Patent ID: 8695597
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: A61B,A61M

Abstract:
1. A process for operating a respirator and/or anesthesia device in Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) mode with a % Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF) criterion, the process comprising the steps of: providing a respirator and/or anesthesia device; flowing breathing gases to a patient using said respirator and/or anesthesia device in the Airway Pressure Release Ventilation (APRV) mode with an airway pressure varied between an upper pressure level during a high pressure period and a lower pressure level during a pressure release phase; detecting a spontaneous expiratory effort by a patient; switching said flowing of the breathing gas using said respirator and/or anesthesia device from said high pressure period to said pressure release phase when the detected spontaneous expiratory effort by the patient falls within a predetermined trigger window, switching said flowing of the breathing gas using said respirator and/or anesthesia device from said pressure release phase to said high pressure period when an instantaneous patient expiratory flow relative to a maximum expiration flow has dropped below a set percentage; setting a length of said trigger window; determining a minimum inspiration time of a respiration cycle; prolonging an inspiration time of a subsequent respiration cycle beyond said minimum inspiration time by a duration by which said trigger window was shortened in a preceding inspiration phase because of said pressure release phase occurring before the end of that trigger window.