Novel High-tech, Low-cost Ventilation for Military Use, Mass Casualty Incidents, Stockpiling, and Underserved Communities
Authors: Weeks M. Katie , Widmann Nicholas J , Nickel Amanda J , McDonough Joseph M , Mason McKenna , Zuckerberg Jeremy , Forti Rodrigo M , Kilbaugh Todd J 
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Despite the significant need for mechanical ventilation in- and out-of-hospital, mechanical ventilators remain inaccessible in many instances because of cost or size constraints. Mechanical ventilation is especially critical in trauma scenarios, but the impractical size and weight of standard mechanical ventilators restrict first responders from carrying them in medical aid bags, leading to reliance on imprecise manual bag-mask ventilation. This is particularly important in combat-related injury, where airway compromise and respiratory failure are leading causes of preventable death, but medics are left without necessary mechanical ventilation. To address the serious gaps in mechanical ventilation accessibility, we are developing an Autonomous, Modular, and Portable Ventilation platform (AMP-Vent) suitable for austere environments, prolonged critical care, surgical applications, mass casualty incidents, and stockpiling. The core system is remarkably compact, weighing &lt;2.3 kg, and can fit inside a shoebox (23.4 cm × 17.8 cm × 10.7 cm). Notably, this device is 65% lighter than standard transport ventilators and astoundingly 96% lighter than typical intensive care unit ventilators. Beyond its exceptional portability, AMP-Vent can be manufactured at less than one-tenth the cost of conventional ventilators. Despite its reduced size and cost, the system’s functionality is uncompromised. The core system is equipped with closed-loop sensors and advanced modes of ventilation (pressure-control, volume-control, and synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation), enabling quality care in a portable form factor. The current prototype has undergone preliminary preclinical testing and optimization through trials using a breathing simulator (ASL 5000) and in a large animal model (swine). This report aims to introduce a novel ventilation system and substantiate its promising performance through evidence gathered from preclinical studies.

Materials and Methods

Lung simulator testing was performed using the ASL 5000, in accordance with table 201.105 “pressure-control inflation-type testing” from ISO 80601-2-12:2020. Following simulations, AMP-Vent was tested in healthy 10-kg female domestic piglets. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved all animal procedures. Swine received 4-min blocks of alternating ventilation, where AMP-Vent and a conventional anesthesia ventilator (GE AISYS CS2) were used to titrate to varied end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) goals with the initial ventilator switching for each ascending target (35, 40, 45, 50, 55 mmHg).

Results

During ASL 5000 simulations, AMP-Vent exhibited consistent performance under varied conditions, maintaining a coefficient of variation of 2% or less within each test. In a large animal study, AMP-Vent maintained EtCO2 and SpO2 targets with comparable performance to a conventional anesthesia ventilator (GE AISYS CS2). Furthermore, the comparison of minute ventilation (Ve) distributions between the conventional anesthesia ventilator and AMP-Vent at several EtCO2 goals (35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 mmHg) revealed no statistically significant differences (p = 0.46 using the Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test).

Conclusions

Preclinical results from this study highlight AMP-Vent’s core functionality and consistent performance across varied scenarios. AMP-Vent sets a benchmark for portability with its remarkably compact design, positioning it to revolutionize trauma care in previously inaccessible medical scenarios.