Patent ID: 7726311

Claim:
A method of applying total liquid ventilation to a patient according to a ventilation cycle including inspiration and expiration profiles, comprising: supplying oxygenated liquid to the lungs of the patient during inspiration, wherein supplying oxygenated liquid to the patient's lungs comprises accumulating oxygenated liquid from an oxygenator unit in an inspiration piston pump during expiration, and transferring the oxygenated liquid accumulated in the inspiration piston pump to the patient's lungs during inspiration; withdrawing liquid from the patient's lungs during expiration, wherein withdrawing liquid from the patient's lungs comprises accumulating liquid from the patient's lungs in an expiration piston pump during expiration, and transferring the liquid accumulated in the expiration piston pump directly to the oxygenator unit during inspiration; and controlling independently supply of oxygenated liquid to the patient's lungs and withdrawal of liquid from the patient's lungs, the supply and withdrawal independent control comprising producing a ventilation cycle having independently controlled inspiration and expiration profiles.