Patent ID: 8161972

Claim:
A method of operating a ventilator assembly having inhalation and exhalation passages communicating with one another, a controller, inhalation and exhalation monitors, and a respiration assembly including inhalation and exhalation valves respectively communicating with the inhalation and exhalation passages, the respiration assembly performing repetitive respiratory cycles, each cycle including inhalation and exhalation phases, the method comprising acts of: the controller repetitively operating the respiration assembly through the respiratory cycles by controlling the inhalation and exhalation valves so that during the inhalation phase the inhalation valve is relatively open for the passage of gas therethrough into the inhalation passage to a patient and the exhalation valve is relatively closed, thus the gas in the inhalation passage flows through an endotracheal tube into the patient's airway and lungs below the patient's vocal cords, and during the exhalation phase the controller providing talking and non-talking modes, in the talking mode the inhalation valve is maintained relatively closed and the exhalation valve is maintained relatively closed to enable the patient to exhale the gases in the patient's airway and lungs past the patient's vocal cords and out of the patient's mouth, thereby facilitating the patient's ability to speak, and in the non-talking mode the inhalation valve is maintained relatively closed restricting inhalation gas from the patient and the atmosphere and the exhalation valve is maintained relatively open; one or more of the inhalation and exhalation monitors monitoring a pressure within at least one of the inhalation and exhalation passages during the exhalation phase; and the controller determining whether a circuit disconnect or an occlusion exists based on the pressure monitoring, wherein the endotracheal tube has a check valve so that the gas exhaled by the patient during each exhalation phase is prevented from communicating with the passages.