Patent ID: 7909031

Claim:
A method of delivering a biological agent in a breathable liquid to a lung of a patient, the method comprising the following steps: introducing breathable liquid to the lung of the patient via a liquid ventilation system comprising a liquid reservoir adapted for housing the breathable liquid, a pump adapted for pumping the breathable liquid, and a piping network adapted for transporting the breathable liquid to the lung of the patient; adjusting the flow in the system of the breathable liquid to the lung of the patient to establish the patient's baseline ventilation pattern, the baseline ventilation pattern comprising a baseline lung volume, a baseline tidal volume, and a baseline inspiratory time of the baseline tidal volume; adding additional breathable liquid to the lung of the patient during inspiration to increase the patient's lung volume above the baseline lung volume; allowing the lung to reach at or about mid-tidal volume in a breath; introducing the biological agent to the liquid ventilation system when the lung is from about minus 10% to about plus 10% of the mid-tidal volume; increasing the flow of the breathable liquid to the lung to increase the lung tidal volume above the baseline tidal volume of the lung; increasing an inspiratory:expiratory timing ratio to increase the inspiratory time of the tidal volume above the baseline inspiratory time of the baseline tidal volume; and adjusting the flow of the breathable liquid in the system and the volume of the breathable liquid in the lung to return the lung of the patient to the baseline ventilation pattern.