Effective and safe control of critical medical ventilation systems
Assisting patients with their breathing is extremely delicate. Equipment reliability and
safety is of utmost importance.
Mechanical parts and electronics in ventilators perform a life-critical role for many
patients. The ventilator needs to be more than just reliable, it needs to have failsafes in
place to ensure patient safety, even in the unlikely event of mechanical failure. When
needed, the ventilator needs to provide controlled and precise amounts of air at the
right intervals. It also needs to be aware when and if the patient starts to breath on their
own, so there is no conflict between the body’s natural breathing and the assisted
breathing.
All these systems are controlled by the computer hardware onboard the ventilator system.
This case study looks closely as the challenges faced and the equipment that was chosen to
meet and exceed those challenges.
