Method for classifying modes of ventilation from different manufacturers

A ventilator is a medical device that provides a mixture of air and oxygen and eliminates carbon dioxide from patients who cannot breathe on their owndue to certain illnesses or to perform surgeries that require general anesthesia. Covid 19 pandemic has increased the need for this medical device because it might cause respiratory complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)[1]. The ventilator is designed to control and/or assist the delivery of breaths to patients in a way that promotes patient’s comfort and safety. This can be achieved by using a suitable mode of ventilation that guarantees sufficient gas exchange with minimum duration of ventilation and without causing lung injury. More than 170 names for the modes of ventilation are used in the United States only[2]. Different manufacturer uses different names. There is a need for using a unified system to classify these names. This article will explain how different name of modes of ventilation are classified according to three variables: control variable, breath sequence, and targeting scheme.