Evolution of a new series of self-contained micromechanical ventilators for prehospital use

Immediate medical care can dramatically reduce the number of fatalities sustained during military operations. However, the shift from large-scale regional conflicts to smaller peacekeeping and humanitarian missions has reduced the military medical support infrastructure. In the civilian emergency medical services arena, there has long been an emphasis on the golden hour during which a patient must receive definitive medical attention. Without on-scene medical support, injured soldiers must be transported significant distances before receiving definitive medical care, and rapid transport to a medical facility is not always a viable option. We reported here three years ago on the development of an early prototype portable ventilator with basic functionality. Since that time, four new prototypes with varying capabilities and sizes have been developed. Each of these fits a particular role in military or civilian use. The design goals and tradeoffs for each unit will be discussed, as well as the design implementation used to achieve those goals.