Ventilator: History and Information.

Here is the Information and History of the Ventilator and how did it come into existence.

Since 1931 working to enhance the iron lung, American pioneer of biomedical devices John Emerson (1906-1997) sought to develop a mechanical ventilator.

A ventilator is a mechanism that constantly transfers air into and out of a patient's lungs which can not breathe. During the year 1949, John Emerson worked with colleagues in the department of anesthesia at Harvard University on his mechanical assistant. Polio epidemics of the 1940s had increased demand for these devices, as the use of muscle-related medications during surgery would paralyze the respiratory muscles of the patient so that they would not be able to breathe.

Other versions preceded Emerson's into the 1950s, including the Bird ventilator, which was powered by gas only. The East Radcliffe and Beaver Designs had been used in Britain. There was an electric wiper motor in the Beaver ventilator that operated bellows to inflate the lungs. But in surgical settings, where flammable anesthetics were used, these engines were risky. The 1952 Manley ventilator was another model powered by gas and thus got around this problem. The Manley Mark 11 became famous, manufactured in the thousands, and sold. Manley's ventilators contributed to the widespread use of positive-pressure ventilation techniques throughout Europe.

High-frequency percussive fans were introduced in the 1980s, which merged mechanical ventilation and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation.



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