A control system for mechanical ventilation based on spontaneous ventilation flow: preliminary results

Mechanical ventilation is a resource used to treat patients in critical condition or for surgeries under general anesthesia. Lung ventilator is the equipment responsible for managing the patient’s ventilation cycles. Ventilator technology has evolved significantly since the first models were manufactured, but mechanical ventilation can still cause damage to the patient's respiratory system during its use. This article presents a mechanical ventilation strategy based on spontaneous ventilation flow, which means that the patient is subjected to a more natural and less aggressive treatment to the respiratory system, whose control target is to obtain the desired flow curve reference. The control strategy was simulated and implemented in a commercially used lung ventilator, whose results show the flow curve design, comparing it with the mechanical ventilation modes currently used. The results show attenuation in the positive and negative peaks of flow and pressure, in addition to smoothing variations in flow intensity, opening the possibility for tests and clinical research with patients.